Practical Hydration Solutions - Football

Football players take on extra weight and heat when they dawn their safety equipment. Help ensure they stay safe and hydrated with these practical solutions.
June 24, 2019
Icon / Markup Tools / Highlighter / White Created with Sketch.
Click and drag the text to create personal notes and highlights that save to your profile.
Got it

Every team sport is different, and factors such as rules of play, frequency of games, length of season and position-specific requirements alter the hydration plans. Football is classified as a strength and power team sport, in which most players do not cover large distances but rely on frequent short bursts of energy and must handle intense, repeated contact.

Key Considerations

  • A key risk factor for football players is equipment, which increases physical demands and amplifies heat load by interfering with evaporative heat loss.
  • Larger individuals typically have higher sweat losses, with football linemen exhibiting some of the highest recorded sweat rates. These losses of up to ~3L/h can cause significant disturbances in body fluid balance.
  • Make hydration a priority when they have two-a-day practices during training camp, especially for teams located in hot, humid environments and when they are wearing helmets and pads.
  • Teams based in cooler environments should plan for competitions in warmer locations with increased fluid replacement.
  • When the weather is colder, athletes must realize they can still dehydrate if fluid intake is not adequate.

Individual Sport Factors that Influence Dehydration

Availability of Fluid

  • High: Dynamics of the sport allow for multiple opportunities to consume fluid
  • Moderate: Fluid is only available during breaks in training, competition, or carried by the athlete
  • Low: Fluid is limited or not available due to time restrictions, rules or dynamics of the sport, and ability to carry

Environment

  • High: Environmental conditions that are of great risk for dehydration
  • Moderate: Environment is variable ranging from cool to hot conditions that may pose risk for dehydration
  • Low: Environmental conditions are not a threat to dehydration

Intensity

  • High: Exercise intensity in the sport is increased and likely to result in large sweat losses and dehydration
  • Moderate: Exercise intensity in the sport varies from moderate to high and may result in large sweat losses and dehydration
  • Low: Exercise intensity in the sport is low and less likely to result in large sweat losses and dehydration

Dehydration Risk

  • High: Risk for dehydration in the sport is high based on reported sweat losses, the availability of fluid, environmental conditions, and the intensity of exercise
  • Moderate: Risk for dehydration in the sport is moderate based on reported sweat losses, the availability of fluid, environmental conditions, and the intensity of exercise
  • Low: Risk for dehydration in the sport is low based on reported sweat losses, the availability of fluid, environmental conditions, and the intensity of exercise

Note: These assessments are representative of typical situations encountered in these sports. Site-specific factors may differ from those presented here.

Practical Solutions

  • Ensure athletes get enough fluids to account for additional losses through equipment and extra clothing.
  • When intensity is high, provide more water breaks to prevent hypohydration.
  • Pay extra attention to warm weather practices and games, and adjust hydration breaks accordingly.
  • Monitor acute changes in body mass during exercise bouts to determine sweat rate, adequacy of fluid replacement and fluid needs for recovery.