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Murine Drinking Models in the Development of Pharmacotherapies for Alcoholism: Drinking in the Dark and Two-bottle Choice

Murine Drinking Models in the Development of Pharmacotherapies for Alcoholism: Drinking in the Dark and Two-bottle Choice

Published on: January 7, 2019

Is drinking to thirst optimum?

Timothy David Noakes¹

¹Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Sports Science Institute of South Africa, Newlands, South Africa. timothy.noakes@uct.ac.za

Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism

|February 25, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Drinking to thirst (ad libitum) is recommended over the 'zero percent dehydration' doctrine. Drinking more than thirst can lead to exercise-associated hyponatremia and offers no biological advantage during exercise.

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Area of Science:

Exercise Physiology
Sports Medicine
Hydration Science

Background:

Historically, athletes were advised against drinking during exercise.
A shift occurred, promoting 'zero percent dehydration' by 1996, urging exercisers to drink maximally to prevent any weight loss.
This doctrine suggested drinking beyond natural thirst to maintain hydration levels.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare the effects of drinking to thirst versus adhering to the 'zero percent dehydration' doctrine during exercise.
To evaluate the biological advantages and potential risks associated with different hydration strategies.

Main Methods:

A comprehensive literature survey was conducted.
Studies comparing ad libitum (to thirst) drinking with forced hydration to prevent weight loss were analyzed.

Main Results:

No study demonstrated a biological advantage to drinking more than thirst during exercise.
Excessive fluid intake beyond thirst was linked to an increased risk of exercise-associated hyponatremia.

Conclusions:

Drinking according to thirst (ad libitum) appears to be the optimal strategy for both performance and safety during exercise.
Thirst, rather than water loss, may be the primary biological signal influencing exercise performance in under-hydrated individuals.