In the field of sports nutrition, there is always some new product that catches the eyes of athletes and practitioners. These sometimes pull focus away from the basics of proper fueling and hydration. Sport practitioners educate athletes to follow established fluid recommendations, but current research has found that around 70% of athletes are still dehydrated before practice. Therefore, this session would bring light to the importance of monitoring pre-exercise hydration status and improvements in fluid recommendations.

A study conducted in the Division I collegiate athletic setting evaluated the efficacy of a new pre-exercise fluid recommendation based on hydration level, determined using urine specific gravity. We found a significant improvement in hydration status following this intervention. The feasibility of this fluid recommendation can be utilized by all collegiate athletic programs. Furthermore, this session will investigate how dietitians can consolidate and effectively equip athletes with applicable information for reaching their hydration-related goals. We don't want to overwhelm our athletes with numbers!