Hydration and our drinks

Water is the main ingredient in all of our products and most soft drinks contain anything between 89% and 99% water.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set daily recommendations for water intake, with women requiring two litres of water a day and men two and a half litres a day. According to the EFSA, our total daily water intake can come from drinking water, other drinks and even moisture found in food.

Soft drinks can help quench thirst and contribute to our daily liquid requirement. When consuming drinks that contain calories, it’s important to remember that all calories count, no matter what food or drink they come from.

Did you know? A person can survive for weeks without food, but for only a few days without water

Drink to cool down
If it's hot, or if your temperature is high due to physical exertion, you need to drink more. Feeling thirsty is your body's way of telling you that you need to increase your fluid intake. Another indicator is if your urine is a dark yellow colour during the day. If you are getting enough fluid your urine should be a pale straw colour.

Drink more during exercise
It's not just skill that helps you bag first place in the parents' race on sports day. It's also down to the water in your body. If you are active you will need to drink more. As a guide, an extra litre of fluid per hour of strenuous exercise is recommended. Water is fine for rehydrating after the kind of moderate exercise that most active people choose. However, for professional athletes and those participating in high intensity exercise, a sports drink helps support effective hydration. Powerade ION4 contains minerals, including sodium, to help replace what you've lost in sweat. The combination of hydration and carbohydrate fuel in drinks like Powerade ensures optimum performance during prolonged exercise.

Hydration and caffeinated drinks
We need to keep our bodies well hydrated. While caffeine may have a mild, short-term diuretic effect on individuals who do not normally consume it, studies show that's not the case for people who enjoy caffeine regularly. A report in 2004 by the US Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that all drinks, including those containing caffeine, contribute to hydration. This has also been supported by a scientific review by the British Nutrition Foundation in 2010.