Assessing Pre-Game Hydration in Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia Football Club (UPNM FC) players
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/jsspj.vol14.1.1.2025Keywords:
dehydration status, soccer, male, youth, student-athletesAbstract
Hydration status is a critical determinant of athletic performance, particularly in high-intermittent sports like football, where even mild dehydration can impair endurance, cognitive function, and increase the risk of injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-game hydration status in Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia Football Club (UPNM FC) football players. A total of nineteen athletes (n=19; Age: 21 ± 1.5, Height: 1.71 ± 6.6 m, Weight: 65.6 ± 10.6 kg) volunteered to participate in this study. Pre-game hydration status was assessed using Urine Color Chart (UCC) and Thirst Scale (TS) measurement, taken immediately before the match. The results showed the urine color chart was 4.4 ± 1.5 suggests that on average, players were moderately dehydrated prior to the game. Thirst score of 3.74 ± 0.9 suggests that players were also experiencing moderate to high thirst levels before gameplay indicates physiological signal that typically occurs after the body has already started to experience fluid loss. Nevertheless, no significant correlation was found between UCC and TS (r =-.082, p > 0.05). At this point, it can be concluded that UPNM FC players were already in a state of mild dehydration even before the competitive match. This finding suggests that UPNM FC players should hydrate earlier and more consistently before matches, therefore the team could potentially reach optimal hydrated state and likely enhance performance and reduce fatigue and injury risk.
Downloads
References
Alvarado, M. U. (2005). Nutrition for young soccer players. International Journal of Soccer and Science, 3(1).
Armstrong, L. E., Casa, D. J., Millard-Stafford, M., Moran, D. S., & Pyne, S. (2012). Exertional heat illness: Recovery and treatment. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 6(5), 419-427.
Atan, S. A., Jafar, M. F., Jakiwa, J., Azli, M. S., & Kassim, M. (2019). The hydration status of Malaysia’s young male soccer players during competitive season. Zulfaqar Journal of Defence Management, Social Science & Humanities, 2(2), 1–6.
Atan, S. A., & Kassim, M. (2019). Young football players are not miniature adults; Do young athletes need sports drinks? A review of literature. ASM Science Journal, 12, 1–12.
Atan, S. A., & Kassim, M. (2020). Development of a soccer-specific running protocol for young soccer players. In M. H. A. Hassan et al, Enhancing Health and Sports Performance by Design (pp. 100–113). Springer Singapore.
Bangsbo, J., Mohr, M., & Krustrup, P. (2006). Physical and metabolic demands of training and match-play in the elite football player. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(7), 665–674.
Belasco, R, Edwards, T., Munoz, A.J, Rayo, V., & Buono, M.J. (2020). The effect of hydration on urine color objectively evaluated in CIE Lab Color Space. Frontiers in Nutrition, Oct 26;7.
Bueno, J. C. A., Andreato, L. V., Andrade, A., Flores, M. A. J., Alves, R. C., et al. (2023). Effects and symptoms of dehydration in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes. Revista De Artes Marciales Asiáticas, 18(1), 1–11.
Casa, D. J., & Kavouras, S. (2021). Hydration and fluid needs during physical activity. Nutrients, 13(11), Article 3779. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/11/3779
Cheuvront, S. N., Kenefick, R. W., & Montain, S. J. (2010). Hydration assessment and fluid replacement for athletes. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 31(4), 324-332.
Da Silva, R. P., Mündel, T., Natali, A. J., Bara Filho, M. G., Alfenas, R. C. G., Lima, J. R. P., Belfort, F.G., Lopes, P.R.N.R., & Marins, J. C. B. (2012). Pre-game hydration status, sweat loss, and fluid intake in elite Brazilian young male soccer players during competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30(1), 37–42.
Delves, R. I. M., Aughey, R. J., Ball, K., & Duthie, G. M. (2021). The quantification of acceleration events in elite team sport: a systematic review. Sports Medicine - Open, 7(1).
Edwards, T., Belasco, R., Munoz, A.J., Rayo, V., Buono, M. (2020). Subjective vs. Objective urine color: effect of hydration status. Advances in Applied Physiology, 1;5(2):19.
Ganio, M. S., Armstrong, L. E., Casa, D. J., McDermott, B. P., Lee, E. C., Yamamoto, L. M., et al. (2011). Mild dehydration impairs cognitive performance and mood of men. British Journal of Nutrition, 106(10), 1535–1543.
Hamouti, N., Del Coso, J., & Mora-Rodriguez, R. (2012). Comparison between blood and urinary fluid balance indices during dehydrating exercise and the subsequent hypohydration when fluid is not restored. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 113(3):611–20.
Judge, L. W., Bellar, D. M., Popp, J. K., Craig, B. W., Schoeff, M. A., et al (2021). Hydration to maximize performance and recovery: knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among collegiate track and field throwers. Journal of Human Kinetics, 79, 111–122.
Kurdak, S. S., Shirreffs, S. M., Maughan, R. J., Ozgünen, K. T., Zeren, Ç., Korkmaz, S., Yazici, Z., Ersöz, G., & Denerel, H. (2010). Hydration and sweating responses to hot‐weather football competition. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(S3), 133–139.
Leão, C., González-Fernández, F.T., Ceylan, H.İ., Clemente, F.M., et al.(2022). Dehydration, wellness, and training demands of professional soccer players during preseason. Biomed Research International, 2022:1–10.
Mohr, M., Krustrup, P., & Bangsbo, J. (2005). Fatigue in soccer: a brief review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 23(6), 593–599.
McCubbin, A. J., Cox, G. R., Broad, E. M., & Desbrow, B. (2020). Sports Dietitians Australia position statement: Nutrition for exercise in hot environments—Physiological effects of exertional heat. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 23(2), 83–98.
Rowland, T., Hagenbuch, S., Pober, D., & Garrison, A. (2008). Exercise tolerance and thermoregulatory responses during cycling in boys and men. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40(2), 282–287.
Yustika, G. P., Santoso, E. B., & Sri, S. (2019). The importance of hydration for soccer athletes. MIKI, 9(1).
Volpe, S. L., Poule, K. A., & Bland, E. G. (2009). Estimation of prepractice hydration status of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes. Journal of Athletic Training, 44(6), 624–629.
Wardenaar, F.C., Thompsett, D., Vento, K.A., Pesek, K., & Bacalzo, D.(2021). Athletes’ self-assessment of urine color using two color charts to determine urine concentration. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,13;18(8):4126.
Zhang, N., Du, S. M., Zhang, J. F., & Ma, G. S. (2019). Effects of dehydration and rehydration on cognitive performance and mood among male college students in Cangzhou, China: A self-controlled trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(11), 1891.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Aiman Hakim Amir, Mohd Syrinaz Azli, Jorrye Jakiwa, Siti Azilah Atan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
