Learn About the Best Fluids For Hydration
What do you think you should drink to stay hydrated?
Most of my athletes think the answer is either a sports drink or water. What about you?
The answer is a little more complex and might surprise you!
Drinks which promote hydration and help your body to maintain fluid balance are influenced by:
the amount consumed
how much energy they provide
the amount of electrolytes they contain (e.g. sodium, potassium, magnesium)
whether they contain diuretics (anything which makes you pee more, like caffeine or alcohol).
Drinks containing more energy and electrolytes are more hydrating than water
The general thinking is that the higher the energy and electrolyte content of a fluid, the more it will be retained by the body, making it more hydrating than water. And that drinks that contain caffeine and alcohol will then be less hydrating.
A study investigated the hydrating effects of some common drinks found in your local supermarket and compared them to still water. They tested:
Cola
Diet Cola
Sports drink
Oral Rehydration Sachet in Water (ORS)
Orange juice
Lager
Coffee
Tea
Full-fat milk
Skimmed milk
So you’re probably thinking the Sport Drink came out on top right? I thought the same, but…
The drinks were rated according to how much fluid was retained in the body 2 hours and 4 hours later. Here’s what they found out:
Full-fat milk, skimmed milk, ORS and orange juice were more hydrating than still water.
When results were corrected for the water content of each drink, the orange juice was no longer different from still water.
In spite of increased energy content, Cola was no different to still water. Neither was the sports drink!
Moderate caffeine intake from tea and coffee (equivalent to 1-2 cups brewed coffee) did not have an effect and neither did the alcohol content of the lager!
The authors concluded that the drinks with the highest quantities of electrolytes AND energy combined in the milk and ORS is what made them better than water for hydration.
Milk comes out on top when you think about what else it contains
I don’t know about you but I think ORS like Dioralyte tastes pretty disgusting, and as milk contains a little protein, calcium, phosphorus and iodine it’s the winning choice for me!