Impact of Hydration on Physiological Parameters in Collegiate Football Athletes

This study investigated the relationship between hydration levels and physiological parameters in collegiate football players. Urine specific gravity and body weight were used to determine hydration levels of athletes, and Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine relationships between urine specific gravity, body weight, and real-time physiological data .Sixty-seven percent of the football athletes were hypo hydrated based on mean urine specific gravity samples, but no athletes had a mean percent body weight loss greater than 2%. A strong negative correlation was found between increased urine specific gravity and mechanical intensity physiological data (r = -0.885, p = 0.019), but no correlation was found between hydration status and rate of force development, physiological intensity, or average heart rate. No correlations were found between percent change in body weight and any physiological data. Athletes’ physiological profiles may not be significantly impacted by short-term hypo hydration.

Keywords: hydration, athletic performance, training.