Running Head IMPACTS OF DEHYDRATION IN ATHLETES .docx

Running Head: IMPACTS OF DEHYDRATION IN ATHLETES
1
IMPACT OF DEHYDRATION IN ATHLETES IN HIGH
INTENSITY AEOROBICS,
ENDURANCE
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORTS
by
Michael Harris
5346
A Literature Review in Kinesiology
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
PED 598
Research in Physical Activity and Sport
Alabama A. & M. University

Health Sciences and Human Performance Department
Dr. Terry Conkle – Supervising Professor
October 29, 2019
IMPACTS OF DEHYDRATION IN ATHLETES
2
Introduction
Athletes partake in intensive training exercises or sports that
influence their body
metabolism and alters their body functions. The athletes take in
numerous activities that focus on
their endurance during their sporting activities with the
intention of achieving positive goals
during the competitions. The need for the push does not only
originate from their personal
motivation, but their body performance, and thus, they expose
themselves to intense physical
activities to make sure that they stay ready for their

competitions. The high-intensity aerobics
involve high cardiovascular exercises with minimal recovery
durations in between the exercises,
thus resulting in high exhaustion rates. The exercises range
from jogging, long-distance running,
walking, cycling, among others. The forms of exercises appear
fit for the trainees because they
have the intention to push the limits of their bodies to create
endurance such that they can
perform the same or even more during their competitions.
Dehydration has a major impact on the
athletes because it influences the entire body and all the
functioning down to the blood flow and
the heart rate. The impacts of dehydration might include an
increased rate in the consumption of
glycogen, a reduction in blood volume, higher chances of
nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, failing
concentration, an imbalance in body water, and electrolytes
among others.
Water is essential in maintaining the volume of blood,
regulation of the temperature, and
also aid in muscle contractions in the body. The move is
essential because it increases the proper
functioning that would oversee the productivity that will ensure

that they function in the normal
sense. The measures prove that water is an essential material in
the human body, and thus
athletes that are pushing their bodies out of their normal
routines to extreme measures lose lots of
water. The measure might result in general body weight loss
because water is approximately 2%
3
of the general body composition. Dehydration contributes to the
massive loss of the water,
making it a challenge for an athlete to maintain or experience
similar body functions. Water aids
in the blood composition; thus, it is essential in the blood
amount in the body; thus, the strenuous
activities an athlete endures within a short duration might not
be healthy for the individual since
they will lose part of their blood component. The composition
of water in the body helps regulate
the body temperature through the liver and general body parts,
including the muscles, but
dehydration contributes to poor regulation standards that affect

the body functions. There are
many muscles in the human body; thus, it is essential for the
muscle movements, and thus cutting
away the water leaves the tissues dry, and this affects their
functioning that then limits their
performance and endurance.
Literature Review
Numerous athletes endure strenuous physical activities for
prolonged durations that
influences their daily functions because it alters their normal
body functions. The participation in
numerous activities results in higher body temperatures that
then influence the rate of sweating,
losing the bodily fluids, and higher body temperature (Wright,
Collins & Schwellnus, 2009). It is
essential that all the athletes understand the exercises and the
pressure that they put on their
bodies during such exercises and pushing them to perform well.
(Finn & Wood, 2004), explained
that it is essential for athletes to read and understand their
bodies because failure to do the same
might result in the collapse of some of the body functions
(2004). It is proven that at the end of

some of the vigorous activities or the demanding sports, some
of the participants tend to collapse
or faint, or even in some cases, it becomes serious until they
die.
4
According to Casa (2018), some of the sports activities such as
the marathon requires
adaptability that does not involve waking up in the morning and
choosing to take part in the
marathon but to endure years of training and adaption. The
concept has made numerous changes
to the performance and outcome of the sports because they
increase the participation and
dominance of the players that would increase their functioning
and performance. Sports science
indicates that it is important for a player to try and understand
their bodies and ensure that they
train well and slow before pushing their bodies all at once to
adapt to the extreme exercises.
People should always start with fewer exercises before starting
to push and adjust their

body functions to extreme sporting activities because the body
has to learn. The body also has to
have time to adjust to performance and endurance levels that
make it easy for them to adapt to
the dehydration and how to adjust and behave during such
situations (Goulet & Hoffman, 2019).
It is not possible for someone to wake up in the morning and
start training for a competition later
in the day or the following week. The body will not adjust in
time for such a competition, and
pushing it harder might result in collapse or failure in body
parts. It is evident that majority of the
professional boxing fighters such as Anthony Joshua, sportsmen
such as Lebron James among
others all have to train across the calendar year to make sure
that when they get to their activities,
they have the endurance that comes from their body instead of
last minute pushing of their
bodies to perform. Most of the boxers tend to have single or
double matches in a calendar year
because of the training and the energy that they will need to
undertake such activities (Mckenna
& Gillum, 2017). The people have to train their bodies, starting
with minimal routines at the

gyms before following up with intense routines that push their
productivity. The concepts prove
that dehydration is a major problem for athletes, and it is their
bodies telling them to respect its
5
operations and thus have to live with the consequences.
According to Love, Baker, Healey &
Black (2018), numerous sportsmen tend to have short-lived
careers because they tend to have
exhausted their bodies, and they only have careers lasting five
years, such as Usain Bolt, the
record holder in Athletics. The move is a result of working their
bodies through extreme exercise
routines and without respecting them enough to understand that
they are burning the body fuses
and dehydration is a major contribution accumulating over the
years.
Water and electrolyte imbalances
Dehydration is the loss of the water past the minimum normal
body water content and
results in numerous challenges and health issues to the

individuals. Some of the consequences
are immediate while others are long term. The reduction in body
water and imbalances in the
electrolytes is a major problem, and it is immediate because the
athlete will experience such
consequences while still taking part in the strenuous activities.
Finn & Wood (2004), did studies
that result in facts to prove most athletes are at a state of
dehydration starting exercise or sport.
The body is made up of water, approximately 60% of an adult
that is high, and almost all the
bodily functions depend on water, seeing that it is essential in
the performance and outcome. The
researchers indicate that athletes, during their activities, lose
large amounts of water that results
in heavy blood that then limits its flow through the body
system. The body has to make sure that
it hyperventilates by raising the blood vessels close to the skin
surface to help initiate sweating
because of the high temperatures within the body (Suvi,
Mooses, Timpmann, Medijainen,
Narõškina & Ööpik, 2018). The measure sees the loss of
numerous amounts of water that is not
appropriate for an individual that has their body crossing the

normal limits.
6
The reduction in body water implies that the various nutrients
and minerals in the body
are also low and do not match their deficiency or need to endure
the bodily functions. The
mineral balance can affect on the contracting functions of the
body, such as the skeletal muscles,
(Guyton,1996). The body loses a lot of water and other
electrolytes such as calcium and sodium
that dictate the daily body functions. The body functions are
altered because the minimum
electrolytes in the body, such as sodium is vital in cognitive
behavior that includes memories and
attention features. The athletes will develop such problems
when they strain, and they fail to
hydrate their bodies within ample time before losing the
electrolytes. The athletes can take the
supplements to help initiate the production of electrolytes
within a short duration to sustain their
performance in their competitions, or they will lose their normal

functions.
Increase risk of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal
problems
Most athletes, during their training exercises at the gym or in
the competitions, tend
vomit or even collapse. The problem is a result of dehydration
and the body signaling that there
is a problem with its functions. It is evident that the lack of
water will make one start to lose
control over their general gastrointestinal system because there
is minimal water consumption
that then becomes a problem. All the body functions require
water, including digestion,
breathing, and it is important to embrace a positive habit of
drinking water. The body comprises
60% water that makes it a challenge because a decrease in this
amount will result in dehydration.
Athletes take part in strenuous activities that deem the body
water from the muscles and the other
body parts that then hinder proper functioning. Apostu, M.
(2014), says that an individual that
participates in moderate activities and in moderate
environments require 1500-2000 milters of
water a day.

7
The lack of water in the body results in nausea. Then this will
trigger vomiting and
diarrhea, which will worsen the problems because they also
contribute to loss of immense
amounts of water (Georgescu, de Souza Junior, Behrens, Barros,
Bueno, Utter, McAnulty, 2017).
The training prior to the events or even the exercises should
take such considerations
because it will help ensure that their bodies do not get to the
extreme notions of nausea. Research
proves that the situation is a problem because numerous people
tend to fall victim, because they
do not understand the consequences of their activities. The
brain triggers nausea as a defense
mechanism trying to notify the individual that their bodies are
not performing, thus making it a
challenge to increase productivity. Dehydration is a major
problem because it influences their
performances. The potential outcome is minimal to training or
failure during their competitions

because when one starts to feel nausea and vomit, then their
body functions are prone to collapse.
Reduction in blood volume
Hypohydration refers to the situation where the body is
dropping the normal amounts of
water to below the normal standards. Murray explained that
hydration is not healthy because
water makes up approximately 60% of the entire human body,
implying that it is essential in
ensuring that the body is operating in normal conditions,
Murray, R. (1996). Dehydration is a
challenge because it limits the performance of the body, and
this influences the level of blood in
the body. Blood is made mostly of water that then drops because
it is the main ingredient. The
strenuous activities on the track and at the gym make it a
challenge to maintain the blood level,
especially when not hydrating enough. The concept of
hypohydration focuses on the daily
requirements of the body that then imply that the shortage of the
same results in the cut down of
the blood level.

8
Water makes up 92% of the human blood that is very high,
stating that athletes have to
make sure that they maintain their water levels. However,
taking part in strenuous activities and
competitions involves sweating and muscles strain all that
consume or demand numerous
amounts of water. The water levels in the body might drop down
to the lowest amounts that then
simply that they are not functioning well. The blood volume
will definitely reduce because the
participants will perspire to the extent that they will not have
more water to lose. They start
losing more from their blood. Sport science professionals
indicate that it is essential for an
individual to consume large amounts of water more than the
daily recommended amounts after
the exercises or during to try and level the amount that they are
losing to make sure that their
bodies hydrate well (Murray & Kenney, 2016).
Increases rate of glycogen consumption

The body of an athlete is a major hub of numerous ongoing
activities that make it
important for them to consume high energy and sugary foods to
help maintain their sugar levels.
The glycogen is essential for the performance of the athletes
because it is responsible for
triggering energy production that guarantees proper training or
outcomes during the
competitions. The participants lose large amounts of water
during the activities and thus start to
burn up the reserve water in the blood and in the muscles
(Chycki, Kurylas, Maszczyk, Golas &
Zajac, 2018). The consequences of losing the muscles and water
will be to breakdown the sugars
in the muscles. The body stores them thereafter, breaking them
down during the digestion
process. They act as the reserve during starvation and
dehydration. The body will heighten its
consumption of glycogen because it has to find alternatives
before the other body functions start
to collapse.
9

Hydration increases the rates of glucose consumption because
the body during the
vigorous exercises is in distress and thus has to find better
adaptive measures to maintain the
normal body functions. The move is essential and vital for the
survival of the athlete, but it is not
appropriate for them to push their bodies to such levels that
leave their bodies with no options
and might end up collapsing or with deficiencies. The body has
to protect itself, and measures
such as breaking down the sugars that it stores in the muscles
are one of the functions that help
witness the success of the bodies with the intention that they
work towards their growth.
Dehydration is a major problem for the body and is the reason
some of the athletes have to
consume some energy bars because their bodies at that time
demand high sugar levels that they
can easily convert to energy and they can also result in the need
for water because it is essential
in the breaking it down in the process.
Increased core temperature (hyperthermia)

Hyperthermia insinuates a situation where the body is releasing
much heat that in the
normal conditions, and the body has its normal system
regulations in place that include sweating.
The condition might elevate, and this is not productive because
it might result in medical
emergency incapacitating the victim, and poor response might
result in death. The body produces
much heat in case of the high-intensity aerobics, and thus the
athletes have to be aware of such
conditions (Casa, 2018). Poor dehydration contributes to
hyperthermia because it cuts back the
water supply, and the response of the body is sweating. The
body triggers its mechanism that
ensures that they push blood towards the skin with the intention
to sweat and help release the
sweat and help cool down. The measure results in dehydration
because the athlete does not stop
10
or hydrate in such conditions, and the body keeps doing the
same and in turn, will result in

exhaustion because the body is overworking.
The increase in core temperatures is a result of the body trying
to regulate its functions
and thus has to go to extensive measures that result in cutting
back the temperatures. Carlton, A.
and Orr, R. (2015), says that the temperature and humidity of
the environment is important due
to the amount of nutrients that are in the body. The body during
the intensive exercises embarks
on cutting back the sugars in the muscles because it has to cope
with the demand. The body is
consuming large amounts to help produce enough energy to
maintain the normal functions and
the strains that then make it a challenge for their productivity. It
is evident that the increase in the
heat is a result of dehydration, and athletes have to cope and
ensure that they are functioning
towards their growth. Dehydration is a problem because it will
limit the outcomes for the athlete
in such conditions, and they will have to find measures to curb
hyperthermia or cut back their
exercise routines.
The decrease in blood flow

Dehydration results in poor blood flow because it increases the
reduction of plasma. The
plasma comprises mainly of water than then implies the
outcomes for an individual taking part in
intense aerobic exercises are likely to have slow blood flow.
The reduction in the blood plasma
indicates that the blood does not have much water that then
leaves the blood rich in the other
components such as the blood cells. The low water concentrated
blood makes it a challenge for
the individual to maintain normal functions because some parts
of the body will have lower
blood concentration and thus failure to have oxygen (Wright,
Collins & Schwellnus, 2009). The
blood will flow slowly through to the body that then might have
consequences such as fainting
11
because the blood might fail to reach the brain leaving the
individual hyperventilating. The slow
blood flow is not appropriate for any individual, especially
those exposing themselves to

exercises because they are vulnerable and prone, and those that
might trigger strokes and other
heart-related complications.
The blood will not get to all the body parts within the normal
rates because the blood is
thicker and is strenuous to the heart. The heart has to maintain
the same pressure to pump the
blood through to the various body parts, including the furthest
being the brain and legs. The
measure makes it a challenge for the heart, and it might result in
heart complications. Numerous
athletes develop heart-related complications because they
exposed their hearts to much strain
while they were still active and into the exercises. The people
will face the consequences later in
their lives because their body parts will also be getting older
and their functions tend to
deteriorate. Dehydration is a major concern for athletes, that is
why it is important for them to
make sure that they observe the best functions without having to
expose themselves to extreme
conditions that they will have to pay for at the later stages of
their lives.
Impaired concentration

Dehydration poses a major threat to normal body functions
because it decreases
electrolytes level in the body that then results in poor brain
functions. Sports researchers and
management explains that dehydration has a role to play in the
poor body functioning because it
inhibits memory problems including the cognitive behavior
(Koivisto, Olsen, Paur, Paulsen,
Bastani, Garthe, Bøhn, 2019). It is a challenge for people with
dehydration to concentrate well or
operate machinery because their brains are not at par with their
demands, and this makes it a
challenge for them to keep up with their activities that will see
them remain active. Research
12
indicates that the levels of electrolytes and sodium are low
when an individual is experiencing
dehydration, and the components are essential in driving brain
activity. It is important to
incorporate electrolytes to help boost body functions. It is not
appropriate because the athletes

will not be able to keep up with their routines because their
brains are not functioning well and
thus have to increase productivity.
Dehydration limits the brain activity that controls the
functioning because it is
responsible for headaches, poor results in physical
performances, and irritability. The concepts
make it a challenge for a person to concentrate that is the core
of any bodily functions that then
limits their productivity. Numerous people fail to have a hold of
their activities because of
dehydration that poses a major threat to the normal body
functions that then make it a challenge
to their routines. Dehydration will limit the functioning and
performance of the athletes because
their brain is not at par with the activities. Studies high
environmental temperatures and relative
humidity cause stress on the body making it harder to
concentrate, Zhao, J., Lorenzo, S., An, N.,
Feng, W., Lai, L., Cui, S. (2013). It might even result in
injuries or poor outcomes. Dehydration
is responsible for impairment because any slight deterrence
from the normal body functions

makes it a challenge for the brain to maintain its cognitive
functions.
Fatigue
The heart has to work twice as hard during the exercises that
make the difference because
it will push blood to the brain and the legs that are the furthest
with the loss of the water in the
blood that makes it viscous. According to Trangmar &
González-Alonso (2019), the blood is
heavy because of the loss in the blood plasma that makes up the
most of the water that is not
appropriate for the heart, and this influences the normal body
functions resulting in fatigue. The
13
heart influences the body's endurance. If the heart is
overworked, it is easy to notice, and an
individual will feel tired. The fact that the blood is heavy is a
problem during the normal body
functions because it will limit the functioning of the body,
especially for athletes that have to
maintain a similar routine for their activities.

In normal body setup, without the exercises, the body of an
individual loses
approximately 2-3% of their total fluid percentage in the body
when they feel thirsty. The
concept implies that it is already strenuous to the body parts
when one is feeling thirsty.
According to, Carlton, A. and Orr, R (2015), physical activity
induces dehydration. The mere
thirst results in lagging and implies that one is tired. More
strenuous activities tend to result in
the worst body conditions. The individual bodies have to make
sure that they have to maintain
the other routines that are not appropriate. Dehydration plays a
major role in when the individual
will feel like they want to quit because it burns up most of the
body water in the blood and the
muscles. The muscles undergo the aerobic and anaerobic
respiration processes that break down
the nutrients in storage and thus continue draining water that
results in fatigue, and this
influences the general performance of an athlete.
Cramps, spasms, and soreness
Vigorous exercises contribute to injuries to the muscles and

also dehydration because of
the endurance and pushing the body away from its limits,
making it vulnerable to cramps,
spasms, and soreness. The exercises do not matter to the
environment because the water
requirement by the body is constant, and poor consumption of
the water will result in
dehydration even in the cold seasons (Wright, Collins &
Schwellnus, 2009). The exercises
breakdown the muscles that conserve numerous minerals and
components that include calcium,
14
potassium, and electrolytes. All are essential for body
functioning, especially during vigorous
exercises. The exercises deprive the body of these essential
minerals that then contribute towards
cramping because the muscles in the body will lock up.
The body is at its optimum during the exercises, and it is
burning through the muscles
and the reserve energies that imply that the muscles in the body
will tend to overwork

themselves. The process results in soreness in the muscles
because there is no water in the
muscles that the athlete is constantly pushing and working to
make sure that they work towards
their increase. The move makes it a challenge for the body
towards proper functioning and
further exercising because of the limited oxygen that is staying
in the muscles. The individual is
working out and pushing the muscles. This makes it a challenge
for sufficient oxygen to supply
in the blood that is already heavy due to the loss of water.
Carlton, A. & Orr, R (2015), imply
that fluid loss is common in everyday life because the physical
activities that human part take in
every day.
The fact that the body has to protect itself and ensure that the
core parts and functions
keep taking place has to induce some practices such as the
spasms. The spasms are involuntary,
and they occur after straining the muscles, and this might be a
result of dehydration because
there are maximum strains and use of the muscles. The muscles
become sore and cramp because

of the exercises and the poor hydration because of the limited
amounts of water in the body that
then influence the outcome of the athlete.
Conclusion
The physical endurance activities and sports comprise
marathons, boxing, gym training,
among others, they involve much energy and strain the body
muscles. The muscles burn up large
15
amounts of energy that help burn up the fats in the process and
then convert them to muscles and
energy. The continuous repetitions of the activities result in
endurance, but numerous athletes
push themselves because they want to witness the changes
within a short duration. This can
sometimes result in cases of dehydration. Dehydration is
common because numerous athletes
often do not meet their daily water requirements, even after
losing much water during their
strenuous activities. Dehydration causes body water and
electrolyte imbalances, increase risk of

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal problems,
reduction in blood volume, increases
the rate of glycogen consumption, increased core temperature
(hyperthermia), decrease in blood
flow, impaired concentration, fatigue, cramps, spasms, and
soreness. Dehydration is a major
hindrance to all the people taking part in sports activities
because they will experience the
consequences of having lower levels of water in the blood. The
lower levels of water in the body
results in numerous incidences such as headaches, irritability,
poor concentration levels that
result from irregular levels of electrolytes. Water is essential in
the human body. It is prone that
they will notice the consequences if they do not hydrate
according to the recommended standards
each time that they exercise.

16
References
Apostu, M. (2014). A strategy for maintaining fluid and
electrolyte balance in aerobic effect.
Procedia- Social and behavioral science, 117, 323-328.
Carlton, A. and Orr, R (2015). The effects of fluid loss on
physical performance: A critical
review. Journal of sport and health science, 4 (4), 357-363.
Casa, D. J. (2018). Sport and physical activity in the heat:
Maximizing performance and
safety. Cham: Springer.
Chycki, J., Kurylas, A., Maszczyk, A., Golas, A., & Zajac, A.
(2018). Alkaline water
improves exercise-induced metabolic acidosis and enhances
anaerobic exercise performance in
combat sport athletes. PLoS ONE, 13(11), 1–10.
Finn, J. P., & Wood, R. J. (2004). Incidence of pre-game
dehydration in athletes
competing at an international event in dry tropical conditions.
Nutrition & Dietetics, 61(4), 221–

225.
Georgescu, V. P., de Souza Junior, T. P., Behrens, C., Barros,
M. P., Bueno, C. A., Utter,
A. C., McAnulty, S. R. (2017). Effect of exercise-induced
dehydration on circulatory markers
of oxidative damage and antioxidant capacity. Applied
Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism,
42(7), 694–699.
Goulet, E. D. B., & Hoffman, M. D. (2019). Impact of Ad
Libitum Versus Programmed
Drinking on Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review with
Meta-Analysis. Sports
Medicine, 49(2), 221–232.
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Koivisto, A. E., Olsen, T., Paur, I., Paulsen, G., Bastani, N. E.,
Garthe, I., … Bøhn, S. K.
(2019). Effects of antioxidant-rich foods on altitude-induced
oxidative stress and inflammation
in elite endurance athletes: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS
ONE, 14(6), 1–19.

Love, T. D., Baker, D. F., Healey, P., & Black, K. E. (2018).
Measured and perceived
indices of fluid balance in professional athletes. The use and
impact of hydration assessment
strategies. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(3), 349–356.
Mckenna, Z. J., & Gillum, T. L. (2017). Effects of Exercise
Induced Dehydration and
Glycerol Rehydration on Anaerobic Power in Male Collegiate
Wrestlers. Journal of Strength &
Conditioning Research, 31(11), 2965–2968.
Murray, B., & Kenney, W. L. (2016). Practical guide to exercise
physiology. Champaign,
IL Human Kinetics.
Murray, R. (1996). Dehydration, hyperthermia, and athletes:
Science and practice.
Journal of Athletic Training (National Athletic Trainers'
Association), 31(3), 248.
Suvi, S., Mooses, M., Timpmann, S., Medijainen, L., Narõškina,
D., Unt, E., & Ööpik, V.
(2018). Impact of sodium citrate ingestion during recovery after
dehydrating exercise on
rehydration and subsequent 40-km cycling time-trial
performance in the heat. Applied

Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, 43(6), 571–579.
Trangmar, S. J., & González-Alonso, J. (2019). Heat,
Hydration, and the Human Brain,
Heart, and Skeletal Muscles. Sports Medicine, 49(1), 69–85.
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Wright, H., Collins, M., & Schwellnus, M. P. (2009).
Gastrointestinal (GIT) symptoms in
athletes: A review of risk factors associated with the
development of GIT symptoms during
exercise. International SportMed Journal, 10(3), 116–123.
Running Head: IMPACTS OF DEHYDRATION IN ATHLETES
1
IMPACT OF DEHYDRATION IN ATHLETES IN HIGH
INTENSITY AEOROBICS,
ENDURANCE
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORTS

by
Michael Harris
5346
A Literature Review in Kinesiology
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
PED 598
Research in Physical Activity and Sport
Alabama A. & M. University
Health Sciences and Human Performance Department
Dr. Terry Conkle – Supervising Professor
October 29, 2019

2
Introduction
Athletes partake in intensive training exercises or sports that
influence their body
metabolism and alters their body functions. The athletes take in
numerous activities that focus on
their endurance during their sporting activities with the
intention of achieving positive goals
during the competitions. The need for the push does not only
originate from their personal
motivation, but their body performance, and thus, they expose
themselves to intense physical
activities to make sure that they stay ready for their
competitions. The high-intensity aerobics
involve high cardiovascular exercises with minimal recovery
durations in between the exercises,
thus resulting in high exhaustion rates. The exercises range
from jogging, long-distance running,
walking, cycling, among others. The forms of exercises appear
fit for the trainees because they
have the intention to push the limits of their bodies to create
endurance such that they can
perform the same or even more during their competitions.

Dehydration has a major impact on the
athletes because it influences the entire body and all the
functioning down to the blood flow and
the heart rate. The impacts of dehydration might include an
increased rate in the consumption of
glycogen, a reduction in blood volume, higher chances of
nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, failing
concentration, an imbalance in body water, and electrolytes
among others.
Water is essential in maintaining the volume of blood,
regulation of the temperature, and
also aid in muscle contractions in the body. The move is
essential because it increases the proper
functioning that would oversee the productivity that will ensure
that they function in the normal
sense. The measures prove that water is an essential material in
the human body, and thus
athletes that are pushing their bodies out of their normal
routines to extreme measures lose lots of
water. The measure might result in general body weight loss
because water is approximately 2%
3

of the general body composition. Dehydration contributes to the
massive loss of the water,
making it a challenge for an athlete to maintain or experience
similar body functions. Water aids
in the blood composition; thus, it is essential in the blood
amount in the body; thus, the strenuous
activities an athlete endures within a short duration might not
be healthy for the individual since
they will lose part of their blood component. The composition
of water in the body helps regulate
the body temperature through the liver and general body parts,
including the muscles, but
dehydration contributes to poor regulation standards that affect
the body functions. There are
many muscles in the human body; thus, it is essential for the
muscle movements, and thus cutting
away the water leaves the tissues dry, and this affects their
functioning that then limits their
performance and endurance.
Literature Review
Numerous athletes endure strenuous physical activities for
prolonged durations that

influences their daily functions because it alters their normal
body functions. The participation in
numerous activities results in higher body temperatures that
then influence the rate of sweating,
losing the bodily fluids, and higher body temperature (Wright,
Collins & Schwellnus, 2009). It is
essential that all the athletes understand the exercises and the
pressure that they put on their
bodies during such exercises and pushing them to perform well.
(Finn & Wood, 2004), explained
that it is essential for athletes to read and understand their
bodies because failure to do the same
might result in the collapse of some of the body functions
(2004). It is proven that at the end of
some of the vigorous activities or the demanding sports, some
of the participants tend to collapse
or faint, or even in some cases, it becomes serious until they
die.
4
According to Casa (2018), some of the sports activities such as
the marathon requires

adaptability that does not involve waking up in the morning and
choosing to take part in the
marathon but to endure years of training and adaption. The
concept has made numerous changes
to the performance and outcome of the sports because they
increase the participation and
dominance of the players that would increase their functioning
and performance. Sports science
indicates that it is important for a player to try and understand
their bodies and ensure that they
train well and slow before pushing their bodies all at once to
adapt to the extreme exercises.
People should always start with fewer exercises before starting
to push and adjust their
body functions to extreme sporting activities because the body
has to learn. The body also has to
have time to adjust to performance and endurance levels that
make it easy for them to adapt to
the dehydration and how to adjust and behave during such
situations (Goulet & Hoffman, 2019).
It is not possible for someone to wake up in the morning and
start training for a competition later
in the day or the following week. The body will not adjust in
time for such a competition, and

pushing it harder might result in collapse or failure in body
parts. It is evident that majority of the
professional boxing fighters such as Anthony Joshua, sportsmen
such as Lebron James among
others all have to train across the calendar year to make sure
that when they get to their activities,
they have the endurance that comes from their body instead of
last minute pushing of their
bodies to perform. Most of the boxers tend to have single or
double matches in a calendar year
because of the training and the energy that they will need to
undertake such activities (Mckenna
& Gillum, 2017). The people have to train their bodies, starting
with minimal routines at the
gyms before following up with intense routines that push their
productivity. The concepts prove
that dehydration is a major problem for athletes, and it is their
bodies telling them to respect its
5
operations and thus have to live with the consequences.
According to Love, Baker, Healey &

Black (2018), numerous sportsmen tend to have short-lived
careers because they tend to have
exhausted their bodies, and they only have careers lasting five
years, such as Usain Bolt, the
record holder in Athletics. The move is a result of working their
bodies through extreme exercise
routines and without respecting them enough to understand that
they are burning the body fuses
and dehydration is a major contribution accumulating over the
years.
Water and electrolyte imbalances
Dehydration is the loss of the water past the minimum normal
body water content and
results in numerous challenges and health issues to the
individuals. Some of the consequences
are immediate while others are long term. The reduction in body
water and imbalances in the
electrolytes is a major problem, and it is immediate because the
athlete will experience such
consequences while still taking part in the strenuous activities.
Finn & Wood (2004), did studies
that result in facts to prove most athletes are at a state of
dehydration starting exercise or sport.
The body is made up of water, approximately 60% of an adult

that is high, and almost all the
bodily functions depend on water, seeing that it is essential in
the performance and outcome. The
researchers indicate that athletes, during their activities, lose
large amounts of water that results
in heavy blood that then limits its flow through the body
system. The body has to make sure that
it hyperventilates by raising the blood vessels close to the skin
surface to help initiate sweating
because of the high temperatures within the body (Suvi,
Mooses, Timpmann, Medijainen,
Narõškina & Ööpik, 2018). The measure sees the loss of
numerous amounts of water that is not
appropriate for an individual that has their body crossing the
normal limits.
6
The reduction in body water implies that the various nutrients
and minerals in the body
are also low and do not match their deficiency or need to endure
the bodily functions. The
mineral balance can affect on the contracting functions of the

body, such as the skeletal muscles,
(Guyton,1996). The body loses a lot of water and other
electrolytes such as calcium and sodium
that dictate the daily body functions. The body functions are
altered because the minimum
electrolytes in the body, such as sodium is vital in cognitive
behavior that includes memories and
attention features. The athletes will develop such problems
when they strain, and they fail to
hydrate their bodies within ample time before losing the
electrolytes. The athletes can take the
supplements to help initiate the production of electrolytes
within a short duration to sustain their
performance in their competitions, or they will lose their normal
functions.
Increase risk of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal
problems
Most athletes, during their training exercises at the gym or in
the competitions, tend
vomit or even collapse. The problem is a result of dehydration
and the body signaling that there
is a problem with its functions. It is evident that the lack of
water will make one start to lose
control over their general gastrointestinal system because there

is minimal water consumption
that then becomes a problem. All the body functions require
water, including digestion,
breathing, and it is important to embrace a positive habit of
drinking water. The body comprises
60% water that makes it a challenge because a decrease in this
amount will result in dehydration.
Athletes take part in strenuous activities that deem the body
water from the muscles and the other
body parts that then hinder proper functioning. Apostu, M.
(2014), says that an individual that
participates in moderate activities and in moderate
environments require 1500-2000 milters of
water a day.
7
The lack of water in the body results in nausea. Then this will
trigger vomiting and
diarrhea, which will worsen the problems because they also
contribute to loss of immense
amounts of water (Georgescu, de Souza Junior, Behrens, Barros,
Bueno, Utter, McAnulty, 2017).

The training prior to the events or even the exercises should
take such considerations
because it will help ensure that their bodies do not get to the
extreme notions of nausea. Research
proves that the situation is a problem because numerous people
tend to fall victim, because they
do not understand the consequences of their activities. The
brain triggers nausea as a defense
mechanism trying to notify the individual that their bodies are
not performing, thus making it a
challenge to increase productivity. Dehydration is a major
problem because it influences their
performances. The potential outcome is minimal to training or
failure during their competitions
because when one starts to feel nausea and vomit, then their
body functions are prone to collapse.
Reduction in blood volume
Hypohydration refers to the situation where the body is
dropping the normal amounts of
water to below the normal standards. Murray explained that
hydration is not healthy because
water makes up approximately 60% of the entire human body,
implying that it is essential in

ensuring that the body is operating in normal conditions,
Murray, R. (1996). Dehydration is a
challenge because it limits the performance of the body, and
this influences the level of blood in
the body. Blood is made mostly of water that then drops because
it is the main ingredient. The
strenuous activities on the track and at the gym make it a
challenge to maintain the blood level,
especially when not hydrating enough. The concept of
hypohydration focuses on the daily
requirements of the body that then imply that the shortage of the
same results in the cut down of
the blood level.
8
Water makes up 92% of the human blood that is very high,
stating that athletes have to
make sure that they maintain their water levels. However,
taking part in strenuous activities and
competitions involves sweating and muscles strain all that
consume or demand numerous
amounts of water. The water levels in the body might drop down

to the lowest amounts that then
simply that they are not functioning well. The blood volume
will definitely reduce because the
participants will perspire to the extent that they will not have
more water to lose. They start
losing more from their blood. Sport science professionals
indicate that it is essential for an
individual to consume large amounts of water more than the
daily recommended amounts after
the exercises or during to try and level the amount that they are
losing to make sure that their
bodies hydrate well (Murray & Kenney, 2016).
Increases rate of glycogen consumption
The body of an athlete is a major hub of numerous ongoing
activities that make it
important for them to consume high energy and sugary foods to
help maintain their sugar levels.
The glycogen is essential for the performance of the athletes
because it is responsible for
triggering energy production that guarantees proper training or
outcomes during the
competitions. The participants lose large amounts of water
during the activities and thus start to

burn up the reserve water in the blood and in the muscles
(Chycki, Kurylas, Maszczyk, Golas &
Zajac, 2018). The consequences of losing the muscles and water
will be to breakdown the sugars
in the muscles. The body stores them thereafter, breaking them
down during the digestion
process. They act as the reserve during starvation and
dehydration. The body will heighten its
consumption of glycogen because it has to find alternatives
before the other body functions start
to collapse.
9
Hydration increases the rates of glucose consumption because
the body during the
vigorous exercises is in distress and thus has to find better
adaptive measures to maintain the
normal body functions. The move is essential and vital for the
survival of the athlete, but it is not
appropriate for them to push their bodies to such levels that
leave their bodies with no options
and might end up collapsing or with deficiencies. The body has

to protect itself, and measures
such as breaking down the sugars that it stores in the muscles
are one of the functions that help
witness the success of the bodies with the intention that they
work towards their growth.
Dehydration is a major problem for the body and is the reason
some of the athletes have to
consume some energy bars because their bodies at that time
demand high sugar levels that they
can easily convert to energy and they can also result in the need
for water because it is essential
in the breaking it down in the process.
Increased core temperature (hyperthermia)
Hyperthermia insinuates a situation where the body is releasing
much heat that in the
normal conditions, and the body has its normal system
regulations in place that include sweating.
The condition might elevate, and this is not productive because
it might result in medical
emergency incapacitating the victim, and poor response might
result in death. The body produces
much heat in case of the high-intensity aerobics, and thus the
athletes have to be aware of such

conditions (Casa, 2018). Poor dehydration contributes to
hyperthermia because it cuts back the
water supply, and the response of the body is sweating. The
body triggers its mechanism that
ensures that they push blood towards the skin with the intention
to sweat and help release the
sweat and help cool down. The measure results in dehydration
because the athlete does not stop
10
or hydrate in such conditions, and the body keeps doing the
same and in turn, will result in
exhaustion because the body is overworking.
The increase in core temperatures is a result of the body trying
to regulate its functions
and thus has to go to extensive measures that result in cutting
back the temperatures. Carlton, A.
and Orr, R. (2015), says that the temperature and humidity of
the environment is important due
to the amount of nutrients that are in the body. The body during
the intensive exercises embarks
on cutting back the sugars in the muscles because it has to cope

with the demand. The body is
consuming large amounts to help produce enough energy to
maintain the normal functions and
the strains that then make it a challenge for their productivity. It
is evident that the increase in the
heat is a result of dehydration, and athletes have to cope and
ensure that they are functioning
towards their growth. Dehydration is a problem because it will
limit the outcomes for the athlete
in such conditions, and they will have to find measures to curb
hyperthermia or cut back their
exercise routines.
The decrease in blood flow
Dehydration results in poor blood flow because it increases the
reduction of plasma. The
plasma comprises mainly of water than then implies the
outcomes for an individual taking part in
intense aerobic exercises are likely to have slow blood flow.
The reduction in the blood plasma
indicates that the blood does not have much water that then
leaves the blood rich in the other
components such as the blood cells. The low water concentrated
blood makes it a challenge for

the individual to maintain normal functions because some parts
of the body will have lower
blood concentration and thus failure to have oxygen (Wright,
Collins & Schwellnus, 2009). The
blood will flow slowly through to the body that then might have
consequences such as fainting
11
because the blood might fail to reach the brain leaving the
individual hyperventilating. The slow
blood flow is not appropriate for any individual, especially
those exposing themselves to
exercises because they are vulnerable and prone, and those that
might trigger strokes and other
heart-related complications.
The blood will not get to all the body parts within the normal
rates because the blood is
thicker and is strenuous to the heart. The heart has to maintain
the same pressure to pump the
blood through to the various body parts, including the furthest
being the brain and legs. The
measure makes it a challenge for the heart, and it might result in

heart complications. Numerous
athletes develop heart-related complications because they
exposed their hearts to much strain
while they were still active and into the exercises. The people
will face the consequences later in
their lives because their body parts will also be getting older
and their functions tend to
deteriorate. Dehydration is a major concern for athletes, that is
why it is important for them to
make sure that they observe the best functions without having to
expose themselves to extreme
conditions that they will have to pay for at the later stages of
their lives.
Impaired concentration
Dehydration poses a major threat to normal body functions
because it decreases
electrolytes level in the body that then results in poor brain
functions. Sports researchers and
management explains that dehydration has a role to play in the
poor body functioning because it
inhibits memory problems including the cognitive behavior
(Koivisto, Olsen, Paur, Paulsen,
Bastani, Garthe, Bøhn, 2019). It is a challenge for people with
dehydration to concentrate well or

operate machinery because their brains are not at par with their
demands, and this makes it a
challenge for them to keep up with their activities that will see
them remain active. Research
12
indicates that the levels of electrolytes and sodium are low
when an individual is experiencing
dehydration, and the components are essential in driving brain
activity. It is important to
incorporate electrolytes to help boost body functions. It is not
appropriate because the athletes
will not be able to keep up with their routines because their
brains are not functioning well and
thus have to increase productivity.
Dehydration limits the brain activity that controls the
functioning because it is
responsible for headaches, poor results in physical
performances, and irritability. The concepts
make it a challenge for a person to concentrate that is the core
of any bodily functions that then

limits their productivity. Numerous people fail to have a hold of
their activities because of
dehydration that poses a major threat to the normal body
functions that then make it a challenge
to their routines. Dehydration will limit the functioning and
performance of the athletes because
their brain is not at par with the activities. Studies high
environmental temperatures and relative
humidity cause stress on the body making it harder to
concentrate, Zhao, J., Lorenzo, S., An, N.,
Feng, W., Lai, L., Cui, S. (2013). It might even result in
injuries or poor outcomes. Dehydration
is responsible for impairment because any slight deterrence
from the normal body functions
makes it a challenge for the brain to maintain its cognitive
functions.
Fatigue
The heart has to work twice as hard during the exercises that
make the difference because
it will push blood to the brain and the legs that are the furthest
with the loss of the water in the
blood that makes it viscous. According to Trangmar &
González-Alonso (2019), the blood is
heavy because of the loss in the blood plasma that makes up the

most of the water that is not
appropriate for the heart, and this influences the normal body
functions resulting in fatigue. The
13
heart influences the body's endurance. If the heart is
overworked, it is easy to notice, and an
individual will feel tired. The fact that the blood is heavy is a
problem during the normal body
functions because it will limit the functioning of the body,
especially for athletes that have to
maintain a similar routine for their activities.
In normal body setup, without the exercises, the body of an
individual loses
approximately 2-3% of their total fluid percentage in the body
when they feel thirsty. The
concept implies that it is already strenuous to the body parts
when one is feeling thirsty.
According to, Carlton, A. and Orr, R (2015), physical activity
induces dehydration. The mere
thirst results in lagging and implies that one is tired. More
strenuous activities tend to result in

the worst body conditions. The individual bodies have to make
sure that they have to maintain
the other routines that are not appropriate. Dehydration plays a
major role in when the individual
will feel like they want to quit because it burns up most of the
body water in the blood and the
muscles. The muscles undergo the aerobic and anaerobic
respiration processes that break down
the nutrients in storage and thus continue draining water that
results in fatigue, and this
influences the general performance of an athlete.
Cramps, spasms, and soreness
Vigorous exercises contribute to injuries to the muscles and
also dehydration because of
the endurance and pushing the body away from its limits,
making it vulnerable to cramps,
spasms, and soreness. The exercises do not matter to the
environment because the water
requirement by the body is constant, and poor consumption of
the water will result in
dehydration even in the cold seasons (Wright, Collins &
Schwellnus, 2009). The exercises
breakdown the muscles that conserve numerous minerals and

components that include calcium,
14
potassium, and electrolytes. All are essential for body
functioning, especially during vigorous
exercises. The exercises deprive the body of these essential
minerals that then contribute towards
cramping because the muscles in the body will lock up.
The body is at its optimum during the exercises, and it is
burning through the muscles
and the reserve energies that imply that the muscles in the body
will tend to overwork
themselves. The process results in soreness in the muscles
because there is no water in the
muscles that the athlete is constantly pushing and working to
make sure that they work towards
their increase. The move makes it a challenge for the body
towards proper functioning and
further exercising because of the limited oxygen that is staying
in the muscles. The individual is
working out and pushing the muscles. This makes it a challenge
for sufficient oxygen to supply

in the blood that is already heavy due to the loss of water.
Carlton, A. & Orr, R (2015), imply
that fluid loss is common in everyday life because the physical
activities that human part take in
every day.
The fact that the body has to protect itself and ensure that the
core parts and functions
keep taking place has to induce some practices such as the
spasms. The spasms are involuntary,
and they occur after straining the muscles, and this might be a
result of dehydration because
there are maximum strains and use of the muscles. The muscles
become sore and cramp because
of the exercises and the poor hydration because of the limited
amounts of water in the body that
then influence the outcome of the athlete.
Conclusion
The physical endurance activities and sports comprise
marathons, boxing, gym training,
among others, they involve much energy and strain the body
muscles. The muscles burn up large

15
amounts of energy that help burn up the fats in the process and
then convert them to muscles and
energy. The continuous repetitions of the activities result in
endurance, but numerous athletes
push themselves because they want to witness the changes
within a short duration. This can
sometimes result in cases of dehydration. Dehydration is
common because numerous athletes
often do not meet their daily water requirements, even after
losing much water during their
strenuous activities. Dehydration causes body water and
electrolyte imbalances, increase risk of
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal problems,
reduction in blood volume, increases
the rate of glycogen consumption, increased core temperature
(hyperthermia), decrease in blood
flow, impaired concentration, fatigue, cramps, spasms, and
soreness. Dehydration is a major
hindrance to all the people taking part in sports activities
because they will experience the
consequences of having lower levels of water in the blood. The
lower levels of water in the body

results in numerous incidences such as headaches, irritability,
poor concentration levels that
result from irregular levels of electrolytes. Water is essential in
the human body. It is prone that
they will notice the consequences if they do not hydrate
according to the recommended standards
each time that they exercise.
16
References
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electrolyte balance in aerobic effect.
Procedia- Social and behavioral science, 117, 323-328.
Carlton, A. and Orr, R (2015). The effects of fluid loss on
physical performance: A critical

review. Journal of sport and health science, 4 (4), 357-363.
Casa, D. J. (2018). Sport and physical activity in the heat:
Maximizing performance and
safety. Cham: Springer.
Chycki, J., Kurylas, A., Maszczyk, A., Golas, A., & Zajac, A.
(2018). Alkaline water
improves exercise-induced metabolic acidosis and enhances
anaerobic exercise performance in
combat sport athletes. PLoS ONE, 13(11), 1–10.
Finn, J. P., & Wood, R. J. (2004). Incidence of pre-game
dehydration in athletes
competing at an international event in dry tropical conditions.
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225.
Georgescu, V. P., de Souza Junior, T. P., Behrens, C., Barros,
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Libitum Versus Programmed
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Koivisto, A. E., Olsen, T., Paur, I., Paulsen, G., Bastani, N. E.,
Garthe, I., … Bøhn, S. K.
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Induced Dehydration and
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Science and practice.
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(2018). Impact of sodium citrate ingestion during recovery after
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