Hydration habits and water loss in physical activity in students: a literature review

Abstract

Body hydration is a key factor for physical performance during exercise, as adequate hydration levels are important for the cardiovascular system and for thermoregulation, as these directly influence sports performance and sweating rate. The higher the individual's sweating rate, the more likely he is to become dehydrated, if he does not minimize the loss of water with adequate hydration. The study aimed to conduct a literature review of studies on hydration habits and water loss in physical activity in children and adolescents. Data searches were performed in the databases Pubmed, Google Scholar, Lilacs and Medline. In total, 233 articles were found, of which 157 were excluded in the first selection stage. In reading the abstracts, 26 publications were excluded and in full reading 41 articles. In total, 9 publications answered the research question. It was found that physical activity practitioners at school level have a satisfactory level of information related to hydration habits. However, the majority of the population has inappropriate habits regarding physical activity and the means of hydration. Therefore, it is important that physical education teachers guide students to always develop the habit of consuming liquids before, during, and after exercise, especially in situations of higher temperatures to avoid water loss and damage to physical performance.