Research
Mixed
Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks are superior to water alone for restoring fluid balance and endurance capacity post-exercise, particularly when fluid losses are significant.
After intense exercise, drink a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution (around 6-8% carbs) rather than just water. This helps your body absorb the fluid better, reduces urine loss, and restores your ability to perform again faster.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Water alone is not the best means of restoring body fluids, since carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks display better intestinal absorption and reduce urine output.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple studies (Wong et al., Burke and Ekblom) and general physiological principles cited.
Source
The use of recovery methods post‐exercise
Thomas Reilly et al. · Journal of Sports Sciences · 2005
DOI 10.1080/02640410400021302
narrative_reviewCited 245×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Post-exercise active warm-down (jogging and stretching) accelerates the recovery of neuromuscular performance (jumping, sprinting) and reduces muscle soreness compared to passive rest.Moderate
- Deep-water running (with buoyancy belt) is an effective recovery method for restoring muscle strength and reducing perceived soreness following plyometric exercise, though it does not prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).Moderate
- Antioxidant supplementation (Vitamin C, Co-enzyme Q10) does not improve recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage and may potentially delay recovery or worsen performance in some contexts.Moderate
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