Chicken Soup: New Pre-Workout Electrolyte Drink?

Breaking a sweat at the gym gets rid of more than last night’s second serving of cheesecake. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of having your workout sabotaged by painful muscle cramps, you know firsthand what a pain in the tush dehydration can be, but are sugar-packed electrolyte beverages really necessary? According to a study from the American College of Sports Medicine, eating chicken noodle soup before exercise is actually more effective at improving fluid balance than commercial electrolyte beverages and plain water. 

During exercise those beads of sweat mean that our bodies are losing fluids as well as electrolytes that are essential to proper hydration. However as much as we love water, it may not be enough to keep us hydrated during longer, more intense workouts. Water can replenish lost fluids, but it does not contain any electrolytes. Sports drinks on the other hand, contain electrolytes, but can be loaded with sugar and can get pretty expensive. Fortunately something as simple as good old chicken noodle soup can actually be more effective at keeping us hydrated than those overpriced sports drinks.

In the study participants consumed 350 mL, about a cup and a half, of either soup, water, or an electrolyte beverage 45 minutes before exercise. Then each person completed 90 minutes of aerobic exercise with constant monitoring and testing. The results showed that unlike the electrolyte beverage and plain water, soup actually increased the amount of water the participants drank and retained during the exercise session significantly improving hydration.

How can soup outdo electrolyte beverages that were created for the sole purpose of improving hydration? One simple answer—sodium. High concentrations of electrolytes, especially sodium, cause us to retain water and reduce urine output. With the electrolyte beverage, participants only drank more after the 90 minute exercise session, but the soup increased how much water the participants drank all throughout the physical activity. In fact, 90 percent of the improvement in hydration was because the participants were drinking more water. Who knew hydration could be so mm, mm good?

How do you stay hydrated during workouts?

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