Effects of Hydration Educational Intervention in High School Football Players

Abstract

Atkins, WC, McDermott, BP, Kanemura, K, Adams, JD, and Kavouras, S. Effects of Hydration Educational Intervention in High School Football Players. J Strength Cond Res 35(2): 385–390, 2021—The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a one-time educational intervention (EI) on hydration behaviors, status, and knowledge. In a pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental design, 41 in-season American high school football players (16 ± 1 years) voluntarily participated. Teams were assigned to EI or no intervention (NI) groups. Educational intervention included a 5-minute presentation on hydration importance, self-assessment, urine-color charts, water bottles, and hydration status feedback. Baseline data included 24-hour fluid intake logs, urinalysis, and questionnaires. Data collection was repeated 3 and 24-days post-EI. Subjects provided urine samples and recorded fluid intake. Twenty-four hour mean fluid consumed (FC) and water consumed (WC) were calculated. Questionnaires quantified hydration knowledge. Significance was set a priori at p ≤ 0.05. Urine specific gravity was not significantly different at baseline (EI: 1.026 ± 0.006; NI: 1.023 ± 0.009; p = 0.118, confidence interval [CI] 95% [−0.001 to 008]), improved 3-days post-EI (EI: 1.017 ± 0.010; NI: 1.026 ± 0.007; p = 0.004, CI 95% [−0.015 to −0.003]), and was not different 24-days post-EI (EI: 1.021 ± 0.009; NI: 1.025 ± 0.007; p = 0.213, CI 95% [−0.008 to 002]) between groups. Three days post-EI, 24-hour WC increased significantly in the EI (EI: 888 ± 713 ml; t(19) = −5.685, p < 0.001, CI 95%: [−1,208.9 to −560.0]) but not NI (119 ± 583 ml; t(20) = −0.915, CI 95%: [−392.0 to 153.5]) and EI increased FC by 19%, whereas NI showed a 6% FC decrease. There were no significant group (F(1,19) = 0.025, p = 0.876, = 0.001) or interaction effects for hydration knowledge (F(2,38) = 0.677, p = 0.514, = 0.034). Educational intervention improved hydration status and behaviors despite no change in knowledge. Hydration education should be implemented and reinforced by team personnel as benefits to an EI are reduced at 24-days post-intervention.

Adolescent athletes have better general than sports nutrition knowledge and lack awareness of supplement recommendations: a systematic literature review

“…Three studies did not report the specific sports played by the study population. Eighteen studies recruited participants from one type of sport including swimming ( 9 , 22 , 31 , 49 ) , basketball ( 28 , 30 , 44 ) , soccer ( 41 , 43 ) , gymnastics ( 21 ) , ballet ( 20 ) , rugby ( 57 ) , table tennis ( 23 ) , American football ( 24 ) , cross-country skiing ( 38 ) , handball ( 37 ) , volleyball ( 29 ) and synchronised swimming ( 40 ) . The remaining studies represented various sports, including track and field ( 47 ) , aesthetic sports ( 39 ) , endurance sports ( 34 , 35 ) and various team and individual sports ( 25 – 27 , 36 , 42 , 45 , 46 ) .…”

“…The remaining studies represented various sports, including track and field (47) , aesthetic sports (39) , endurance sports (34,35) and various team and individual sports (25)(26)(27)36,42,45,46) . Sporting levels included competitive (9,(21)(22)(23)26,30,32,34,35,39,40,42,49) , regional/state/national competitors (27)(28)(29)(36)(37)(38)43,47) , high school/college (19,24,27,33,41,45,57) , elite (20,44,46) and one study did not report sporting level (25) . NK was assessed using twenty-one questionnaires across thirty-two studies.…”

Relationship Between Pre- and Post-exercise Body Mass Changes and Pre-exercise Urine Color in Female Athletes

“…Rehydration post-exercise is going to be dependent on the duration and type of exercise, dietary needs of the athlete, and individual sweat rate. Hydration education on post-exercise rehydration is also necessary to ensure fluids are adequately replaced prior to the next exercise bout (Maughan et al, 1997 ; Armstrong et al, 1998 ; Maughan and Shirreffs, 2010b ; Park et al, 2012 ; Atkins et al, 2021 ). Current guidelines suggest either replacing fluids to match sweat losses or replacing 150% of fluid losses when there is a short recovery period (i.e., 4 h) (Shirreffs et al, 2007 ; McDermott et al, 2017 ).…”

A questionnaire study on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of fluid replacement and urination among Chinese elite athletes

“…It has been confirmed that educational intervention on hydration improves hydration status and enhances exercise performance in athletic youth [ 47 ]. Atkins WC et al [ 48 ] have reported that educational intervention improves hydration status and behaviours in high school football players. Martín-Payo [ 49 ] has also reported that feasible educational intervention improves hydration behaviour in adolescent soccer players, but hydration guidelines should be based on personal factors.…”