ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2017 November;57(11):1504-12

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.16.06722-0

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Fluid intake behavior in athletes during typical training bouts

Alex BUOITE STELLA ¹ ✉, Maria P. FRANCESCATO ¹, Stacy T. SIMS ², Shawnda A. MORRISON ³

¹ Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy; ² Adams Centre for High Performance, Health, Sport and Human Performance, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand; ³ Applied Kinesiology, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia

BACKGROUND: Hydration habits during training may differ depending on sports mode and individual characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess fluid intake behavior in a wide sample of Italian athletes during their regular training.
METHODS: Data on hydration habits during training were collected from a random sample of competitive athletes. Hydration strategies and personal characteristics were queried via questionnaire, including athletes’ quantity and type of fluid ingested during a typical training bout, sport characteristics (e.g. mode and training duration), and whether their coach encouraged them to drink during trainings.
RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty-two competitive athletes participated to the study; two hundred eighty-nine athletes correctly completed all survey items (age: 8-63 years, median: 21±13 years). Athletes were involved in international (3.1%), national (34.1%) and regional (44.9%) competitions. Median fluid intakes during training were 0.25 L/h; 150 athletes reported fluid intake below the median, whilst 23 athletes (6.5% of total sample) reported fluid intake at or above currently published exercise hydration guidelines (NATA and ACSM). Binary logistic regression indicated that the number of pauses to drink (B=0.771, P=0.000), duration of a typical training bout (B=-2.237, P=0.000), and a coach’s encouragement to drink (B=0.601, P=0.030) were each associated with fluid consumption above or below the median value.
CONCLUSIONS: Athletes across all disciplines reported drinking less fluid during training than currently espoused in hydration guidelines. A coach’s encouragement to drink, the number of pauses during training, and bout duration each influence total fluid volume consumed, regardless of competition level, sex or the age of an athlete.

KEY WORDS: Behavior - Athletes - Exercise - Drinking - Rehydration solutions