Does Orange Juice Hydrate You?
In the landmark Beverage Hydration Index study, orange juice held fluid better than water two hours in - but the advantage disappeared by four hours, and OJ carries about 470 kcal per litre of energy you have to account for.
Quick answer
Does Orange Juice Hydrate You?
Yes - orange juice hydrates you. In the 2016 Beverage Hydration Index (Maughan, Am J Clin Nutr), 1 litre of orange juice was retained significantly better than water at 2 hours (P < 0.05), but the edge faded by 4 hours (P = 0.06) and after water-content correction (P = 0.11). It hydrates well short-term, but carries about 470 kcal per litre.
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Yes - orange juice hydrates you, and in the short term it can even outperform plain water. In the 2016 Beverage Hydration Index (BHI) trial, 72 euhydrated, fasted men each drank 1 litre of still water or one of 12 other beverages over 30 minutes, then had urine collected for 4 hours (Maughan 2016). The BHI anchors still water at 1.00; a value above 1.0 means a drink is retained better than water. At 2 hours, orange juice scored significantly higher than water (P < 0.05) - alongside skim milk, full-fat milk and oral rehydration solution. But OJ was the weakest of that group: its advantage lost statistical significance by 4 hours (P = 0.06) and after correcting for water content (P = 0.11). By 4 hours, orange juice's cumulative urine output was no different from water. So OJ is a legitimately hydrating drink - just not a durable upgrade over water, and it brings roughly 470 kcal per litre with it (Maughan 2016).
Orange Juice in the Beverage Hydration Index
| Measure | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 2-hour BHI vs water | Significantly higher (P < 0.05) At 2 hours, orange juice was retained significantly better than water - in the same tier as skim milk, full-fat milk and ORS. | |
| 4-hour BHI vs water | No longer significant (P = 0.06) By 4 hours, the orange-juice advantage faded - cumulative 4-hour urine output was not different from water. | |
| Water-content-corrected BHI | No longer significant (P = 0.11) After correcting for how much water the drink itself contained, OJ's edge over water disappeared. Only skim milk, full-fat milk and ORS stayed significant. | |
| Energy density | ~470 kcal/L Orange juice carries about 470 kcal per litre - second only to full-fat milk (640 kcal/L) and above cola (420), skim milk (350) and lager (330). |
How Orange Juice Compares to Other Drinks
Better than water - briefly
Orange juice was one of four drinks that beat water at 2 hours (P < 0.05), but the only one of that four to lose significance by 4 hours and after water-content correction (Maughan 2016).
The durable winners
Only oral rehydration solution (BHI 1.54), full-fat milk (1.50) and skim milk (1.58) stayed significantly ahead of water through 4 hours and after correction (Maughan 2016). Their electrolytes and energy slow fluid loss.
Roughly water-equal drinks
Cola, diet cola, hot tea, cold/iced tea, coffee, lager, sparkling water and the sports drink all produced 4-hour urine output not different from water - a BHI of about 1.0 (Maughan 2016).
Nothing dehydrated
No beverage tested - including coffee, tea and lager - scored significantly below water. At a 1-litre dose, none caused net dehydration (Maughan 2016; ACE ProSource).
Drinking Orange Juice for Hydration: Practical Tips
- Treat orange juice as a hydrating drink, not a hydration upgrade - its 4-hour retention matched water once the data settled (Maughan 2016).
- Budget the energy: at ~470 kcal/L, a litre of OJ is roughly a quarter of a typical day's calories (Maughan 2016).
- For lasting fluid retention - after exercise or illness - reach for milk or an oral rehydration solution, which stayed significantly ahead of water through 4 hours (Maughan 2016).
- For everyday hydration with no calories, plain water is still the sensible default - OJ's 2-hour edge vanished by 4 hours.
- If you want the vitamin C and flavour of OJ, enjoy it - just count it toward both your fluids and your energy intake, not as a free top-up.
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- 2 h BHI > water, P < 0.05 — At 2 hours, orange juice had a significantly higher Beverage Hydration Index than water, alongside full-fat milk, skim milk and ORS.[1]
- 4 h P = 0.06; water-corrected P = 0.11 — Orange juice's BHI advantage over water lost significance by 4 hours and after water-content correction.[1]
- BHI approximately 1.0 at 4 h — Cumulative 4-hour urine output after orange juice was not different from water (BHI approximately 1.0).[1]
- ~470 kcal/L — Orange juice has an energy density of about 470 kcal per litre - below full-fat milk (640) and above cola (420), skim milk (350) and lager (330).[1]
- ORS 1.54 / full-fat milk 1.50 / skim milk 1.58 vs water 1.00 — Only oral rehydration solution (1.54), full-fat milk (1.50) and skim milk (1.58) hydrated significantly better than water at 2 hours and stayed ahead through 4 hours.[1]
- n=72; 1 L; 30 min; 4 h collection; 13 beverages — The study design: 72 euhydrated, fasted men each ingested 1 L of still water or one of 12 other beverages over 30 minutes, with urine collected for 4 hours across a 13-beverage panel.[1]
- 0 beverages below water — No beverage tested - including coffee, tea and lager - had a BHI significantly lower than water; none caused net dehydration at a 1-litre dose.[2]
- [1]Maughan 2016 (Am J Clin Nutr) — Maughan RJ, Watson P, Cordery PA, Walsh NP, Oliver SJ, Dolci A, Rodriguez-Sanchez N, Galloway SD. A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Mar;103(3):717-23.PMID: 26702122DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.115.114769
- [2]ACE ProSource — American Council on Exercise (ACE) ProSource, April 2016. The Newest Index on the Block: The Hydration Index (summary of Maughan et al. 2016).
Last reviewed: 2026-06-20. Every figure on this page is sourced to the named primary references above.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does orange juice hydrate you?
Yes. In the 2016 Beverage Hydration Index study, 72 men drank 1 litre of orange juice and, two hours later, retained it significantly better than water (P < 0.05). Orange juice is genuinely hydrating - it simply doesn't keep its advantage over water beyond a few hours (Maughan 2016).
Is orange juice more hydrating than water?
Only in the short term. Orange juice scored a significantly higher Beverage Hydration Index than water at 2 hours, but the difference lost significance by 4 hours (P = 0.06) and after correcting for the drink's water content (P = 0.11). Over 4 hours, OJ's fluid retention was no different from water (Maughan 2016).
Why does orange juice lose its hydration edge over water?
In Maughan et al. (2016), orange juice's higher 2-hour BHI faded over time - cumulative 4-hour urine output matched water. Unlike milk and oral rehydration solution, which kept a significant edge through 4 hours and after water-content correction, OJ's early advantage didn't last (Maughan 2016).
How many calories are in a litre of orange juice?
About 470 kcal per litre, according to the energy-density figures reported in the Beverage Hydration Index study (Maughan 2016). That's lower than full-fat milk (640 kcal/L) but higher than cola (420), skim milk (350) and lager (330). It's enough that OJ should count toward your daily energy as well as your fluids.
Which drinks hydrate better than water?
In the Beverage Hydration Index, only oral rehydration solution (BHI 1.54), skim milk (1.58) and full-fat milk (1.50) hydrated significantly better than water and stayed ahead through 4 hours. Orange juice was higher at 2 hours but lost significance by 4 hours (Maughan 2016).
What is the Beverage Hydration Index?
The BHI, created by Maughan et al. (2016), compares how well a drink is retained versus still water, which is anchored at 1.00. It is urine output after water divided by urine output after the test drink. A value above 1.0 means the beverage is retained better than plain water over the 4-hour measurement window (Maughan 2016).
Is juice a good way to rehydrate after exercise or illness?
Orange juice will replace fluid, but it isn't the best choice for lasting rehydration. In Maughan et al. (2016), oral rehydration solution and milk retained fluid significantly better than water through 4 hours, while OJ matched water by then - and OJ adds ~470 kcal/L. For recovery, an ORS or milk is the stronger option.
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