Hydrating beer features electrolytes, less alcohol Australian researchers create beer that helps drinkers retain hydration after working up sweat. Adding electrolytes and reducing the alcoholic content of beer could improve its ability to hydrate drinkers. Published: Aug. 17, 2013 at 12:43 PM Hydrating beer may be the future go-to drink for folks who have worked up a sweat after Australian researchers developed a way to add electrolytes to the alcoholic drink. Researchers at Griffith University's health institute in Queensland said reducing the alcohol content in beer and adding electrolytes -- an ingredient commonly found in sports drinks -- could help beer drinkers retain more hydration. The modification to the brew wouldn't change the taste, either, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. In the study, scientists modified two commercial beers -- one light, one regular strength -- and tested them, alongside unmodified beers, on volunteers who had worked up a sweat. "Of the four different beers the subjects consumed, our augmented light beer was by far the most well retained by the body, meaning it was the most effective at re-hydrating the subjects," said Associate Professor Ben Desbrow. "If you're going to live in the real world, you can either spend your time telling people what they shouldn't do, or you can work on ways of reducing the danger of some of these socialized activities," he added.