Even if you know soda is bad for you, you may not realize it could damage your kidneys.
Studying soda’s impact after exercise
A new study from the University at Buffalo researched whether soda could interfere with kidney function if you drink it right after you exercise.
The team recruited a dozen healthy adults (average age 24) who were also physically fit. They had the participants exercise on a treadmill for half an hour, then do 15 minutes of physical work.
These 45 minutes of exercise were followed by 15 minutes of rest in which the participants were given either water or 16 ounces of caffeinated, sugary soda. This cycle was repeated four times.
A week later, the 4-hour routine was repeated, but those who had water the first time received soda and vice versa.
The researchers measured things like blood pressure, heart rate and core body temperature before the exercise sessions, immediately after them and again 24 hours after each exercise session.
The results
They found that when the participants drank soda, they had increased creatinine in their blood and a decreased glomerular filtration rate. These two factors are markers for acute kidney injury. The soda drinkers were also mildly dehydrated compared to the water drinkers and they also had higher vasopressin levels, which increases blood pressure.
The researchers concluded that drinking soda during or after exercise in the heat doesn’t rehydrate the body. However, with only 12 participants, this was a small study.
The study is particularly important for those who work outside in the heat because exertion in higher temperatures increases biomarkers of acute kidney injury. Anyone who does manual labor in warm temperatures should be reaching for water, not soft drinks.
The research study was published in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
