Best Drinks for Rehydration After Exercise

For most workouts, water is genuinely enough. For sessions over an hour, in heat, or with heavy sweating, add electrolytes. Milk and coconut water are both well-supported alternatives. Regular soda is consistently the worst choice, despite the sugar giving a quick energy hit.

The Actual Amount to Drink

16–24 oz of fluid per pound of body weight lost

Weigh yourself before and after exercise to calculate this accurately

This is the standard recovery guideline used across most sports medicine sources, and it's worth actually using rather than guessing. Begin rehydrating immediately after finishing, but spread intake over 2-3 hours rather than drinking it all at once, which improves both comfort and how much your body actually retains.

What Actually Works, Ranked by Situation

1

Water — For Most Workouts

Sufficient for anything under an hour in normal temperatures. No calories, no complications, genuinely all most people need.

2

Milk — For Endurance Sessions

Genuinely well-supported by research, thanks to a roughly 4:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio that supports both rehydration and muscle recovery simultaneously.

3

Electrolyte Drinks — For Heat or Long Duration

Useful when sweating heavily or exercising over an hour, though many commercial versions carry more sugar than genuinely necessary.

4

Coconut Water — For Lighter Sessions

Naturally rich in potassium, though lower in sodium, making it better suited to easier workouts than intense, heavy-sweat sessions.

5

Tea — Genuinely Fine Despite Caffeine

Contrary to popular belief, the caffeine in tea doesn't meaningfully offset its hydrating fluid content, and it carries useful antioxidants alongside.

Genuinely Surprising Research

A Real Study Actually Tested Beer for Rehydration

A controlled study measured fluid retention after exercise-induced dehydration across five drinks: water, an isotonic sports drink, and beer at three different strengths. The isotonic drink performed best; full-strength beer performed worst by a clear margin, while non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer landed close to plain water.

42% Isotonic sports drink
36% Non/low-alcohol beer, water
21% Full-strength beer

Published in the study "Post-Exercise Rehydration: Effect of Consumption of Beer with Varying Alcohol Content on Fluid Balance," noting that none of the drinks tested achieved full rehydration on their own.

Regular Soda Is Consistently the Worst Option

High sugar content, typically from corn syrup, offers your body little of what it actually needs to recover, and the carbonation can genuinely add gastrointestinal discomfort during recovery. Caffeinated sodas compound this further, since caffeine has a mild diuretic effect right when you're trying to retain fluid rather than lose more of it.

For Everyday Sessions, Not Marathon Training

Daylyte is built for regular workouts and daily fluid balance rather than elite endurance replenishment.

Daylyte Hydrate Lemon Lime Zero Sugar · Light Electrolytes

Daylyte Hydrate – Lemon & Lime

Light electrolytes plus vitamins, without the heavy sugar load of many commercial sports drinks.

Daylyte Hydrate and Glow Mixed Box Mixed Box

Daylyte Hydrate & Glow – Mixed Box

Two flavours to keep on hand after regular workouts.

Read the Full Guide

Are Juice and Soft Drinks the Same Thing? →

Related Reading

Isotonic Drinks vs Soft Drinks: What's the Difference? →

Shop Our Soft Drinks Range

Light hydration options and everyday soft drinks alike.

Shop Soft Drinks

Frequently Asked Questions

Is chocolate milk really better than a sports drink for recovery?
Several studies suggest chocolate milk performs comparably to, and sometimes better than, commercial sports drinks for endurance recovery specifically, largely due to its naturally balanced carbohydrate-to-protein ratio supporting both rehydration and muscle repair together.
Does caffeine really cancel out the hydrating effect of a drink?
Not meaningfully at typical consumption levels — while caffeine has a mild diuretic effect, the fluid volume in a cup of tea or coffee still contributes positively to overall hydration, making the old "caffeine dehydrates you" advice largely outdated for moderate intake.
Is coconut water a good substitute for electrolyte drinks after intense exercise?
For lighter or moderate sessions, generally yes, but coconut water is naturally lower in sodium than dedicated electrolyte drinks, so it may fall short after genuinely intense, heavy-sweat workouts where sodium replacement matters more.
Should I drink fluids during exercise, not just after?
Yes, for anything lasting over an hour — a common guideline is 6-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes during extended activity, while shorter workouts typically only need small sips as needed rather than a strict schedule.
Why did the study find non-alcoholic beer rehydrated almost as well as water?
Without meaningful alcohol content to trigger the diuretic effect that impairs fluid retention, non-alcoholic beer functions largely as a flavoured fluid source, similar in effect to water itself, which is exactly what the study's results reflected.

 

Tags:
Back to blog