Intense work or exercise in the heat and illness can quickly lead to dehydration. Drinking lots of fluid with electrolytes will help combat this, as proven in Utah by firefighters who drank plain water consumed 74 percent more water to achieve the same level of hydration as those who consumed water with elete™ Electrolyte Add-In, according to a new study published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.
In the study, 16 wildland, smokejumper firefighters either drank water or water fortified with elete™ Electrolyte Add-In. Each participant was outfitted with a wireless data recording system that measured ambient, core and skin temperatures throughout the day. Nude body weight was recording before and after shifts and drinking behaviour was measured.
Besides finding that the water only group drank more water than the elete™ and water group, the study also suggests electrolyte water made with elete™ may also reduce fatigue caused by carrying excess water weight. There were no differences between groups for body weight, drinking frequency, temperature data, activity or urine.
Elete™ Electrolyte Add-In commissioned the study through the University of Montana’s Human Performance Lab.
Sources: Wilderness and Environmental Medicine: Effects of an Electrolyte Additive on Hydration and Drinking Behaviour During Wildfire Suppression