Glycerol Use in Hyperhydration and Rehydration: Scientific Update
Abstract
Glycerol ingestion creates an osmotic drive that enhances fluid retention. The major practical applications for athletes are to either (i) hyperhydrate before exercise so that they have more fluid to be lost as sweat during subsequent performance, thereby delaying the progression of dehydration from becoming physiologically significant, or (ii) improve both the rate of rehydration and total fluid retention following exercise. Recently we showed that rehydration may be improved further by combining glycerol with intravenous fluids. Improvements in endurance time, time trial performance and total power and work output have been seen during exercise following glycerol-induced hyperhydration or rehydration. Another recent trial showed that the increased body weight associated with the extra fluid does not inadvertently affect running economy. Concerns that the haemodilution associated with the fluid retention in the vascular space may be sufficient to mask illegal doping practices by athletes led the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to add glycerol to its list of prohibited substances in 2010. Recent evidence suggests that doses of > 0.032 ± 0.010 g/kg lean body mass (much lower than those required for rehydration) will result in urinary excretion that may be detectable, so athletes under the WADA jurisdiction should be cautious to limit their inadvertent glycerol intake.
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Ingestion of glycerol improves both the rate of rehydration and total fluid retention following exercise.
“One practical application to improve both the rate of rehydration and total fluid retention following exercise is the ingestion of glycerol [22,26]”
From The 4R’s Framework of Nutritional Strategies for Post-Exercise Recovery: A Review with Emphasis on New Generation of Carbohydrates (2020) · cites this paper as [26]
Hyperhydration during the hours before a race via consumption of large amounts of fluid together with an osmotic agent (e.g., glycerol or sodium) can reduce the net fluid deficit incurred over the race.
“hyperhydration during the hours before a race via the consumption of large amounts of fluid together with an osmotic agent (e.g., glycerol or sodium) can reduce the net fluid deficit incurred over the race (Goulet et al., 2007;van Rosendal & Coombes, 2013).”
From Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race Walkers (2019) · cites this paper as van Rosendal & Coombes, 2013
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- Authors
- van Rosendal, S. P., & Coombes, J. S.
- ORCID
- Coombes, J.S.
- Venue
- Medicine and Sport Science
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Published
- 2012
- Volume
- 59
- Pages
- 104-112
- ISSN
- 0076-6070 (ISSN-L)
- 0254-5020
- 1662-2812
- OpenAlex
- W1531791469
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.39
- Type
- book chapter
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medicine and sport science/Medicine and sport (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Thermoregulation and physiological responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Keywords
- glycerol, fluid overload, rehydration, fluid retention, dehydration, endurance performance, intravenous fluids, running economy, hemodilution, doping, prohibited substances, anti-doping, athletes
- MeSH terms
- Cryoprotective Agents, Fluid Therapy, Glycerol, Humans, Running, Sports Medicine, Water-Electrolyte Balance
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