ABSTRACT
Hydration is an often overlooked nutritional factor that can influence exercise performance, particularly endurance exercise in the heat. It is commonly considered that a loss of only 2%–3% body water (BW) due to dehydration leads to exercise performance decrements [1], although any amount of dehydration can impair temperature regulation mechanisms in the body [2]. The effects of dehydration on thermoregulation can cause detrimental health outcomes, including impaired cognitive and cardiovascular functions and associated heat illness [3]. The effects of dehydration are not limited to masters athletes, but age-related fluid changes such as intra-cellular water loss compared to extra-cellular fluid losses during body water loss pose increased health and performance risks among older athletes [4,5].
