The factors that govern thirst in exercising individuals are not completely understood, but may be particularly important in the light of recommendations that active individuals should drink according to the dictates of thirst rather than using any drinking strategy based on known or predicted sweat losses. It is clear that both blood volume and plasma [...]

Several studies have shown that relatively large doses of caffeine are necessary to produce a diuretic effect in individuals who habitually consume caffeine. It has also been shown that drinks with a low caffeine content are likely to promote, rather than impair, hydration. In spite of this, it is still not unusual to see consumers [...]

There has been considerable debate as to whether dehydration – even moderately severe dehydration – has any meaningful effect on aspects of cognitive function. Much of the uncertainty has resulted from poorly designed studies where there are either confounding factors as a result of the methods used to induce dehydration or poorly-chosen and insensitive measures [...]

Malnutrition and dehydration are relatively common in older individuals, and a simple, reliable instrument to assess nutritional and hydration status would be very helpful. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has been promising in this context, but there have been questions about its reliability in healthy young individuals and there are few data on elderly persons and [...]