Date of Award
1-1-2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Nutrition and Hospitality Management
First Advisor
Melinda W. Valliant
Second Advisor
Samantha B. Kostelnik
Third Advisor
Thomas L. Andre
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
The maintenance of hydration levels are often a key focus when trying to sustain athletic performance in sport. The amount of fluid intake needed to reach appropriate hydration levels varies widely from a multitude of factors. This ideal hydration level (euhydration) is characterized by an optimal total intracellular and extracellular body water content, which is the ultimate goal of fluid intake protocols within athletics. The aim of this research was to investigate if a specific fluid recommendations for track and field (TAF) athletes, based upon urine specific gravity (USG) classification cutoffs, helps to improve athletic performance. This study also analyzed the influence of body weight (BW) on the amount of fluid and/or electrolyte supplements an athlete needs to consume in order to attain an euhydrated state prior to practice or competition. A total of 35 subjects participated in the study, who were then divided into two groups: a control and experimental each receiving different hydration protocols. Fluid intake needs were assessed using anthropometric measurements and air displacement plethysmography. Urine samples were taken to determine hydration status (HS) and were analyzed through USG measurements. Additionally, the metric of vertical jump height (VJH) was used to evaluate athletic performance within the investigation. The results indicated that HS was increased in both groups upon engagement of the hydration recommendation protocol routine. However, the analysis of HS showed that there was not a statistically significant interaction between the hydration protocol groups. The application of hydration protocols based on BW was not indicated to be necessary to achieve a euhydrated state when TAF athletes followed specific fluid recommendations based upon USG classification cutoffs. The evaluation of both daily USG and weekly VJH measurements through a Pearson’s correlation analysis concluded there was not a statistically significant relationship between the HS and VJH within the research study. There was no significant correlation between the two variables (r = -0.24, p = 0.301). These findings indicate HS is not associated with significant changes in VJH among TAF athletes.
Recommended Citation
Hogg, Joshua, "The Effect of Hydration Status on Jump Height in Track and Field Athletes" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2436.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2436
Concentration/Emphasis
Food and Nutrition Services