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The topic of dehydration is a hot one, here in Boulder, CO. The dry climate, high altitude and proliferation of athletes, health-conscious folks and outdoor activities, keep this health issue in the forefront of conversation in many circles. The common wisdom is: Drink water (not coffee!) from the moment you get up till the moment you lay your head down to sleep, lest you succumb to altitude sickness or heat stroke, both of which are precipitated by dehydration. Certainly many holistic health professionals have touted coffee as a dehydrating substance, telling clients that they must drink two glasses of water for every cup of coffee they’ve consumed, just to make up for the resulting fluid deficit. So we’ve been taught all these years. Turns out, it ain’t so!
Recent scientific research has shown that not only does moderate caffeine consumption not dehydrate you, but it is now considered an acceptable contributor to our daily fluid intake requirement. The caveat here is that you have to watch how much caffeine you take in. One study, published in 2007, looked at fluid balance, hydration and exercise in the heat, and concluded that if you have no more than 300 mg to 400 mg of caffeine, there is no dehydration effect, either with exercise or at rest. Since a 1.5 ounce shot of espresso contains approximately 77 mg of caffeine, you’d probably be just fine to have that single or double latte in the morning, before lacing up those hiking boots.
Personally, I'm rejoicing at this news. For years, I’ve had a slightly guilty feeling about my penchant for a strong latte before heading to the mountains for a long day of hiking. Now the research backs up what I’ve intuitively always known: a good shot of espresso gives me better endurance on the trail, without depleting me of the fluids I need. Aaah…all is well in a world where coffee contributes to proper hydration.
For more info: Check out more research and information on coffee and health: Vanderbilt University Institute for Coffee Studies and Positively Coffee.
Comments? Email Korina.
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Comments
Sounds like the problem is that you lend credibility to the micronutrient worry-warts who toss 1,000 years of epidemiological evidence aside like it was nothing.
Hi, Brad, I appreciate your comment, and I think it's all in the scale. One cup of coffee isn't going to hurt you -- drinking a whole pot on the other hand, is different. I didn't mean to imply that one should stop hydrating with water, if that's where you were getting at. Thanks for reading!
Great article! I've visited Denver and chugged water like nobody's business. I appreciate your dispelling this myth. No one should deprive themselves of coffee!!!
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