Hydrated Cyclists Finish Higher: Study on Hydration and Race Performance

Colorado State University
Food Science and Human Nutrition
The Relationship between Hydration and Race Performance in Cyclists:
An Empirical Study
Madison Tuggle
Madison@tugglet.com
850 S Overland Trail #29
Fort Collins, CO 80521

Hydration in Cyclists, Tuggle
2
Table of Contents
List of Tables and
figuresFigures………………………………………………………………………………..3
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………..…….4
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………5
Purpose…………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Background………………………………………………………………………………..5
Hypothesis/ Research Questions……………………………………………………..……8
Methods………………………………………………………………………………………...…9
Participants…………………………………………………………………………..…….9
Design……………………………………………………………………………….…….9
Procedure………………………………………………………………………….…..…10
Dependent Vvariable……………..
…………………………………………………………10
Statistical Aanalysis……………………...…………………………………………….
….....11
Results…………………………………………………………………………………….…..…11
Hypothesis Ddiscussion ………………...………………………………………….…..
……12
Research Question Discussion……………………………………………………….…..13
Discussion…………………………………………………………………………….……...….14
Applications……………………………………………………………………...………14
Limitations……………………………………………………………………………….14
Further Research…………………………………………………………………………15
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………15
References…………………………………………………………………………………….…16
Appendixces A………………………………………………...
……………………………………17

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List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Resting Membrane Potential …………………………………………………………6
Figure 1.2: Sliding Filament Theory………………………………………………………………7
Figure 1.3: Performance in Dehydrated Cyclists ………..……………….……………….......…12
Figure 1.4 Performance in Hydrated Cyclists…………….…………………………………...…12
Figure 1.5: Testimonials during Dehydrated Race...………………………………….…………12
Figure 1.6 Testimonials during Hydrated Race……………………...………………..……....…12

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Abstract
Endurance athletes dedicate large amounts of time training and preparing for races. When
race day comes, athletes will need to be confident that all of their hard work will enhance their
ability to get the desired race results. Most endurance athletes rely on their training and warm up
to increase their athletic ability, but some are not achieving the results that their sponsors are
expecting. Previous research has shown that not only proper training improves athletic
performance; but hydration and nutrition have an effect as well. The benefits of finding new
ways to gain a competitive edge through hydration can potentially enhance a rider’s athletic
performance and produce results in the top ten. This study was designed to assess the
relationship between hydration and athletic performance.
This study sought to answer the research question:; “Does hydration have an effect on
race results and how does the racer feel during competition”. Further, it tested the hypothesis that
if an athlete can achieve hydration by having pale or clear urine before the official start of a race,
they will physically feel better during the race and also achieve a higher result than dehydrated
athletes. To gauge the benefits of drinking water the day of a race, ten 10 cyclists were surveyed
on their race-day hydration habits. The ten 10 cyclists were tracked over the series of two 2
races. In the first race, athletes were to compete dehydrated and record their results and how they
felt during the race. In the second race, athletes competed hydrated and recorded their results and
how they felt while racing. The dehydrated and hydrated results were then compared. It was

5
found that four 4 out of ten 10 dehydrated athletes were able to finish in the top ten 10, while
seven 7 out of ten 10 hydrated athletes could finish in the top ten10. Based on the results of this
study, cyclists who compete hydrated have a better chance of placing in the top ten 10 than
compared to racers who compete dehydrated.
Introduction
Purpose
Healthcare professionals determin hydration for their patient as the color of their urine. If
the urine is a pale or clear color, they are hydrated. If it is dark or vibrant, the patient is not
hydrated (American Heart Association, 2014). Water is an important substance in the body
because of its vast functions. For example, water is a carrier of nutrients from the blood to cells
in the body, where it converts nutrients to energy. Also, it is used for regulating body
temperature through sweat and it is required for breathing. Water makes up 75% of muscles as it
cushions the sliding filaments during muscle contraction (IBWA, 2015). Due toConsidering the
specific functions water has, the purpose of this study is was to find assess the importance of
athletes consuming enough water to be hydrated, and to stay hydrated throughout racing.
Background
When physical activity is induced, sweat pores open and secrete water with small
amounts of electrolytes (Naokes, 2007). Electrolytes are a classification of charged atoms (ions)
found on the inside and outside of a cell. This class of ions includes sodium, potassium, and
calcium (Warner, 2005). Moderate dehydration begins at the loss of 2-3% of total body water.
Studies have found that when dehydration begins, athletic performance decreases (Urdampilleta
et al, 2015). If strenuous exercise is performed long enough to perspire and metabolize 15% of
total body water, official dehydration occurs. At this state, paralysis begins causing the loss of

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voluntary muscle contraction (Noakes, 2007). Most athletes understand that sweating is a cause
of dehydration, but during exercise water has other functions.
Scientists believe muscle contract based off the sliding filament theory. Presently, it is the
most accepted theory on muscle contraction (Krans, 2010). Before muscle contraction can start,
and the sliding filament theory can begin, neurotransmitters must first give a signal to enlist
muscle contraction (Chudler, 2010). All cells in the body have a resting membrane potential of
-70 millivolts (Chudler, 2010). The resting membrane potential is created by different
concentration of charged atoms inside and outside of the cell. Sodium is positively charged and
is found in a greater concentration on the outside of the cell (Chudler, 2010). Potassium is also
positively charged which is found in a greater concentration on the inside of the cell. For every
two potassium ions, there are three sodium ions, making the outside of the cell more positive
than the inside (Chudler, 2010).
Figure 1.1 illustrates what a resting cell
looks like on the molecular level:
Figure 1.1: Resting Membrane Potential

7
Jayna. "AP Biology: Animal Systems VI – Nervous System (Part 2)." AP Biology: Animal Systems VI – Nervous System (Part 2). BenchPrep, 31
Dec. 2012. Web. 30 June 2015.
Water balances the concentration of ions on the inside and outside of cells. To enlist a
reaction, neurons will release neurotransmitters, which open channels in the cell’s membrane
allowing sodium to flow into the cell and potassium out of the cell. It is this move in ions that
signals muscle contraction (Chudler, 2010).
Muscles are made up of filaments, which are thick fibrous strands (Krans, 2010).
Filaments wound up and placed tightly together create what is called the sarcomere. Once the ion
movement has taken place, muscles get the signal to contract. Each filament will unwind,
exposing a binding site for a structure call myosin to bind to. Once myosin has bound, it uses
cellular energy (ATP) to move the filaments forward, shortening the sarcomere contracting the
muscle (Krans, 2010). This is shown in Ffigure 1.2:
Figure 1.2: Sliding Filamant Theory
Krans, Jacob. "The Sliding Filament Theory of Muscle Contraction." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 2010.
Web. 30 June 2015.

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Once the physiology of exercise was understood, the need for water became apparent.
Water is present in all major functions of exercise. An experiment performed in 2008 by Enrico
Grazititled Water and Muscle Contraction, delved further into the need for water in muscle
contraction. The experiment looked at the role water plays in muscle function, and how
important it is to maintain hydration. Grazi found that when muscles are contracting, water
lubricates the filaments and their myosin binding sites. The molecular makeup of the filaments
and myosin are not stable in the presence of water. This makes the filaments and myosin stiffen
closer to each other in an effort to avoid interaction with water (Grazi 2008). The more water
present during contraction, the more stiff filaments become, creating a more powerful
contraction of the muscles (Grazi 2008). During exercise, water is being used throughout the
whole body and may be taken away from contracting muscles. Due to this, further research
needed to be conducted on how much water would need to be consumed, and the impact
hydration has on athletic performance specifically in cyclists.
There are three large functions water has in the body during physical activity:; cooling
core temperature, ion concentration, and muscle contraction. All three factions are dependent on
each other requiring that they stay in balance. When an athlete sweats they lose water and
electrolytes (Naokes, 2007). The water and electrolytes are being taken away from cells. Cells
now do not have water to balance ions, or the ions to move in and out of the cells. If there are no
ions to move in and out of cells, muscle contraction will not be signaled (Chudler, 2010). Even if
enough ions remain to signal muscle contraction, there will not be enough water to lubricate
filaments and myosin so contractions will not be strong (Krans, 2010).
Research Questions and Hypothesis

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The intricate relationships these physiologic functions have leads to the questions:; “Does
hydration have an effect on race results and how does the racer feel during competition?” How
much of an impact would being hydrated make on athletic performance? Further, this study will
compare dehydrated and hydrated athletic performance in competitive cyclists. The hypothesis is
if an athlete can achieve hydration by having pale or clear urine before the official start of a race,
then they will physically feel better during the race. It will also test if the hydrated athletes can
achieve a higher result than dehydrated athletes.
Methods
Participants
Ten different cyclists where surveyed for the purposes of the study. The participants
varied in levels of athletic ability and gender to gain a variety in samples. The racers who
participated include; a woman racing for fun, an older man (mid 40s) racing as a hobby, a new
dad trying to stay in shape, and a handful of elite racers. Each participant was contacted through
an online source (Facebook or email). Every athlete that participated was considered a
competitive cyclist by the parameter they race in (at least two races within three weeks). Each
cyclist competed in a road discipline and only completed surveys for road style races. The races
had to be United State of America Cycling sanctioned, and the racer had to be competing in a
category race (no citizen races). Categories include Men’s cat 1, 2, 3, or 4, Woman’s cat 1, 2, 3
or 4, and Masters 40+ or 50+.
Design
The independent variable in this study is the state of hydration racers were in before the
official race start. In the first sample, racers were dehydrated, whereas the second sample, racers

10
were hydrated. The two different variables can be paired with the associated race result from
each racer, and then compared against each other. When the athlete raced dehydrated it is
hypothesized that due to lack of water, their his/her body hadies have to work harder to maintain
proper functions, therefore they will were predicted not to place well in the race. In a state of
hydration, there would be enough water to keep core temperatures regulated and have enough
blood for powerful muscle contraction, so they an athlete would will achieve a better placing.
Procedure
Ten different racers were surveyed for two 2 different races within three 3 weeks. The
survey required participants to record their hydrating fluid consumption in fluid ounces.
Hydrating fluids are defined by the study as any water based drink such as water, electrolyte
enhanced drink, caffeine free teas, or pre-race carbohydrate solutions. Participants were
instructed to not record any dehydrating fluids defined by the study such as drinks containing
caffeine or alcohol. Participants also had to record how they felt during the race, and the result
they achieved in the race. In the first race, participants were instructed to not consume enough
hydrating fluids to achieve hydration. This way they would compete dehydrated. For ease of the
participants, dehydration was defined as having dark or brightly colored urine. The racers had to
examine the color of their urine 30 minutes before official race start to ensure it indicated
dehydration. After the race, participants recorded how they felt during the race and their results.
For the second race, participants were instructed to achieve hydration by examining the color of
their urine. Racers had to have clear or lightly colored urine 30 minutes before official race start.
After the race, they had to record how they felt during the race and their results.
Dependent Measures

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The dependent measures in the study are the race results each athlete achieved while
racing either dehydrated or hydrated. Within the realm of this study, race results were to be
directly affected by the hydration state in which each athlete entered their race. Race results were
split into two categories; racer placing in the top ten 10 and racers not placing in the top ten10.
The study looked at the effect hydration had in each category. Race results were important to
measure because they show if hydration did have an effects and to what magnitude.
Statistical Analysis
Once all surveys were returned by from participants, their data was entered into a table.
The table recorded how much water the participant drank before official race start to ensure the
racer in fact competed either dehydrated or hydrated. Their race results were also recorded along
with their testimonial on how they felt during racing. First, the results for the dehydrated race
were analyzed. The number of racers placing in the top ten 10 were was compared to the number
of racers not placing in the top ten10. Then, the testimonials of the racers were compared based
off those who claimed to generally feel good throughout the race, and those who generally did
not feel good throughout the race. A pie chart was then generated from this information. The
same analysis was done for results from the hydrated race. If there was a difference of 10% or
smaller between hydrated and dehydrated race, then it could be concluded that results were not
statistically significant. If there waswere 11% or higher difference between hydrated and
dehydrated race, then the results would be accepted as statistically significant.
Results
The results did show a relationship between hydration and race results for cyclists. The
study found that four 4 out of ten 10 cyclists placed in the top ten 10 when they competed

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dehydrated. Seven out of ten 10 racers placed in the top ten 10 when they competed hydrated.
Refer to Table 1.3 and Table 1.4.
In regards to if hydration has an effect of how an athlete will feel during a race, the
results show no relationship. Five out of ten 10
racers reported overall they did feelfelt good while
racing dehydrated. When athletes competed
hydrated, six 6 out of ten 10 reported they did
Table 1.3: Performance in Dehydrated CyclistsTable 1.4 Performance in Hydrated Cyclists

13
feelfelt good during the race. Only one participant felt a difference between their hydrated and
dehydrated race as seen in Tables 1.5 and 1.6.
Hypothesis discussion Discussion
Before the study was conducted it
was hypothesized that if an athlete can
achieve hydration by having pale or clear
urine before the official start of a race, they
will physically feel better during the race
and achieve a higher result than dehydrated
athletes. The hypothesis was found to be
true and untrue
based off the results from this study. The results show there is a relationship between hydration
and race results. Only 40% of racers finished in the top 10 when they competed dehydrated, but
70% of racers placed in the top 10 when they competed hydrated. These results show there is a
30% performance increase when cyclists compete hydrated. These results are statistically
significant to accept hydration does have an effect on race results. However, 50% of racers felt
good while racing dehydrated and 60% felt good while racing hydrated. There is only a 10%
difference between the two conditions. With the small sample size in this study, the results are
not significant. In a larger scale study, 10% difference could indicate a relationship between two
variables, but for this studies purposes, it only indicates the difference of one person.
Table 1.5: Testimonials during Dehydrated Race Table 1.6 Testimonials during Hydrated Race

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Research Question Discussion.
This study is based offexplored the question: “, does hydration have an effect on race
results and how a racer feels during competition?” Results to help answer this question indicate
for this study shows that hydration does, in fact, have a positive effect on race results in cyclists.
This is seen in the 30% increase in race performance from when they raced dehydrated, to when
they raced hydrated. The results mean that if a cyclist entered a race hydrated, they would have a
70% chance of placing in the top ten. In comparison, if a cyclist were to enter a race dehydrated,
they would only have a 30% chance of placing in the top 10. There is no shown effect on
hydration and how a cyclist feels during the race. This means that it is difficult for a cyclist to
gauge if they are hydrated or not during a race. There are no major symptoms that tip s an athlete
off as to whether they drank enough fluids.
Discussion
Applications
Based off the results of this study, it would be beneficial for cyclists to ensure they are
hydrated before the official start of a race. These results support the findings of the study
conducted by Enrico Grazi titled Water and Muscle Contraction. Grazi stated that when myosin
heads and filaments lack water due to dehydration, they do not contract with as much force. The
results from this study support Grazi’s theory with a real world application. In this case, cyclists
were not able to elicit strong muscle contractions when they were dehydrated. It is because there
was not enough water in their muscle filaments to create an undesirable environment for myosin

15
heads to push filament forward with great force, thus making it harder for the racer to finish in
the top ten of their race.
Limitations
The main limitation is the sample size of the research. Ten athletes are not a large
population, which means if there is an outlier, it greatly skews the results. More participants
would result in a more accurate study because outliers would not have as much of an affect.
Also, participants were not randomly selected. They were all previously known before the study
took place. Not having randomly selected participants can mean each participant is similar in
some way, creating a certain outcome. This means all ten 10 participants could have been known
to be good racers while hydrated, thus possibly skewing the results. Another limitation is the
duration of the study. It only took place over three weeks and two races. There are many
variables that could have taken place in those two races. There could have been more racers
during the first race making it harder to finish in the top ten and less racers in the second race
making it easier to finish in the top ten.
Further Research
Further research can be conducted from this study. First, this study can be redone on a
larger scale to better prove the results. A larger scale would reduce the amount of variables in the
study and would give the results more creditabilityreliability. From thereFurther, another study
can be performed to define optimal hydration. Is there a difference in performance between a
cyclist who reached hydration just before the race and one who has been hydrated for a day
previous? Also, could it be detrimental to be too hydrated? Is there an upper limit to the amount
of fluids that should be consumed before race day? This study could also be expanded on the fact

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that racers felt no difference between racing hydrated and dehydrated. What are some other ways
athletes can assess their bodies before and during a race to ensure they are hydrated? Are there
symptoms to dehydration that racers are feeling but are not associating with dehydration? These
are all topics that could potentially be expanded on from this study.
Conclusion
While the human body is participating in physical activity, water is being used multiple
ways to maintain functions. This is particularly important for athletes who are trying to compete
in cycling races because their state of hydration can affect their performance. Cyclists who
achieve hydration before the official start of their race have a higher probability to finish in the
top ten of their race than cyclists who compete dehydrated. Cyclists should practice proper
hydration before the official start of the race to improve athletic performance.

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Works Cited
"Bottled Water." Water's Role In Your Body. IBWA, 2015. Web. 30 June 2015.
Chudler, Eric H. "Neuroscience For Kids." - Action Potential. Eric H. Chudler, 2010. Web. 30
June 2015.
Grazi, Enrico. "Water and Muscle Contraction." International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI), 18 Aug. 2008. Web. 30 June
2015.
Jayna,. "AP Biology: Animal Systems VI – Nervous System (Part 2)." AP Biology: Animal
Systems VI – Nervous System (Part 2). BenchPrep, 31 Dec. 2012. Web. 30 June 2015.
Krans, Jacob. "The Sliding Filament Theory of Muscle Contraction." Nature.com. Nature
Publishing Group, 2010. Web. 30 June 2015.
Noakes, Timothy. "Commentary: Role of Hydration in Health and Exercise." Hwadmin.
TheBMJ, 18 July 2012. Web. 28 June 2015.
Noskov, Sergei, and Benoît Roux. "Importance of Hydration and Dynamics on the Selectivity of
the KcsA and NaK Channels." PubMed. The Rockefeller University Press, 2007. Web.
28 June 2015.
"Staying Hydrated - Staying Healthy." Staying Hydrated - Staying Healthy. American Heart
Association, 25 June 2015. Web. 30 June 2015.
Urdampilleta, Aritz, Saioa Gomez-Zorita, Jose Soriano, Jose Martinez-Sans, Sonia Medina, and
Angel Gil-Izquierdo. Revisión Hydration and Chemical Ingredients in Sport Drinks:

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Food Safety in the European Context (2015): 1889-899. Nutricion Hospitalaria, 2015.
Web.
Appendix A
Sample survey:
Name:
Date:
Race Name:
Fluids Consumed
Include all hydrating fluids consumed from the time you wake up on race day, until the official start of
the race. This includes: water, pre-race drinks, electrolyte enhances drinks, water with mixes added,
herbal tea, or anything with a water base. Exclude any fluids consumed that contains caffeine (coffee,
black or green tea) or alcohol. Please record measurements in fluid ounces,
Drink: Amount of water in fluid ounces Total fluids consumed before
race start
Survey of perceived performance
Race Result:
Did you experience cramping?
Did you feel hydrated?
Overall how did your body feel during the race?
Overall how do you feel about your performance?

19

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