Everybody needs to hydrate to perform at their best, whether that’s at work or during a workout. But when we hear conflicting articles about what, when and how much to drink, hydration becomes confusing. That's why we’ve written this article to separate fact from fiction and answer the most important questions.

Myth 1: Thirst is the first sign of dehydration

Truth: Believe it or not, thirst is not always the first sign of dehydration. Why? Because before feeling thirsty, you could already be dehydrated and lose as much as 1 to 2 per cent of your body water content. That means you shouldn’t wait until you feel thirsty to have a drink. Instead, look out for a headache, dry mouth, tiredness or dark-coloured urine.

Myth 2: Drinking water is enough to rehydrate

Truth: Contrary to what people believe, drinking water isn’t enough to restore your electrolyte balance. That’s because when we sweat and breathe, we lose electrolytes that water alone cannot restore. These electrolytes are body salts and minerals known as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride often found in hydration drinks.

Myth 3: Hydration drinks are unhealthier than water

Truth: While certain hydration drinks, otherwise known as isotonic drinks, are known to contain excessive amounts of sugar, there’s a growing selection of healthy drinks like iPRO Hydrate that uses plant-based ingredients. iPRO Hydrate is sweetened naturally with Stevia and a vegetable-based carbohydrate to replenish fluids and electrolytes lost to perspiration.

Myth 4: You need to drink eight glasses of water a day

Truth: How much fluid you need to drink is a simple question but has different answers depending on the person. Your age, diet, health, level of exercise and the climate you live in all contribute to how much you need to drink to stay hydrated. But the general rule of thumb is to drink around 1.5 and 2.5 litres of fluid a day (6 to 8 cups).

Myth 5: Hydration drinks are for workouts only

Truth: While isotonic drinks are mostly believed to be for workouts, this isn’t quite true. Electrolytes are also lost through vomiting and diarrhoea, making hydration drinks the perfect recovery beverage for colds, flu and digestive illnesses.

Myth 6: How you drink affects fluid absorption

Truth: Chugging versus sipping is one of the largest debates around drinking. Although it’s tempting to guzzle a drink at dinnertime, it causes more harm than good. Why? Because it can impact your body’s ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. This is particularly important when drinking water since it can take the body up to 2 hours to absorb.

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