Study || Water Vs. Coconut Water Vs. Sports Drinks

A study published in early 2012, demonstrated little difference between four beverages with regard to rehydration and subsequent support of exercise.  The four tested beverages included: 1) bottled water, 2) pure coconut water, 3) coconut water from concentrate, and 4) a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink.

So then what is a good reason to choose coconut water and/or bottled water over a sports drink?  Well, there are more than one:

1. Pure coconut water generally has fewer calories than sports drinks.  Moreover, bottled water has no calories.  
2. If you are looking for a natural alternative to sports drinks, coconut water and bottled water are two options.  
3. If you are wanting to lower sodium in your daily diet, pure coconut water and bottled water (which is even better) are the way to go.  
4. If you want to increase your potassium intake, pure coconut water is the best of the above options.  (Coconut water contains approximately 12x more potassium than Gatorade.)

AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CONCLUSION: "Additional study inclusive of a more demanding dehydration protocol, as well as a time trial test as the measure of exercise performance, may more specifically determine the efficacy of these beverages on enhancing hydration and performance following dehydrating exercise."  (For the above study, twelve exercise-trained men were subjected to 60 minutes of treadmill exercise.)

SOURCES and MORE READS:
COCONUT WATER STUDY (2012)
THE TRUTH ABOUT COCONUT WATER