title: Beer as a sports drink? Manipulating beer's ingredients to replace lost fluid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of manipulating the alcohol and sodium content of beer on fluid restoration following exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven male volunteers exercised on a cycle ergometer until 1.96 ± 0.25% body mass (mean±SD) was lost. Participants were then randomly allocated a different beer to consume on four separate occasions. Drinks included a low-alcohol beer (2.3% ABV; LightBeer), a low-alcohol beer with 25 mmol×L-1 of added sodium (LightBeer+25), a full-strength beer (4.8% ABV; Beer), or a full-strength beer with 25 mmol×L-1 of added sodium (Beer+25). Volumes consumed were equivalent to 150% of body mass loss during exercise and were consumed over a 1h period. Body mass and urine samples were obtained before and hourly for 4 hr after beverage consumption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly enhanced net fluid balance was achieved following the LightBeer+25 trial (-1.02 ±0.35 kg) compared with the Beer (-1.59±0.32 kg) and Beer+25 (-1.64 ±0.28 kg) treatments. Accumulated urine output was significantly lower in the LightBeer+25 trial (1477±485 ml) compared with the Beer+25 (2101± 482 ml) and Beer (2175 ±372 ml) trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A low alcohol beer with added sodium offers a potential compromise between a beverage with high social acceptance and one which avoids the exacerbated fluid losses observed when consuming full strength beer.
authors.affiliation: Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Desbrow
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leveritt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001515:Beer; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003681:Dehydration / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011897:Random Allocation; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D064133:Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium