Do Current Pre-Exercise Fluid Recommendations for Athletes Need to be Updated? A Short Review

Introduction: Maintaining adequate hydration throughout the day is extremely important, especially for the athletic population. While several recommendations have been developed to aid in timing (i.e., before, during and after exercise) and quantity of fluid intake, research has shown that approximately 70% of collegiate athletes arrive to practice in a dehydrated state. This review aims to identify the studies that have developed fluid protocols or utilized fluid recommendations for athletes prior to exercise. Methods: Two databases and 13 search terms were used to find relevant articles. Results: To date, several position papers, observational, and experimental (25 investigations total) studies that included a pre-exercise fluid recommendation and protocols to achieve euhydration were identified. Conclusions: Many of the fluid recommendations and protocols identified are different and some are not supported with evidence. In addition, very few have utilized fluid recommendations based on body weight. Future research could further investigate the use of fluid protocols catered to body weight or based on other practical assessment methods, in an effort to make individualized hydration plans.