I drink carbonated (sparkling) water and have been told it does not rehydrate the body. Is this true?

Drinking sparkling water is a great way to get part of your daily eight glasses of liquid. Consuming carbonated water does rehydrate your body and is a nice change of pace from the usual tap water. In fact, Nancy Clark, America's leading sports nutritionist, in her book, 'Sports Nutrition Guidebook', lists seltzer water on the top of the list as an alternative to water to replace sweat loss Try mixing some 100% juice with it for an all natural soda with added nutrition. My favorite is sparkling lime flavored soda water with a splash of orange juice and cranberry juice.

The liquids that are not good at rehydrating are those with a diuretic effect, particularly beverages containing caffeine. Coffee and strong tea leave you in a positive liquid balance, but not as well as a glass of water would. The caffeine they contain cause some fluid to be excreted from the body. Therefore, don't count a cup of coffee as part of your daily quota of liquid.