Proponents of coconut water have stated that it is a as a hydration powerhouse that will hydrate better than water, thanks to its natural sugar and electrolytes, but is it all that?
Coconut water is a the naturally occurring liquid that originates inside a coconut, and nutrition-wise contains around 45 calories, 70 milligrams of sodium, 500 milligrams of potassium, and 11 grams of carbohydrates per cup.
According to studies done on the benefits of coconut water included those done on the impact of coconut water on rehydration after exercise, and it was found that there is minimal difference between ordinary water, coconut water and traditional sports drinks.
One study that did a comparison between normal coconut water, coconut water from concentrate, bottled water and sports drinks on rehydration found that there was not really any difference in the hydrating properties of the three. It did however find that coconut water seemed to cause less nausea, less fullness and was easier to consume in larger amounts than both the sports drink and plain water.
According to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise states that coconut water replenishes body fluids as well as sports drinks and better than water, but that in general, athletes prefer the taste of sports drinks. Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, MS, RD says coconut water cannot rehydrate the body unless one drinks a huge amount of it.
While coconut water may make a good and natural alternative to drinking carbonated drinks, and does offer some advantages, especially for athletes that are training vigorously for 90 minutes or more, there is no such thing as a miracle product or magic elixir. On the whole, drinking pure, good old H20 is probably your best bet as it is cheapest, generally freely available and what the body needs most when dehydrated.
If you do not like the taste of tap water, it is a good idea to invest in a water cooler that can provide you with chilled, pure, filtered water. You can fill your sports water bottle from the water cooler to take with you when exercising away from home and you will always have fresh water at the touch of a button.
