Effectiveness of Glycerol as a Rehydrating Agent
in International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise MetabolismClick name to view affiliation
On two occasions, 8 male subjects completed a dehydration protocol, immediately followed by a 180-min rehydration protocol, then a subsequent exercise bout. During each dehydration session, subjects lost 3.1 ± 0.4% body weight (BW) following discontinuous exercise in the heat (40 °C, 33 % rh). During the first 30 min of rehydration, subjects ingested either 1.0-g glycerol · kg body weight−1 + 30% of the total rehydration water volume (GLY), or 30% of the total rehydration water volume without glycerol (CON). The five remaining ingestions (every 30 min) were equal to 14% of the remaining fluid volume and were identical in nature. Fluid volume ingested equaled fluid volume lost during dehydration. Following the 180 min rehydration period, subjects cycled (~50% V̇O2peak) in the heat (40 °C, 33% rh) until volitional exhaustion. Three observations were made: (a) Following glycerol-induced rehydration, time to volitional exhaustion was greater during the subsequent exercise bout in the heat (CON: 38.0 ± 2.0, GLY 42.8 ± 1.0 min, p < .05); (b) glycerol-induced rehydration significantly increased plasma volume restoration within 60 min and at the end of the 180-min rehydration period; and (c) total urine volume was lower and percent rehydration was greater following GLY, but neither was significantly different.
M.J. Webster is with the School of Human Performance and Recreation at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5013. The research was performed while at the Department of Physical Education at Western Illinois University, Macomb, EL 61455. Direct correspondence to <michael.webster@usm.edu>,
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