HE45 - THE EFFECT OF STARTING STATUS ON HYDRATION IN DIVISION I WOMEN’S SOCCER ATHLETES
SCURS Disciplines
Medicine & Health Sciences
Document Type
General Poster
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
Background: Proper hydration is important for optimal health and performance. Despite known differences in physical demands, little is known about the hydration status of starters compared to non-starters in women's soccer athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare pre-competition hydration levels and dehydration during a regular season home match in Division I women's soccer athletes. Methods: Urine samples were collected ≤ 2 h prior to one home match during the regular season. Wearing compression clothing, athletes were instructed to towel off excess sweat before completing a body weight (BW) measurement (InBody H30). Urine samples were analyzed immediately for urine color (UC) and urine specific gravity (USG) using a handheld refractometer (Atago). Starters were defined as athletes with ≥ 45 min play time. Hypohydration was defined as USG ≥ 1.020. UC was compared against a validated urine color chart. BW was remeasured within 30 min post-match, and dehydration was calculated as:Dehydration (% BW) = [(Pre-event BW (kg) – Post-event BW (kg))/Post-event BW(kg)] * 100 Results: Nineteen field players participated in this study (1.66 ± 0.7 m, 62.3 ± 6.8 kg, 22.1 ± 6.9% body fat, 26.8 ± 3.0 kg SMM). There was a trend (p = 0.054) for lower body fat in starters (19.5 ± 5.4%) compared to non-starters (25.6 ± 7.5%). Environmental conditions were 23.3°C, 58% RH. Combined pre-competition USG and UC were 1.011± 0.006 and 2.7 ± 1.5, respectively. Athletes lost 1.5 ± 0.8% BW during competition. No athletes arrived to competition in a hypohydrated state. There were no significant differences for USG (1.012 ± 0.006 vs. 1.010 ± 0.006) or UC (2.6 ± 1.4 vs. 2.8 ± 1.9) between starters and non-starters, respectively. There was a trend (p = 0.06) for greater dehydration in starters (1.8 ± 0.8%) compared to non-starters (1.1 ± 0.7%). Conclusions: In a Division I Women’s Soccer team participating in sports nutrition education, all field players began regular season competition at home in an appropriately hydrated state. Starters trended towards greater BW loss during competition. Accordingly, refueling strategies should be personalized by starting status. Acknowledgments: The USC Upstate Office of Sponsored Awards and Research Support and University of South Carolina Magellan Scholar Program funded this research.
Start Date
10-4-2026 9:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
End Date
10-4-2026 11:30 AM
HE45 - THE EFFECT OF STARTING STATUS ON HYDRATION IN DIVISION I WOMEN’S SOCCER ATHLETES
University Readiness Center Greatroom
Background: Proper hydration is important for optimal health and performance. Despite known differences in physical demands, little is known about the hydration status of starters compared to non-starters in women's soccer athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare pre-competition hydration levels and dehydration during a regular season home match in Division I women's soccer athletes. Methods: Urine samples were collected ≤ 2 h prior to one home match during the regular season. Wearing compression clothing, athletes were instructed to towel off excess sweat before completing a body weight (BW) measurement (InBody H30). Urine samples were analyzed immediately for urine color (UC) and urine specific gravity (USG) using a handheld refractometer (Atago). Starters were defined as athletes with ≥ 45 min play time. Hypohydration was defined as USG ≥ 1.020. UC was compared against a validated urine color chart. BW was remeasured within 30 min post-match, and dehydration was calculated as:Dehydration (% BW) = [(Pre-event BW (kg) – Post-event BW (kg))/Post-event BW(kg)] * 100 Results: Nineteen field players participated in this study (1.66 ± 0.7 m, 62.3 ± 6.8 kg, 22.1 ± 6.9% body fat, 26.8 ± 3.0 kg SMM). There was a trend (p = 0.054) for lower body fat in starters (19.5 ± 5.4%) compared to non-starters (25.6 ± 7.5%). Environmental conditions were 23.3°C, 58% RH. Combined pre-competition USG and UC were 1.011± 0.006 and 2.7 ± 1.5, respectively. Athletes lost 1.5 ± 0.8% BW during competition. No athletes arrived to competition in a hypohydrated state. There were no significant differences for USG (1.012 ± 0.006 vs. 1.010 ± 0.006) or UC (2.6 ± 1.4 vs. 2.8 ± 1.9) between starters and non-starters, respectively. There was a trend (p = 0.06) for greater dehydration in starters (1.8 ± 0.8%) compared to non-starters (1.1 ± 0.7%). Conclusions: In a Division I Women’s Soccer team participating in sports nutrition education, all field players began regular season competition at home in an appropriately hydrated state. Starters trended towards greater BW loss during competition. Accordingly, refueling strategies should be personalized by starting status. Acknowledgments: The USC Upstate Office of Sponsored Awards and Research Support and University of South Carolina Magellan Scholar Program funded this research.