Time constraints during soccer games and team dynamics during practices provide challenging circumstances to optimize hydration strategies. Previous research has examined hydration behaviors in collegiate women`s soccer players during preseason practices. However, behavior difference between practicesand games has not yet been explored. Objective: To observe and compare hydration status and fluid intake during games and practices. Design: Observational crossover design. Setting: Outdoor soccer field during August environmental conditions. Patients or Other Participants: Ten (19±1yo, 171.6±4.3cm, 65.6±9.6kg) DI collegiate women`s soccer players, representing a variety of positions. Participants attended an informational meeting and signed a consent form prior to participating. Interventions: The independent variable was playing activity with two levels- game and practice. Players participated in both conditions. Five practices and 3 games were observed within 10 days. For pre and post practices and games, players arrived to the locker room and provided a urine sample and a seminude weight, which calculated body mass loss(BML) and sweat rates(SR). To record fluid consumed during practice, each player was provided two fluid bottles, one containing a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage (CEB) and one water. Playing/activity time was recorded for each player during games and for groups during practices via an activity log. Researchers did not intervene in any other manner. Main Outcome Measures: Dependent variables included practice/game activity time, volume consumed(L), SR(L/hr), urine specific gravity(Usg) via clinical refractometer, urine color (Ucol) via color chart, and BML(kg). One way ANOVA was conducted for fluid consumed, SR, and hydration status variables. Post hoc paired t-tests were conducted for hydration status variables. Results: Players consumed more fluids during games than practices(1.7±0.7L vs. 0.8±0.5L; P<0.001).Participants consumed more water during games than practices(1.1±0.7L vs.0.5±0.4L; P<0.001) as well as CEB (0.6±0.5L vs. 0.5±0.3L; P=0.79), respectively. SR were greater during games than practices(1.6±0.5L/hr vs. 0.8±0.3L/hr; P<0.001). Activity time was longer in practices than games(1.6±0.3hrs vs. 1.4±0.4hrs; P=0.039). Players arrived to games hydrated(1.014±0.007µG, 3±1) compared (P<0.001) to minimal dehydration for practices (1.020± 0.008µG, 4±1). BML during games and practices(0.7±1.0kg vs 0.6±0.7kg) were similar. Practice hydration status increased pre to post for Usg (1.020±0.008 µG vs 1.022±0.012, P=0.336) and Ucol (4±1vs 4±1; P=0.020;) respectively. Game hydration status also increased pre to post for Usg (1.013±0.006 µG vs 1.024±0.008, P<0.001) and Ucol (3±1vs 5±1; P<0.001) respectively. Conclusions: Despite time constraints during games, players employed hydration strategies that took advantage of the time, resulting in greater consumption of fluids compared to practice. Even with the significant consumption of fluids, the higher intensity of games resulted in higher sweat rates and fluid losses, ultimately eliciting greater changes in hydration status. Activity time was increased during practices, however break opportunities were anecdotally more frequent, and decreased fluid consumption was offset by lower sweat rates.
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