Hydration powders and products are flooding the wellness space these days — promising to maximize water uptake and prevent dehydration. The concept is nothing new, of course. Sports drinks have existed for decades. But is staying hydrated really more complicated than just drinking plain old water? In today’s episode, we discuss everything from hydration basics to when water may not be enough.

Hosts: Zach Moore, Katie McCallum (interviewer) 

Expert: Emma Willingham, MS, RD, LD, CSSD, Clinical Dietitian Specialist

Notable topics covered: 

• Emma's take on the “8 glasses of water a day” rule 
• The many ways dehydration affects your body 
• Whether coffee, alcohol and salty foods are dehydrating 
• When hydration products are (and aren’t) needed 
• All about electrolytes, including how we all sweat them out differently 
• The times and situations to choose a sports drink over regular water 
• If the pH of water matters for your hydration status 
• Whether you can drink "too much water" 

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