When you are really thirsty, like after a good workout, what refreshes you better, water or beer?
If you think that is a rhetorical question, news that Spanish researchers say beer can help someone who is dehydrated retain liquid better than water shouldn’t be a surprise.
Prof Manuel Garzon, of Granada University, also claimed the bubbles in beer help to quench the thirst and that its carbohydrate content can help to replace lost calories.
Prof Garzon asked a group of students to do strenuous exercise in temperatures of around 40C (104F). Half were given a pint of beer, while the others received the same volume of water.
Prof Garzon, who announced the results at a press conference in Granada beneath a banner declaring “Beer, Sport, Health”, said the hydration effect in those who drank beer was “slightly better.”
Juan Antonio Corbalan, a cardiologist, said beer had the perfect profile for re-hydration after sport. He said he had long recommended barley drinks to professional sportsmen after exercise.