Spike your water with *this*.
The gist:
Water alone isn’t enough to keep you hydrated while you fly.
Expert insight:
“Sitting in a plane is like being in a dehydrator,” says Hannah Grant, a chef and cookbook author based in Copenhagen who, for 15 years, fueled cyclists during multi-stage races such as the Tour de France. She most recently used the knowledge she gained while working with elites to develop ERW, a product that she says fights travel fatigue through hydration.
While flying, plain water isn’t the way to go, Grant says. “Your bodily fluids are a mixture of electrolytes, carbs, proteins, amino acids, and more." Drinking straight H2O pulls salt into your small intestine to boost absorption. That process triggers urine production, meaning those liquids don’t actually hydrate you as well, she notes.
The bottom line:
To stay optimally hydrated, you need a concoction that more closely matches the fluids in your body. Grant suggests drinking a half liter of water spiked with one teaspoon each of table salt and either honey or coconut sugar when you board and every 2 to 3 hours of the flight.
Photo: Lucas Zarebinski/thelicensingproject.com