Exercise and heat trigger dehydration and increases extracellular fluid osmolality, causing deficits in exercise performance and thermoregulation. Evidence supports the potential for deep-ocean mineral water to improve recovery of exercise performance post-exercise. 

A recent study thus determined if acute rehydration and muscle strength recovery are enhanced by deep-ocean mineral water following a dehydrating exercise, compared to a sports drink or mountain spring water. The study hypothesized that muscle strength would decrease after a dehydrating exercise, and muscle strength and hydration recovery would depend on the rehydrating fluid type.

The study included eight female and nine male participants who performed a dehydrating exercise protocol under heat stress until they achieved 3% body mass loss. They received either deep-ocean mineral water (Deep), mountain spring water (Spring), or a carbohydrate-based sports drink (Sports) at a volume equal to that of fluid loss for rehydration. The study then measured relative hydration using salivary osmolality (Sosm) and muscle strength using peak torque from a leg extension maneuver.

The study found a significant increase in Sosm with loss of body mass during the dehydrating exercise protocol. Males acquired 3% body mass loss earlier than females. In both fitting stimulated and unstimulated Sosm, male and female participants receiving Deep as the hydrating fluid showed the most rapid return to baseline Sosm regardless of the fit parameter. Males generated more peak torque at baseline and immediately following 3% body mass loss than females. The study also found a significant effect of rehydrating fluid and sex on post-rehydration peak torque.

Thus, this study shows that deep-ocean mineral water can positively affect hydration recovery after dehydrating exercise and may also benefit muscle strength recovery. However, these results, as well as the influence of sex, need future research.

Source: Harris PR, Keen DA, Constantopoulos E, et al. Fluid type influences acute hydration and muscle performance recovery in human subjects, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2019;16(1). DOI: 10.1186/s12970-019-0282-y