Research summary · Hydration and heat
Juice, sports drink and water showed similar rehydration, with a tolerance caveat
Seventeen adults completed all three conditions after cycling in heat until approximately 2% body-mass loss. They then consumed fruit juice, a glucose-based sports drink or water over one hour, with actual water content matched to 150% of the exercise loss. Researchers followed fluid balance for five hours.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Randomized three-condition crossover trial
- Journal
- Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
- Population / context
- Cycling · Exercise in heat · Post-exercise rehydration
What the publication reports
Total urine production and retained water did not differ significantly among drinks. Juice produced a lower glucose response than the sports drink but a higher response than water. This protocol detected no clear rehydration advantage for any beverage; it was not an equivalence trial proving that all drinks work identically.
Limits and interpretation
Only 17 of 29 recruits completed, including just two women. Three withdrew after diarrhea with juice. About 2.3 litres of juice in one hour is an unusually large intake, limiting everyday applicability. Healthy-adult laboratory rehydration outcomes do not establish subsequent sport performance or suitability for people with medical conditions.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Post-exercise rehydration: a randomized cross-over trial comparing a 100% fruit juice, a glucose-based sports drink, and water
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42672944DOI: 10.1080/15502783.2026.2721140Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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