title: Mild to moderate hypohydration reduces boys' high-intensity cycling performance in the heat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of 1 and 2 % hypohydration on high-intensity cycling performance of 10- to 12-year-old boys in the heat.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a counterbalanced order, nine boys attended three sessions in which they cycled intermittently (6 × 10-min bouts at 40-45 % [Formula: see text]) in a climate chamber. During each session, environmental conditions and water intake were individually adjusted to achieve a target hypohydration level of 0, 1 or 2 %, based on change in body weight (BW). Following 45 min of rest in thermoneutral conditions when the target hypohydration was maintained, each boy re-entered the climate chamber (35 °C and 50-55 % RH) to perform the cycling performance test at 90 % [Formula: see text] until exhaustion. Heart rate (HR) and rectal temperature (T re) were recorded continuously throughout each session. Total mechanical work (TMW) was taken as a measure of cycling performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Actual hypohydration level at the start of the cycling performance test in each session was: 0.1 ± 0.0 %, 1.1 ± 0.1 % and 2.0 ± 0.1 %. With 2 % hypohydration, TMW (35.5 ± 6.8 kJ) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than with 0 % hypohydration (49.3 ± 9.8 kJ). When expressed as a percentage of TMW with 0 % hypohydration, TMW was reduced by 15.5 and 23.3 % with 1 and 2 % hypohydration, respectively (p < 0.05 for both). At the start of the cycling performance test, HR was 13 and 15 bpm higher, and T re was 0.3 °C higher (p < 0.05 for all) with 1 and 2 % hypohydration, respectively, compared with 0 % hypohydration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mild (~1 %) to moderate (~2 %) hypohydration reduces high-intensity cycling performance of healthy young boys in the heat.
authors.affiliation: Child Health & Exercise Medicine Program, Room 3N27G, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, L8S 4K1, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Boguslaw
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilk
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bar-Or
authors.forename: Brian W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Timmons
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001642:Bicycling; D001834:Body Water; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004326:Drinking; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance