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News Industry Influence of Drink Temperature on Performance


Industry

14th October 2021

Influence of Drink Temperature on Performance

It’s an intrinsic human reaction to dislike the taste of a cold drink gone warm – especially when it comes to water and sports drinks. But what’s more important is the impact drinking a lukewarm drink can have on performance. The sensation of drinking evokes a thirst-quenching feeling as it’s telling the brain you’re rehydrating. However, that thirst-quenching feeling doesn’t always mean it's having the effect it should have on your physical ability. Read on for more about why drinking at room temperature might be impairing your performance.

The Pre-Cooling Strategy

Pre-cooling is a popular strategy used by athletes and players to reduce their core body temperature with the ingestion of ice-cold drinks. The goal of pre-cooling is to increase the margin between the initial core body temperature and the critical limiting temperature (at which an athlete or player becomes fatigued and unable to continue). The lower the core body temperature, the longer a sports professional can remain energised.

A high core temperature can affect cognitive ability, elevate the fight or flight system, increase fatigue, and ultimately lead to exhaustion if overlooked. For an elite athlete, a few seconds more of strength can determine coming first or second place. For a sports player, one last burst of energy can mean scoring a goal or winning points. Since cold fluids are absorbed by the body more rapidly, the rate of rehydration increases. Therefore, drinking a well-chilled sports drink before a match or competition is a key component to a winning performance.

Increasing Palatability

Sipping on a refreshingly cold fruit-laced sports drink is much more palatable than your average bottle of water. Likewise, a colder beverage is much easier to drink than one at room temperature. Evidence suggests that consuming fluids between 10-21°C is the optimal temperature to increase the flavour of an isotonic drink and support fluid absorption (source: Korey Stringer Institute). A study carried out by McMaster University in Canada showed flavoured sports drinks were preferred by athletes and sportspeople as they encouraged them to drink more.

It’s interesting to note that enhanced and flavoured waters are taking an increasingly larger share of the global water market (16.3% to be exact). One of the brands leading the charge is iPRO with their Sport Edition range, a naturally healthy isotonic drink which comes in four deliciously refreshing flavours: Berry Mix, Orange & Pineapple, Citrus Blend, and Mango. As a brand with a substantial portfolio of high-calibre sports partnerships, they regularly provide their partners with cooler boxes to keep their Sport Edition bottles refreshingly ice-cold.

The Healthier Hydration Choice

It’s important to remember that consuming fluids is a necessity for everybody - regardless of the temperature. Drinking enough fluids helps to transport the nutrients through our bodies and prevents us from becoming dehydrated. Isotonic drinks rich in carbohydrates and electrolytes are scientifically proven to hydrate the body better than drinking water alone for sports professionals.

iPRO Hydrate – Sport Edition is a low-sugar, healthy hydration drink formulated using natural spring water and sweetened with plant-based Stevia extract. The added electrolytes help replace salts and minerals lost to sweat, maintaining a natural balance of fluids in the body. iPRO Hydrate – Sport Edition is also supplemented with essential vitamins such as 100% vitamin C and immunity-boosting vitamins B5, B6, B7, and B12.

Best served cold, order a 24-bottle case of iPRO Hydrate - Sport Edition straight to your fridge at iPRO.Direct, with FREE delivery!