Hydration State

Athletes are often chronically dehydrated which affects not only performance but recovery.  It may take several days to hydrate on the cellular level, therefore it is important to test hydration state to determine if you are hydrating effectively.  This is especially important for endurance athletes prior to peak races in hot/humid conditions.

A urine specific gravity test is much more accurate and effective in determining hydration state when compared to other methods such as estimating hydration based on urine color.  The test measures concentration of particles in the urine and is simple and easy to perform.

Testing Protocol

The test requires a clean-catch urine sample.

To obtain a clean-catch sample, men or boys should clean the head of the penis.

Women or girls need to wash the area between the lips of the vagina with soapy water and rinse well.

As you start to urinate, allow a small amount to fall into the toilet bowl to clear the urethra of contaminants. Then, put a clean container under your urine stream and catch 1 to 2 ounces of urine. Remove the container from the urine stream. Cap the container.

Preparing For The Test

No special preparations are necessary.  If you are trying to determine hydration state on a "typical" day continue fluid intake as you would normally.  Drugs that can increase specific gravity measurements include dextran and sucrose. Receiving intravenous dye (contrast medium) for an x-ray exam up to 3 days before the test can also interfere with results.

Normal Range  1.002 to 1.028