Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) is considering the historic significance of the Oval on Massey’s Manawatū campus through the adoption of a change to their District Plan. The plan change intends to recognise, protect and maintain the heritage values and character of the area by ensuring its protection through the District Plan.

The university is also working with Heritage New Zealand for the site to be listed on Rārangi Kōrero, the New Zealand Heritage List. Through these nationally significant mechanisms, the university acknowledges its obligations to protect and enhance the heritage value of this important precinct.

The site, to be known as the Turitea Historic Area, encompasses the Oval and the historically iconic buildings that surround it: the Refectory, Sir Geoffrey Peren building, McHardy Hall, the Registry building and Tiritea House.

The Oval itself has significance as one of the first purpose-built areas at Massey University, and for its continuous use since it was formed in 1929. It has further historical significance following its use during World War Two as a staff college by the New Zealand Army, who placed huts on the Oval for accommodation, and built McHardy Hall as the officers’ mess.

For nearly 100 years the Oval has been prized for its garden parties, cricket and other sporting events, and casual and organised student activities, and has been likened to a village green. It has become an area of high social and aesthetic value to both students and staff and is seen as the historic heart of the Manawatū campus.

Massey University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says, “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Palmerston North City Council to progress this important work to recognise the unique value that the Turitea Historic Area holds for the university and the wider community.”

National Facilities Director, Dr David Povey says, “It’s great to see our community and key institutions come together to properly recognise these historically important areas. The Massey property portfolio is large and diverse, and we are lucky to have a number of these heritage areas on our Manawatū campus. It creates a richness to the environment that all can appreciate and enjoy.”

Within the Turitea Historic Area, the university has already recognised the unique and special architecture of both the Sir Geoffrey Peren and Refectory buildings through individual heritage listings on Rārangi Kōrero. The creation of this wider historic area is a rare opportunity to provide heritage protection to the precinct itself. Other important Rārangi Kōrero listings on the wider Manawatū campus include Wharerata, Craiglochart, and Colombo Hall.

The Turitea Historic Area will be the third such designated area in Palmerston North, complementing two other important heritage sites that reflect the mana of the city – the Savage Crescent Conservation Area and the North West Square Heritage Area which encompasses George Street, Coleman Mall and sections of Cuba Street.

The university has worked closely with PNCC planners on this plan change, which is supported by Rangitāne o Manawatū and community stakeholders Historic Places Manawatū and the Palmerston North Defence Heritage Advisory Group.

Listing on Rārangi Kōrero with Heritage New Zealand will commence next year and will include further consultation and engagement with Rangitāne o Manawatū and community stakeholders, as well as an opportunity for current and past students and staff to share memories and contribute to the store of historical material.

Last updated: Friday 25 November 2022

Professor Sarah Riley from the School of Psychology has won the Monograph award at the 2021 British Psychology Society Book Awards.

The academic monograph category celebrates a significant scholarly work that has contributed to, defined or redefined an area of psychological knowledge.

Professor Riley co-authored Post feminism and Health: Critical Psychology and Media Perspectives alongside Associate Professor Adrienne Evans from the Postdigital Cultures Research Centre, Coventry University, United Kingdom and Dr Martine Robson from Aberystwyth University, Wales.

The book, published in Routledge’s Critical Approaches to Health series, is part of the growing field of books on postfeminist studies. Professor Riley studies postfeminism as a set of ideas about ideal femininity that circulate across a range of actors including media, everyday talk between family and friends, advertising, and public institutions.

“I am thrilled,” Professor Riley says. “We thought we had something important to say that would give new insight into the challenges women have when trying to live a good life and be a good health citizen, and we also wanted to offer a direction for bringing psychology and media studies together, so this award really validates what we tried to do. It feels great to have this recognition.”

Last updated: Tuesday 3 October 2023

Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa recently welcomed students, parents and staff from Longburn School and Te Kura o Wairau in Manawatū to celebrate the first graduating class of Children’s University at Massey.

Children’s University is an international charity that partners with local universities to engage children and young people in exciting, out-of-school learning opportunities with an aim to raise their aspirations for higher education and encourage lifelong learning.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Students, Alumni and Global Engagement Tere McGonagle-Daly says, “As lifelong learning is something Massey University strongly believes in, we knew Children’s University was a good fit for us.

“This pilot was the first step in launching this valuable community-focused programme across the North Island. Massey’s Māori name is Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, which means ‘From inception to infinity’. It is a name that celebrates the importance of lifelong learning. Children’s University is about helping young people encounter things that will inspire their learning journey. I’m thrilled that Massey has been entrusted with this programme and look forward to seeing many more graduations like this one.”

Longburn School Principal Jo Emerson says it has been great to see the students engaging with different activities through the online portal and learning destinations.

“The programme has enhanced the students’ motivation to take ownership of their learning, encouraging them to learn new skills and complete a range of exciting activities to achieve the number of hours required to graduate.

“We look forward to embedding the programme further for our students in 2022, supporting them to achieve their goals in partnership with the Children’s University team.”

Speaking on behalf of the university at the graduation ceremony, Provost Professor Giselle Byrnes says she was delighted to see the next generation of young people moving forward in their education journey.

“A huge thank you and congratulations to the graduates and their families. You have completed your learning hours in record time. Your persistence in the face of disruptions related to the pandemic speaks to your resilience and determination. You have already demonstrated the characteristics of lifelong learners.

“For those of you who will return next year to Longburn School and Te Kura o Wairau, I hope you will continue your involvement with Children’s University to achieve the next level of the awards. In conclusion, I hope the activities you have participated in have ignited a spark for lifelong learning.”

Three Massey University researchers have been awarded a total of nearly $200,000 from the Earthquake Commission (EQC), to help New Zealanders better understand our natural hazard risk and identify ways to reduce the impact of those hazards.

Successful applications for this year’s grants were those that aligned with EQC’s research priorities, but also weaved in either a mātauranga Māori, climate change or social science lens over their research.

The programme saw a record number of applicants this year, with around 120 researchers applying for the grant. Thirteen research projects were successful, including those of Associate Professor Julia Becker, Dr Marion Tan and Dr Lauren Vinnell from the Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR).

We asked them to share some information about why their research is important and how it will be carried out.

Associate Professor Julia Becker – Long-term communication of volcanic risk for effective decision-making

Communication of volcanic risk varies over time, depending on the status of the volcano and the population at risk. It is made challenging by factors such as uncertainty about the likelihood and timing of an eruption, and the potential impacts which may vary across space and time. Communication about such aspects are essential to inform decision-making.

Dr Becker’s research will investigate methods of risk communication from previous Tongariro National Park events to draw out effective aspects of risk communication over timeframes of quiescence, unrest, eruption, and post-eruption.

“We will also draw on communication lessons from recent earthquakes to identify if these are transferable to a volcano context. Results will help science, monitoring and response agencies frame and provide advice for decision-making. We will be working on this research with a team at GNS Science, alongside agencies and groups responsible for volcanic risk management in Tongariro National Park,” Dr Becker says.

The project team also includes Dr Emma Hudson-Doyle from JCDR and Dr Danielle Charlton, Dr Sally Potter and Dr Graham Leonard from GNS Science.

Dr Becker is a Senior Lecturer and Doctoral Supervisor at JCDR. She undertakes social science research on a range of natural hazards and environmental issues. Her areas of expertise include perceptions, preparedness, community resilience, emergency management and warnings. She has worked extensively in New Zealand and internationally.

Dr Marion Tan – Improving school-based hazards education outreach programmes: towards enhancing alignment with schools and communities

There are many outreach programmes for schools teaching pupils about hazards and preparedness, Dr Tan says.

“These initiatives come and go, their outputs may be well received in the short-term, and their impacts may create a lasting impression on schools and communities. But with a limited outlook towards sustainability and continuity, resources can be wasted in initiating, reinitiating, and duplicating similar school outreach programmes.”

Through this project, Dr Tan and her team will design sustainable outreach programmes that will have a continuous and long-term resilience outlook for the schools and their surrounding communities.

“We will work with schools and kura in the Bay of Plenty. We will use a participatory design methodology where we will design the outreach programmes with the schools,” she says.

The project team also involves Professor David Johnston and Kelvin Tapuke from JCDR, Professor Anna Brown and Andrew Tobin from Toi Āria: Design for Public Good, and Brandy Alger from QuakeCoRE.

Dr Tan is a post-doctoral fellow at JCDR. She completed her PhD in Emergency Management at Massey in 2020, where she conducted her doctoral research on the usability of disaster apps. She has expertise in the use of technology for disaster management with current research interests in user engagement, citizen science, and outreach and education.

Dr Lauren Vinnell – Changing societal expectations and risk appetite: exploring influences on building earthquake resilience in lower seismic hazard zones

While some areas are at higher seismic risk than others, all of Aotearoa New Zealand can and does experience earthquakes.

“Previous research tells us that people tend to perceive lower risk as low risk; in this case, people might think about their risk in comparison to other parts of the motu which can lead to a false sense of safety and therefore low levels of preparedness,” Dr Vinnell says.

In this research, a collaboration with the University of Auckland and the University of Otago, Dr Vinnell’s team will use surveys and focus groups to understand how people in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau think about and act on earthquake risk.

“We can then use this understanding to inform how we encourage communities in these and similar areas to prepare for hazards such as earthquakes.”

The project team also includes Professor David Johnston, Associate Professor Julia Becker, Dr Emma Hudson-Doyle, and Kelvin Tapuke from JCDR, Professor Jan Lindsay from University of Auckland and Associate Professor Caroline Orchiston from University of Otago.

Dr Vinnell is a post-doctoral fellow at JCDR. She completed her PhD degree in Social Psychology, and is interested in understanding peoples’ judgments and behaviour around preparation for and response to natural hazards. She has experience in experimental survey design and quantitative analysis. Dr Vinnell is currently examining predictors of household preparedness, response to multi-hazard risk communication, impacts of earthquake drill participation, and human behaviour during earthquake shaking.

Last updated: Tuesday 22 March 2022

Six Massey University academics are part of the research team that has just been awarded the prestigious 2021 Rutherford Medal for ground-breaking research on the impact of housing on people’s health and wellbeing.

The Royal Society Te Apārangi presented the medal to Distinguished Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman and the He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme from the University of Otago, Wellington, for the research that has quantified the effects of housing interventions on occupants’ health and wellbeing, and informed legislation and policy.

Six Massey staff are involved in the project including Professor Chris Cunningham from the Research Centre for Hauora and Health, who is a founding co-director and principal investigator of the programme and has been involved since it began in 2001. He has led a number of the projects with special emphasis on housing and Māori, including intervention studies designed to improve quality and reduce risks from damp, cold and injury hazards.

More recently, Professor Jereon Douwes, also from the Research Centre for Hauora and Health, and Professor Karen Witten from SHORE / Whariki, have been named investigators on a number of projects. Professor Witten’s involvement has been through Resilient Urban Futures, a programme of research that examined the complexity of urban systems of which housing is a central part with implications for environmental, social, cultural, and economic wellbeing. Her contribution has involved investigating determinants of wellbeing at the neighbourhood scale.

Dr Mikael Boulic from the College of Sciences is a principal investigator at He Kāinga Oranga and completed his PhD as part of the Healthy Housing programme where he investigated indoor air quality (thermal comfort, mould, pollutants) before leading other connected research projects. Dr Hope Tupara and Dr Margaret Wilkie, both from the Research Centre for Hauora and Health, have also been involved.

Professor Cunningham says the programme is the biggest of its kind in the world and is currently funded by a Health Research Council programme grant.

“The programme has been hugely influential in providing the evidence to improve the quality of New Zealand houses and reduce the risks to ill health and injury.  The programme has deliberately used the ‘community trial’ method where all research participants receive the benefit of the numerous interventions which have been tested: insulation, heating and injury risk-remediation of houses.”

The research has shown how straightforward housing improvements to cold, damp and unsafe conditions can significantly reduce rates of infectious, respiratory and cardiovascular disease and deaths, particularly for children and older people.

Outcomes of this research have influenced public policy innovation and implementation, including the Warm Up NZ Programme of insulation retrofitting, the Winter Fuel Payment, and the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act, which requires all landlords to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Housing and Health Guidelines, developed by a WHO International Committee chaired by Distinguished Professor Howden-Chapman. The programme has led to demonstrable health benefits for people involved, as the team has demonstrated in this recent British Medical Journal article Association between home insulation and hospital admission rates: retrospective cohort study using linked data from a national intervention programme.

Professor Douwes says the findings of the research has made a real difference to people’s lives.

“It is a privilege to be part of a team that has been able, collectively, to contribute to improved housing conditions in New Zealand that have already resulted in a significant reduction in health problems resulting from cold, damp and mouldy indoor environments.

“It is a very good example of a cross disciplinary team (Māori health, public health, social science, statisticians, building science, engineering, and economical science are included). Mikael has been fortunate to do his PhD research, and start his research career with the great mentoring of this research team.”

He says while this is a good start, there is a lot more to be done.

“It is wonderful for the critical importance of this work to be acknowledged for this prestigious award, but much more work is needed given the unhealthy living conditions that many New Zealanders still experience every day. 

“There is now strong evidence that living in poorly insulated, cold, damp and mouldy indoor environments may cause respiratory and other health effects in both children and adults.”

The latest Massey University Home Affordability Report shows an overall decline in national affordability over the most recent quarter, largely driven by soaring house prices in most regions and an increasing interest rate.

The report, which covers the quarter from May 2021 to August 2021, shows median house prices across the country increased by 3.7 per cent in aggregate. This, combined with an increase in interest rate, has seen national home affordability decline by 2.7 per cent.

National house price-to-income ratios have slightly improved this quarter, with house prices moving from 12.4 to 12 times the average annual wage.

Report authors, Dr Arshad Javed and Professor Graham Squires from the Massey University Real Estate Analysis Unit (REAU), say the results show home affordability in New Zealand continues to fluctuate from quarter to quarter.

“Again in this quarter we have seen a decline in affordability. If we take an annual view, there’s a solid decline in affordability at a national level of 14.3 per cent, reflected in all 16 regions,” Professor Squires says.

“Within this aggregate result, there are some large regional changes, including a 57.9 per cent decline in affordability for the Manawatū/Whanganui region over the past year, and more than 30 per cent decline in affordability for the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Tasman regions.”

The greatest increase in median house prices, in percentage terms, has for the last quarter occurred in Marlborough (34.6 per cent or $225,000), Waikato (6.8 per cent or $50,000) and Auckland (4.5 per cent or $52,000). Nine of the 16 regions showed an increase in house prices in this quarter except reduction in Gisborne (-19.4 per cent or -$120,000), Tasman (-5.9 per cent or -$50,000) and Northland (-5.1 per cent or -$35,000).

Read the full report here.

Despite not being producers of plastics, and contributing as little as 1.3 per cent to global plastics pollution, the Pacific region is on the frontline of the plastic crisis and is disproportionately impacted by plastics pollution.

In a bid to support Pacific Island policy makers in their efforts to develop strategies to address this issue, a range of factsheets have been produced, focused on preventing plastics pollution in the Pacific. The five factsheets were launched on the first day of the Third Clean Pacific Roundtable.

Hosted by Massey University’s Political Ecology Research Centre, The University of Newcastle, Australia, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Plastics Pollution Prevention in the Pacific Region side event brought together experts from government, academia, private sector, and civil society to promote awareness and enhance understandings of the impacts of plastic pollution, and discuss strategies needed to address them.

The factsheets cover five key areas – A Safe(r) Circular Economy for Plastics in the Pacific; Plastics Pollution Policy Gaps in the Pacific Region; Plastics, Marine Litter, and Climate Change in the Pacific Region; Plastics Impacts on Human Health in the Pacific Region; and The Business of Plastics: Impacts of Plastics Pollution on Human Rights in the Pacific Region.

Session moderator and editor of Pacific Environment Weekly, Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, says although they may sound simplistic, factsheets are actually one of the key tools used to communicate about plastic pollution in the Pacific. “Most of our schools, organisations, and ministries still depend on paper to communicate, so these factsheets are key to communicating changes on the ground.”

Principal Solid Waste Advisor for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Samoa, Ali’imuamua Setoa Apo, congratulated the collaborators involved in the development of the factsheets. “These will be very useful for the Pacific as awareness and educational materials,” he says.

Funded by UNEP, the factsheets were developed by Dr Trisia Farrelly of Massey University, and Dr Sascha Fuller of The University of Newcastle, Australia, in partnership with CIEL, designer Nadya Va’a, and Pacific Island countries.

Dr Farrelly noted the factsheets were developed from the results of the 2020 EIA Pacific Islands Plastic Pollution Prevention Policy Gap Analysis. The study showed that national plastics pollution prevention plans and policy frameworks are urgently needed to prevent problematic plastics from entering the region. “The study also highlighted that a legally binding plastic pollution treaty would significantly increase the success of those plans and policy frameworks,” Dr Farrelly says.

Patricia Pedrus, from the Federated States of Micronesia Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Emergency Management, discussed the increasing dependency of Pacific Island nations on imported food and beverages, which is contributing significantly to the plastics problem. She agreed that a strengthened policy framework is needed.

This would also protect Pacific communities from the human health and climate impacts of plastics pollution, which do, as Ms Imogen Ingram of the Island Sustainability Alliance Cook Islands, pointed out, occur all along the plastics life cycle. 

Dr Marcos Orellana, UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, made clear that the plastics crisis is not just about waste, as the whole life cycle of plastics has serious impacts on people and their rights. “A human rights-based approach is critical to an effective and legitimate global instrument. Human rights principles can and should inform the transition towards a chemically safe circular economy. A rights-based approach to the plastics crisis can ensure that solutions actually work and do not come at the expense of those most vulnerable in society.”

Speaking on behalf of UNEP, Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, Head of UNEP’s Pacific office, says: “UNEP has always supported and been the convenor for the work on waste and marine plastic pollution, and we will continue to serve this role.”

Mr Nawadra remarked that while factsheets are an excellent first step in the collection of science and knowledge, there is still work that needs to be done to translate the information contained in these factsheets into policy briefs to help countries when they go into negotiations for various fora.

The factsheets are freely available for download and can be accessed here.

The average retired household continues to spend in excess of New Zealand Superannuation, highlighting the importance of preparing for retirement.

The latest Retirement Expenditure Guidelines produced by Massey’s NZ Fin-Ed Centre suggest most Kiwis will need to make provision for supplementary retirement income, in addition to what New Zealand Superannuation can provide.

The guidelines, which are produced annually, calculate what retirees currently spend to maintain either a ‘no frills’ retirement, or a more fulfilling ‘choices’ lifestyle that includes some luxuries. Costs are calculated for one and two-person households in both metropolitan (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch) and provincial areas.

Financial support to produce the guidelines was provided by Financial Advice New Zealand and financial adviser firm Consilium.

The guidelines calculate a two-person household living in the city would need to have saved $809,000 to fund a ‘choices’ lifestyle, while a couple living in the provinces would need to have saved $511,000. The lump sums required for a ‘choices lifestyle’ for a one-person household are $600,000 and $688,000 for metropolitan and provincial areas respectively.

New Zealand Superannuation increased by 3.09 per cent in April 2021 but fell short of covering all of the expenses for most retirees.

Only two-person provincial households living a ‘no frills’ lifestyle come close to being funded by New Zealand Superannuation, however these households would still require savings of $75,000. A metropolitan two-person household with a ‘no frills’ lifestyle would require savings of $195,000 at retirement to supplement their superannuation.

The key inflationary drivers for superannuants for the twelve months ending 30 June 2021 were transport, housing and household utilities.

Report author, Associate Professor Claire Matthews from the Massey Business School, says people need to proactively prepare for retirement, and there are several matters to consider.

“Retirement represents a substantial life change for most. The financial aspect of retirement is one of the most important factors to consider, but there are other aspects to think about, many of which will directly or indirectly impact your financial planning. To avoid sleepwalking into retirement, people need to be proactive about their preparation. Factors to consider include budgeting, life insurance, health needs, living arrangements, wills, enduring powers of attorney, family trusts and retirement activities.”

Dr Matthews says it’s never too early to start planning for retirement.

“For the baby boomers that have not yet retired, there is some urgency to this preparation as at most they now have eight years before reaching the age of 65, the age of eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation and widely seen as the retirement age. Retirement now looms on the horizon for Generation X, with the first of these reaching 65 in less than 10 years. While Millennials have at least 25 years before reaching retirement age, it is never too early to start thinking about retirement.

“Retirement preparation could easily become overwhelming because of the number of things that need to be considered, but there are many sources of information and assistance, including financial advisers and the Sorted website,” Dr Matthews adds.

Financial Advice Chief Executive Katrina Shanks welcomed the report, saying it was a further timely reminder about the need for people to plan for their retirement.

“We need to drill home to people that they must start thinking seriously about saving for their retirement from an early age or they will struggle to live the lifestyle they want to once they stop work, and these guidelines clearly show what people need to aim for.”

Scott Alman, Managing Director Consilium and co-sponsor of the New Zealand Retirement Expenditure Guidelines says, “We are really pleased to co-sponsor this report which helps the financial literacy of New Zealanders. It provides evidence to pre-retirees about their retirement income needs. It helps them be better informed about what sort of lump sum they will need to accumulate to fill the retirement savings gap between their NZ Super and private savings.”

About the Retirement Expenditure Guidelines

NZ Fin-Ed Centre, or New Zealand Financial Education and Research Centre was set up in 2011 with an aim to improve the financial wellbeing of New Zealanders. The report’s findings are based on figures from Statistics New Zealand’s triennial Household Economic Survey, adjusted for the effect of inflation. It is important to note the guidelines do not represent recommended levels of expenditure, but reflect actual levels of expenditure by retired households.

Read the full report here.

Hypotonic drinks ingested during exercise hydrate better than isotonic, hypertonic, and water-based sports drinks, according to new research led by a team from Massey University.

Sports drinks, those typically containing carbohydrates and electrolytes, are commonly used during exercise for hydration purposes. The drinks can be formulated to be more concentrated, similar, or less concentrated (hypertonic, isotonic, hypotonic) than body fluids.

Lead author Professor David Rowlands undertook the research with Hani Kopetschny and Dr Claire Badenhorst from Massey’s School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition. The research was recently published in Springer Sports Medicine journal.

Professor Rowlands says there was some confusion and misinformation about which type of sports drink is the most effective at hydrating during prolonged periods of exercise.

“We extracted and analysed data from 28 studies that consisted of healthy individuals and athletes drinking these drink types, as well as water, while cycling or running for prolonged periods of up to three hours, to see what effect the drinks had on central hydration. We assessed this by the simple change in blood plasma volume compared to rest.”

The findings showed one key result: hypotonic drinks, which typically contain a lower amount of sugar and salt, hydrated better than isotonic and hypertonic sports drinks.

Professor Rowlands says looking at the quantity and type of carbohydrate mix in all of the drinks was a large contributing factor.

“Hypotonic drinks typically contain about half to two thirds of the sugar found in isotonic and hypertonic drinks. When sugar [sucrose] is broken down in the intestines into two smaller sugars [fructose and glucose], the result is the concentration of sugars about doubles. This then draws more water out of the body and into the intestines, effectively the reverse of what an athlete wants when trying to hydrate.”

Although, he adds, drinks with more carbohydrates do provide more energy, which is useful for long-duration exercise performance.

“Interestingly, we found that most of the commercial isotonic sports drinks contained a high amount of ordinary sugar. So, in the gut the isotonic drink’s sugar concentration was doubled because sugar is disaccharide comprising glucose and fructose, and the effect on hydration was similar or worse than a hypertonic drink,” Professor Rowlands says.

The team studied the change in plasma volume during exercise, the liquid portion of the blood, and how this was affected by the different drinks. Plasma makes up around 55 per cent of our blood volume, which is important to maintain during exercise to keep up the capacity for oxygen and nutrient delivery to the working muscles, and distributing heat from the muscles to the skin for loss.

“If the plasma volume starts to drop, our cardiovascular system will have to work harder to maintain blood pressure and blood flow to the muscle and the skin. During exercise, plasma and blood volume starts to decline as people become more dehydrated, so our measurements looked at which of the four drinks was most effective in slowing down the decline in plasma, and hypotonics came out best.”

Professor Rowlands says another surprising finding was evidence for a small but worthwhile benefit to hydration with hypotonic drinks compared to water. The research suggests that this may be due, in part, to the sodium in the drinks that helps to retain water in the body and limit losses through urine.

“If there hasn’t been a substantial amount of dehydration and athletes are drinking water it will dilute sodium and increase urine production. This may also occur if too much hypotonic drink is ingested.

“On the other hand, when there has been a substantial amount of dehydration, usually around three to four per cent bodyweight lost or more, then the athlete is more likely to experience declines in performance. In these cases, drinking water or hypotonic sports drinks are likely to be more beneficial because the sodium concentration in the blood has gone up and so drinking more water will dilute the concentration back down towards normal whilst also recovering plasma volume and cardiovascular function.”

Professor Rowlands says a second suggestion that would explain the improvement in hydration with hypotonic drinks compared to water is the effect of the carbohydrate component in the hypotonic drinks. “When these carbohydrates get absorbed in the middle of the small intestine, it helps to draw in water into the body.”

The researchers also noted the benefit of hypotonic beverages for hydration was further improved as exercise intensity increased.

The team are now wanting to focus future research on how effective hypotonic beverages are on exercise performance.