What is the best hydration drink?

What is the best drink for hydration?

Most healthy people stay hydrated without conscious effort of how much and what they drink.

However, drinks that promote better fluid retention may be of interest when there is limited access to fluid and/or frequent urination needs to be avoided (e.g. during exercise).

This study investigated the hydration efficacy of 13 different drinks, including coffee, tea, soda, juice, beer, and milk. Hydration efficacy was measured by the volume of urine produced after drinking the beverage and expressed relative to still water (which was considered score 1.0).

The hydration efficacy of soda, tea, coffee, beer, juice, and sports drink was not significantly different when compared to water.

However, the ingestion of an oral rehydration solution (ORS), full-fat milk, and skimmed milk resulted in better fluid retention when compared to water. Macronutrients and electrolytes in drinks seem to promote fluid retention.  

Therefore, milk is an efficient hydration drink and a good option if you can only bring little fluid with you or want to avoid urination.

Study:
Maughan et al. A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index. Am J Clin Nutr, 2016

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