Yet the evidence for these drinks' benefits is actually quite limited. Drinks manufacturers claim that the sodium in sports drinks make you feel thirstier, encouraging you to consume a higher volume of liquid compared with drinking water. They also claim these drinks enable you to retain more liquid once you've consumed it, based on the observation that the carbohydrates found in the drinks aid water absorption from the small intestine. But endorsements by elite athletes and claims of hydration benefits have meant sports drinks have shrugged off unhealthy associations in many people's eyes. That's not to say hydration research into different drinks isn't useful.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 16, 2016 01:09 UTC