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Cited by 461Thermoregulation and physiological responsesSports Performance and TrainingCardiovascular and exercise physiology

Dehydration: Physiology, Assessment, and Performance Effects

Cheuvront, Samuel N., Kenefick, Robert W.·2014·Comprehensive Physiology
DOI 10.1002/cphy.c130017
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Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive review of dehydration assessment and presents a unique evaluation of the dehydration and performance literature. The importance of osmolality and volume are emphasized when discussing the physiology, assessment, and performance effects of dehydration. The underappreciated physiologic distinction between a loss of hypo-osmotic body water (intracellular dehydration) and an iso-osmotic loss of body water (extracellular dehydration) is presented and argued as the single most essential aspect of dehydration assessment. The importance of diagnostic and biological variation analyses to dehydration assessment methods is reviewed and their use in gauging the true potential of any dehydration assessment method highlighted. The necessity for establishing proper baselines is discussed, as is the magnitude of dehydration required to elicit reliable and detectable osmotic or volume-mediated compensatory physiologic responses. The discussion of physiologic responses further helps inform and explain our analysis of the literature suggesting a ≥ 2% dehydration threshold for impaired endurance exercise performance mediated by volume loss. In contrast, no clear threshold or plausible mechanism(s) support the marginal, but potentially important, impairment in strength, and power observed with dehydration. Similarly, the potential for dehydration to impair cognition appears small and related primarily to distraction or discomfort. The impact of dehydration on any particular sport skill or task is therefore likely dependent upon the makeup of the task itself (e.g., endurance, strength, cognitive, and motor skill).

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Authors
Cheuvront, S. N., & Kenefick, R. W.
Affiliations
U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (US)
ORCID
Cheuvront, Samuel N.
Venue
Comprehensive Physiology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2014-01-10
Volume
4
Issue
1
Pages
257-285
ISSN
2040-4603 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1002/cphy.c130017
OpenAlex
W1665634335
Cited by
461
References
385
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 57 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 7
Type
other
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm)
Locations
  • Comprehensive physiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Thermoregulation and physiological responses
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
Keywords
dehydration, dehydration assessment, osmolality, intracellular dehydration, extracellular dehydration, body water loss, endurance exercise performance, strength and power, cognitive performance, diagnostic variation, baseline establishment
MeSH terms
Body Water, Dehydration, Humans, Osmolar Concentration, Physical Endurance, Water-Electrolyte Balance, Body Mass Index, Extracellular Fluid

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