Case Study: Hydration Intervention Improves Pre-game Hydration Status in Female Collegiate Soccer Players.

Abstract

Little is known about whether athletes follow hydration guidelines. The objective of the present study was to assess fluid status in female soccer players in a hot and humid environment, and to assess the effect of an intervention aimed at preventing players from exercising in a dehydrated state. We hypothesized that following the intervention, players would exhibit improved hydration status, as indicated by greater voluntary fluid intake and improved hydration markers. Ten female collegiate soccer players (20±1yrs., 64±9kg) participated in this seven-week study. Changes in body weight (BW), fluid intake, urine color (UC), and urine specific gravity (USG) were measured periodically over three days. Dehydration was classified as USG ≥1.020g/ml and UC >3. Following a 7- week intervention (to individualize hydration strategies), BW, fluid intake, UC, and USG were again measured on two game days to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Pre-test: five players started exercising dehydrated (USG 1.029g/ml; UC...