What's your opinion - Does sparkling water count as water?

bwogilvie

Yup, zombie thread. But there is actually evidence that a couple of beers after a workout has no negative effect on hydration. Beer is relatively low in alcohol and has a lot of water in it, so the diuretic effect of the alcohol is offset by the water. Wine and spirits have a lot more alcohol by volume, so I suspect that they are diuretic.

And we have had good evidence for over a decade that caffeine has no significant diuretic effect on people who regularly consume it. It's diuretic only if you're not used to it and don't have a tolerance. It just seems diuretic because people who drink coffee often start their day with 2 or 3 cups, which is a lot of liquid in a short time.