August 2006

Study: Protein added to sports drink improves rehydration

A new study on rehydration shows that sports drinks with protein added rehydrate more effectively than conventional sports drinks. The study, “Protein Added to a Sports Drink Improves Fluid Retention,” was reported in the August 2006 issue of International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (IJSNEM).

The study shows that a protein-containing sports drink was 15 percent more effective in rehydrating athletes than a conventional sports drink and 40 percent more effective than water.

In the study, conducted at St. Cloud State University, the effectiveness of three different beverages in rehydrating athletes was measured. Thirteen endurance athletes drank either a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink, a carbohydrate-protein-electrolyte sports drink, or water after losing 2.5 percent of their body weight through exercise-induced sweat loss.

Researchers concluded that since the two sports drinks used in the study were similar in carbohydrate and electrolyte composition, the investigators concluded that the protein most likely accounted for the improved rehydration.

This study was funded by PacificHealth Laboratories, makers of Accelerade Sports Drink.

Sources: International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, www.humankinetics.com/IJSNEM; PacificHealth Laboratories, Inc., www.pacifichealthlabs.com

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