Drinking Soft Drinks After Exercise Could Damage Your Kidney - Study

 

 

Drinking cold soft drinks after a hot workout can feel refreshing, but a new research says that it may cause further dehydration and interfere with kidney function.

 

According to Medical News Today, researchers from the University of Buffalo, New York, USA recently assessed the impact of soft drinks on kidney health when consumed during and after physical exertion.

 

Their findings, published in the American Journal of Physiology, noted that when people exercise in a hot environment, the blood, which flows through the kidneys, is reduced and this helps to regulate blood pressure and conserve water.

 

The study authors brought these strands of research together as they explained that the purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that consuming a soft drink during and following an exercise in the heat elevates biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury, compared to a water control trial.

“After an intense workout, it is fairly common for people to drink soft drinks. Similarly, people who carry out manual labour in hot environments often indulge. It is important to understand whether this behavior can have negative consequences for kidney health,” the researchers wrote.

 

The researchers recruited 12 healthy, physically fit adults whose average age was 24. The participants completed 30 minutes on the treadmill, then a further 15 minutes doing three tasks designed to mimic physical work on an agricultural site.

“At least, one week later, the participants returned and performed the four-hour routine once again. This time, those that had the soft drinks in the first trial received water and vice versa,” the researchers wrote.

 

The authors asserted that the consumption of soft drinks during and following exercise in the heat does not rehydrate. Thus, consuming soft drinks as a rehydration beverage during exercise in the heat may not be ideal.