Your body needs water to carry out just about every process, so it’s no surprise that doctors always recommend that you stay hydrated. Some people find it hard to drink plain water regularly, though, and that’s where hydration hacks come in. One of the latest trends is drinking stacked water to meet your hydration needs. The question is whether it’s the right thing for you.
As you might have guessed, stacked water is a way to add other things to plain water that encourage you to stay hydrated. The idea is to boost the taste and nutritional content of your water by adding flavors or supplements. While you can tailor your concoction to your taste or needs, some popular additives include protein powder, creatine, fiber, probiotics, electrolytes, vitamin C, honey, lemon juice, and coconut water.
Those who drink stacked water say it’s a good way to meet your hydration needs while also meeting your other nutrition goals.
The answer to that depends on your needs and how much regular water you usually drink. For example, adding a little flavor to your water can help you drink more. Some people have trouble drinking anything tasteless, so a little flavor can help. You can also benefit from adding supplements to your water if you have trouble getting them in your diet.
If you’re working out to build muscle, adding a little protein powder or creatine to your water can help. Athletes may also enjoy adding some electrolytes to their water when they’re training. Probiotics are known for promoting good gut health, so it can be good to add a little to your water.
The main concern doctors have is that people may not be intentional about their choice of stacked water. Even looking at some of the posts on social media, there’s concern that people promoting stacked water are simply adding whatever they can get their hands on to create a ‘super drink’. Doing that can easily do you more harm than good.
There are consequences to consuming too much of a good thing. While some supplements, like vitamin C, can pass into your waste, others can cause side effects. Too much creatine can cause digestive issues, bloating, weight gain, kidney problems, an electrolyte imbalance, and elevated liver enzymes.
When it comes to protein powders, you may upset your stomach if you consume too much. Doctors are also concerned that most people aren’t paying attention to the other ingredients in their protein supplements. Unless otherwise stated, they tend to have more sugar and salt than you expect. As a result, stacking your water with it also means loading up on more sugar and salt, which can affect your health in other ways.
Additionally, drinking stacked water is unlikely to fully replace your body’s need for plain old water. Sometimes, that’s all your body needs to get the job done. Even if you’re being intentional with what you add to your water, it’s best to have it only once or twice per day. Given that you need about seven to eight glasses of water every day, that’s still a significant gap to be filled.
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Of course, being skeptical of stacked water doesn’t mean you can’t add a little flavor to your glass. Berries, mint, ginger, and citrus are great ways to quickly boost the flavor of water. If you’d like to try infused water, though, check out these five recipes.
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You may also be happy to know that playing around with water isn’t the only way to stay hydrated. One way nutritionists often recommend is adding high-water-content fruits and vegetables to your diet. Some great options include cabbage, cantaloupe, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, strawberries, and watermelon.
Limiting your time outside during peak sunlight hours can reduce sweating, helping you avoid losing too much water. It can also help to wear loose clothing that helps your skin breathe, so you’re not sweating as often.
While you should always drink water when you’re thirsty, it’s better to hydrate consistently before that happens. Sometimes, by the time you feel thirsty, your body may need more water than you’re prepared to drink in the moment. To keep up with this, it’s a good idea to have a reusable water bottle nearby. Ideally, it should hold the amount of water you need to drink throughout the day. You can then easily track if you’ve met your goal.
Stacked water can be beneficial if you have certain nutritional needs, but it’s not meant to replace the plain water your body needs. For those who don’t need the additional nutrients, it may be better to add some natural flavors to your water while finding other ways to sneak more water into your diet.
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