Finished your work-out? Then have a beer, says scientist

A study at Granada University in Spain has found that a glass of beer is to superior for rehydrating the body after exercise than water. Researchers suspect that the sugars, salts and bubbles in a pint may help people absorb fluids more quickly. Specifically, it is the carbon dioxide in beer which help quench the thirst more quickly, while its carbohydrates replace the burned up calories.

Yet another benefit of beer is its ingredients, which include malted barley, hops and yeast, all rich sources of vitamins and minerals.

Even though they feel that beer is better than water for post exercise hydration, they noted that a sports drink containing sugars, water and salt is still the best.

It should be noted that in the study, participants were given a liter of beer to drink. If you require more fluids than this even this study doesn't advise relying on beer for the complete rehydration. Also, because beer contains alcohol there are other issues (substance abuse, impairment, drowsiness, etc.) that were not considered by the study but relevant if you plan on switching to beer for post work-out rehydration.

It's nice to know that something that looks so darn good after a hard workout could actually be good for us.

h/t: Business of Life