Harmony unit 5

Unit 5 Research Project
Worthing College Sports Science
[Harmony Driver]
2015

Assessment Criteria
Pages 3-17 & 27-38
• P2: carry out sport science or exercise science-
based research
• P3: collect and record data from the research
project conducted
• M2: correctly analyse collected data, describing
techniques used
• D1: correctly analyse data, explaining techniques
used
• P4: produce a full research report using a standard
scientific structure

Optimum rehydration fluid
research project
P2: Carry out / P4: Produce

Abstract
The purpose of this research project was to determine the optimum
rehydration fluid. This was to enable a 16-18 year old female, performance
level athlete, after high intensity exercise, reach pre exercise state of
hydration. The research was designed to gain information about hydration to
help sports teams in Worthing college to improve their performance during
both training and matches. To find this information, I asked 12 participants
that fit the population specification to provide urine samples before
completing 3 sets of 6 Malcolms. Another urine sample was then taken. At this
point the participants were given 500ml of either water, hypotonic, hypertonic
and isotonic sports drinks to consume. After an hour, the final sample was
taken. All the urine samples were compared to a chart and a value given. The
results were inconclusive as there was no clear optimum hydration fuel.
However, it does show that an individual should carry tests on themselves to
find their own optimum hydration fuel, this is because each athlete will lose
fluid at different rates and therefore dehydrate over a shorter period of time
and rehydration is different for each individual and therefore participant.

Contents: General
Page 3: Title of Research project
Page 4: Abstract
Page 5: Contents page
Page 6: Contents (Appendices)
Page 7: Contents ( Figures and
tables)
Page 8: Acknowledgements
Page 9: Introduction
Page 10: Literature review and
references
Page 11: Project hypothesis
Page 12: Method
Page 13: Data collection
Page 14: Data analysis
Page 15: Results
Page 16: Discussion
Page 17: Conclusion
Page 18: Assessment criteria
Page 19: Review (1/3)
Page 22: Future recommendation (1/5)
Page 23:Future recommendation (2/5)
Page 27: Research project Appendices
Page 28: Appendix 1
Page 29: Appendix 2
Page 30: Appendix 3
Page 31: Research project figures and tables
Page 32: Figures and table 1

Contents: Appendices
Page 27: Title page
Page 28: Appendix 1
Page 29: Appendix 2
Page 30: Appendix 3

Contents: Figures and Tables
Page 31: Title page

Acknowledgements
The research project could not have been
completed without the following people. I would
like to thank Mark Sambrook for giving advice
during the early planning phase and Paul Cox
helping the organisation throughout the project.
The Women's rugby team also get a mention as
they were willing test subjects, so that I could
get the results I needed.

Introduction
By the end of my research project I aimed to determine the optimum
rehydration fluid to enable a 16-18 year old female, performance level athlete,
after high intensity exercise, reach pre exercise state of hydration.
I chose this aim because I have always been told that hydration is key for
sporting success, and that water is essential for high performance athletes.
Therefore I was interested in finding out whether there is better ways to
hydrate your body than just drinking water. I also wanted my performance
level to increase and if I find an extra 1% improvement in hydration then the
results would be useful to not only me but my team mates as well.
The time scale of the research project started on the 19th of January where I
started to develop ideas about my research project aim. This progressed to
the testing of my aim to be conducted from the 23rd of February till the 16th of
March. At this stage of the timescale, I wanted to start analysing the data and
writing up my research project, the final deadline for this research project on
the 17th of April 2015.

Literature Review and References
https://worthingsportscience.wordpress.com/20
15/02/27/unit-5-literature-review-harmony-
driver/

Project Hypothesis
If an athlete consumes 500ml of isotonic drink
then they will become hydrated over a shorter
period of time than if the athlete was to
consume hypertonic, hypotonic drinks and
water.
No matter which sports drink is consumed, this
will still have a quicker rehydration rate than just
plain water because of the lack in sodium and
carbohydrate.

Method
The research will be in the format of an experimental research design. This is
because the project is testing the effects of an independent variable (hydration
fuels) on a dependent (rehydration). At the beginning of the research project, I
asked each of the participants to fill out a PAR-Q form ( see Appendix 1) so that I
was aware of any current illness or injuries which could prevent them from
completing the proposed exercise. Before the set exercise is completed, all
participants are required to take a urine sample which I then compare to the
normative data, the urine chart (see Appendix 2) and give the urine a numerical
value. The participants will then take part in three sets of Malcolm’s ( 6
repetitions in a set) with 1 minute rest in between. After the exercise has been
completed, I will collect another urine sample and again compare to the urine
chart and place a value. At this point the participant will be given 500ml of a
specific drink (Isotonic, water, hypertonic and hypotonic), this will be recorded
to ensure that the results match up to the correct participants. After an hour,
the body has time to rehydrate and another sample will be taken and recorded
on a table. Ready to compare the values after all tests are complete.
P3: Collect and record / M2: Correctly analyse & describe techniques / D1: Correctly analyse & explain techniques

Data Collection
The research project required field based data collection, it took place across
the road at Hill barn as the rugby pitch was out of action. This was so that the
participants were in the environment that the sport is played so that external
validity can be claimed. Hill barn was also used as less equipment was involved
(only a set of cones) and therefore did not need specialist equipment which
would only be found in a lab, therefore the research project was also conducted
in a cheaper way. However, I was not be able to control weather, which had an
affect on dehydration levels and difficulty in exercising. The weather was hot
and sunny when the tests were completed and therefore you can assume that
fluid loss would have increased. This was useful for the research project as it
showed a larger range between the starting and ending numerical values. If I
had the facilities, the data will be quantitative as the colour of the urine could
be analysed via the wavelengths and therefore numerical data can be produced.
The research project relied on my subjective view, this was because I had no
specialised equipment to measure osmolality This meant the it was only my
opinion of the colour of the urine and where it was valued on the chart.
Therefore my research design will not be as precise.

Data Analysis
The results obtained fro this research project will be primary data as I
have conducted tests by myself and collected the data accordingly. If I
had specialised equipment to measure osmolality, the data would be
continuous as the results could have nay numerical number and
therefore decimal places can be used without rounding. However, this
data was not available so therefore this research project contains
interval data. This is because the colour difference is on a scale with
intervals from 1-8, showing the difference between each stage. The
data collected had no units as the data was not continuous, therefore I
chose to display my data as a bar graph. (see figures and tables 2) This
was completed using the programme Excel.
After the tests have been completed, I had decided the numerical value
that the urine sample is similar to and record this on a table (See
Figures and table 1). The data from this table was then transferred onto
the computer and a bar graph was created. The hydration level before,
after and after an hour were separated by different colours so that the
difference between the hydration can be clearly evident. This will show
the increase in hydration and be able to locate the greatest difference
in numerical data, therefore finding the optimum hydration fuel.

Results
The data collected after transferring it into a table and graph did not show any
trends regarding which hydration fuel was the best. This may be because the
number of participants were too low to have enough results to witness a
trend. The results did show however, that all the fuels were capable of
restoring the participants to euhydration. Participant 1 used water as their
hydration fuel. The first value, before exercise was 5 and then dehydrated the
value was 7. After the water was consumed, the participant was bale to
rehydrate to a value of 4. However, participant 3 also used water and the
results do not show the same rate of hydration. The starting value was 4, after
exercise was 5 and then rehydrated to 4 again. This suggests that the water
consumed did not have the same effect on both individuals. Looking at the
participants consuming hypotonic drinks, the results again show that one
individual rehydrated more than the other. For example, participant 4 had a
value of 5 at pre state exercise which then increased to 6 and then the
hypotonic drink caused it to drop to 4. This is continued into the other
categories of drink, one participant will become more hydrated when drinking
the fuel than the other participant. This shows that hydration is individual.

Discussion
After transferring the data onto an Excel document
and a bar graph created, I was expecting to see a
visible trend. At the beginning of the research project,
I thought, probably quite naively, that there would be
a clear difference between the hydration fuels and
that one would stand above the rest. However, this
was not the case. The graph (See Appendix 2), showed
that all the fuels were successful in rehydrating the
participant and there was no hydration fuel that gave
a significant difference on hydration.

Conclusion
By the end of my research project I aimed to determine the optimum rehydration fluid to enable a
16-18 year old female, performance level athlete, after high intensity exercise, reach pre exercise
state of hydration.
The key trends that were established in my literacy review included the importance of hydration
on sporting performance and that athletes should try their best in educating themselves. My
research came to the conclusion that everyone is an individual and therefore each athlete should
do further tests on themselves to find their own optimum hydration fuel to improve their sporting
performance. This information would be valuable for my population as sporting teams would be
able to cater for each individual at performance level if they wanted to get that extra percentage
in the performance. The literacy review also suggested that water is essential for hydration,
however added sodium would restore plasma volumes to higher than rehydration state and
therefore the athlete would become hydrated at a quicker rate.
The results and discussion do not support my hypothesis because the sports drinks (isotonic,
hypertonic and hypotonic) did not have a clear lead against water to be the optimum hydration
fuel, even though they contain the sodium that was trending throughout the literacy review.
Therefore, I would then agree with Michael N. Sawka who believes that with sufficient recovery
time, consuming plain water and eating a normal meal will provide enough sodium, carbohydrate
and electrolytes to restore euhydration.

Assessment Criteria Pages 19-26
• P5: carry out a review of the research project
conducted, describing strengths, areas for
improvement and future recommendations.
• M3: carry out a review of the research project,
explaining strengths, areas for improvement and
future recommendations.
• D2: carry out a review of the research project,
justifying future recommendations for further
research.

Review (1/3)
By the end of my research project I aimed to determine the
optimum rehydration fluid to enable a 16-18 year old
female, performance level athlete, after high intensity
exercise, reach pre exercise state of hydration. Regarding
the exact aim, the research project conclusions did not meet
this as there was no conclusive optimum hydration fuel
found after analysing the results. The testing was able to
show that all hydration fuels were efficient in restoring the
hydration levels after exercise. So fro athletes at a
performance level, it is essential to drink one of the four
drinks to ensure they become fully hydrated again. The
results also suggested that the best hydration fuel is
different for each individual.
P5: Describe / M3: Explain / D2: Justify

Review (2/3)
What were the strengths of the research project?
A strength of my research project is that I easily managed to find 10 willing
participants. These participants also met the criteria stated in my aim, they were all
female, performance level athletes who were aged 16-18 years old.
Another strength of the research project is that the chosen exercise for my
participants to take part in was achievable and dehydrated the participants enough
that it would make a change to the colour of their urine. The Malcolms were also
easy to explain so that there was no confusion and they were completed correctly
is that the results were reliable.
The tests that took place were located on the rugby field, this is a strength of the
research as this is the environment that these athlete would be training/ playing
matches on so therefore, the hydration levels reflects an everyday session.

Review (3/3)
What were the areas for improvement of the research project?
An area of improvement that needed addressing was the fact that not all the
participants were working as hard as others. This meant there was little
difference in there hydration level because the amount of effort put in wasn’t
enough for fluid loss to be high. Therefore, when comparing the urine colour
before and after, each drink used was effective enough to get the participant
to pre- exercise state.
Another improvement area within the research project would be the fact that
I judged the colour of the urine whilst it was in the bowl of the toilet, this
meant that the colour was actually diluted which would have effected the
results. However, the colour difference was still visible when comparing to a
urine chart.
The colour chart that I was comparing the urine too was very basic. And after
visiting Chichester university and seeing that the osmolality of urine can be
measured, I realised that my research project would not be accurate enough
for others to benefit from the conclusion and results.

Future Recommendations (1/5)
If the project was to be completed again what would you change and why?
If I was to complete the research again, I would have contacted Chichester
university and ask if I could come and do some testing using their osmolality
equipment. If I got permission then this would increase the accuracy of my
research project as the concentration of the urine would be measured so
even the smallest margin of difference would be recorded rather than just
going up in colours.
Another recommendation that would be considered is the lack of
organisation that went on throughout the research project. The time scale
previously stated on my research planning sheet was not kept to and
therefore testing and concluding was completed in a rush.
I would also recommend that the purchase of sample collectors ( such a
pots) is essential, this is so that the urine is not diluted and can be held to
the colour chart rather that relying on my subjective view.
P4: Produce / P5: Describe / M3: Explain / D2: Justify

What would be the benefits of the proposed changes stated
on the previous page?
The proposed changes would be beneficial to the research
project as it would make the results more accurate and
precise. Using the osmolality of the urine will give the precise
concentration to 0.01 %, which is quantitative data. Whereas
my research project was qualitative but then turned into
numerical data by a key. The data would then be continuous
meaning that the number of decimal points would be
increased. This precision would result in a more accurate
decision on the optimum hydration fuel. This would benefit
the target population mentioned in the aim. Knowing the best
hydration fuel for each player in my rugby team could increase
performance standard as and therefore we may have a better
chance of winning the National finals.
Improved organisation would mean that a thorough
conclusion would be made.

A further research project could be completed by changing the
population of the aim. In my research project, the participants were all
female. It would be interesting to see whether hydration levels and the
type of fuel consumed would have a different effect on male
performance level athletes. Males are physically capable of training at a
higher intensity than females, so this research project could possibly
discover the better choice of hydration fuel to consume when training
at an intense level, rather than playing participation level sport. This
would benefit men and also women who train and play at professional
level sport as it would enable them to train and perform better fro
longer. This would mean they would be able to adapt to a more intense
training programme. This extra level of ability would also enable sports
fans to view better entertainment as the discipline and skill level would
have imporved.

The population of the aim can also change regarding the level of
performance of the participant when conducting further research. My
research project conducted test of performance level athletes, whereas
future test could be conducted on foundation level. This suggests the
participants would be less fit and therefore fluid loss may be more and
show a larger difference in hydration.
If a research project was based on this population, it would benefit a
category of the public that would like to exercise more and take part in
sport. This is because hydration would mean that the participants could
train for longer and at a higher intensity than usual. Therefore they will
be working harder and they will adapt and become fitter. This would
increase numbers and interest in sport. The younger population are
most known for taking part in foundation sport and therefore this
research project would also promote a healthy lifestyle, obviously
focusing on good hydration.

The last future recommendation would be increasing the
population by changing the age group to a greater range. In the
literacy review, there was significant evidence that hydration is of
upmost importance when taking part in any form of exercise. The
sources went on to suggest that a large number of the population
are unaware of the benefits of hydration and therefore do not
put together an appropriate hydration plan. By using a greater
age range, the data will show the difference in urine colour after
exercise and then could be used to educate all age groups that it
is not just professional athletes that require a hydration plan.
This could benefit younger children as parents would be
educated on the positives of hydration and therefore their
lifestyle could change.

Appendix 1
The image shows a Physical activity
readiness questionnaire which I asked
each participant to complete before taking
part in any of the testing process.

Appendix 2
The images shows an example of a
urine chart that I used when
comparing the samples during the
testing stage of the research project.

Appendix 3
The image shows a diagram of
one Malcolm.
The cones are placed 10
metres apart. The participant
will start laying on their front
by the middle cone. They will
then run to the cone in front
of them and complete a down
up. They will then turn around
and run to the furthest cone
and complete another down
up. This is repeated 6 times to
form a set.

Research Project Figures
and Tables

Figures and Tables 1
Participant. Type of fuel. Urine value
before exercise.
Urine value
after exercise.
Urine value an
hour after fuel
is consumed.
1 Water 5 7 4
2 Water 3 6 2
3 Water 4 5 4
4 Hypotonic 5 6 4
5 Hypotonic 3 5 3
6 Hypotonic 5 7 6
7 Isotonic 6 6 2
8 Isotonic 2 4 2
9 Isotonic 2 5 3
10 Hypertonic 4 5 2
11 Hypertonic 6 7 3

Figures and Tables 2
0
2
4
5
7
9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Series1
Series2
Series3
Y axis : Value on urine
chart
X axis: Participant
number
Series 1: Before
exercise
Series 2: Straight after
exercise
Series 3: After an hour
with hydration fuel
1-3: Water
4-6: Hypotonic
7-9: Isotonic
10-12: Hypertonic

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