title: Fluid intake behavior in athletes during typical training bouts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hydration habits during training may differ depending on sports mode and individual characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess fluid intake behavior in a wide sample of Italian athletes during their regular training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on hydration habits during training were collected from a random sample of competitive athletes. Hydration strategies and personal characteristics were queried via questionnaire, including athletes' quantity and type of fluid ingested during a typical training bout, sport characteristics (e.g. mode and training duration), and whether their coach encouraged them to drink during trainings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and fifty-two competitive athletes participated to the study; two hundred eighty-nine athletes correctly completed all survey items (age: 8-63 years, median: 21±13 years). Athletes were involved in international (3.1%), national (34.1%) and regional (44.9%) competitions. Median fluid intakes during training were 0.25 L/h; 150 athletes reported fluid intake below the median, whilst 23 athletes (6.5% of total sample) reported fluid intake at or above currently published exercise hydration guidelines (NATA and ACSM). Binary logistic regression indicated that the number of pauses to drink (B=0.771, P=0.000), duration of a typical training bout (B=-2.237, P=0.000), and a coach's encouragement to drink (B=0.601, P=0.030) were each associated with fluid consumption above or below the median value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Athletes across all disciplines reported drinking less fluid during training than currently espoused in hydration guidelines. A coach's encouragement to drink, the number of pauses during training, and bout duration each influence total fluid volume consumed, regardless of competition level, sex or the age of an athlete.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy - alex.buoitestella@aol.com.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buoite Stella
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Francescato
authors.affiliation: Adams Centre for High Performance, Health, Sport and Human Performance, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Stacy T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.affiliation: Applied Kinesiology, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Shawnda A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D056352:Athletes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult