Acute effects of dehydration on sweat composition in men during prolonged exercise in the heat

R M Morgan, M J Patterson, M A Nimmo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

124 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

AIM: To determine whether acute exercise-heat-induced dehydration affects sweat composition, eight males cycled for 2 h at 39.5 +/- 1.6% VO2peak on two separate occasions in a hot-humid environment (38.0 +/- 0.0 degrees C, 60.0 +/- 0.1% relative humidity).

METHODS: During exercise, subjects ingested either no fluid (dehydration) or a 20 mmol L(-1) sodium chloride solution (euhydration). The volume of solution, calculated from whole-body sweat loss and determined in a familiarization trial, was ingested at 0 min and every 15 min thereafter. Venous blood was collected at 0, 60 and 120 min of exercise and sweat was aspirated from a patch located on the dominant forearm at 120 min.

RESULTS: Following the 2-h cycling exercise, sweat [Na+] and [Cl-] was greater (P < 0.05) in the dehydration trial (Na+ 91.1 +/- 6.8 mmol L(-1); Cl- 73.3 +/- 3.5 mmol L(-1)) compared with the euhydration trial (Na+ 81.1 +/- 5.9 mmol L(-1); Cl- 68.5 +/- 3.3 mmol L(-1)). In addition, dehydration invoked a greater serum [Na+] (142.2 +/- 0.7 mmol L(-1); P < 0.05), [Cl-] (105.8 +/- 0.6 mmol L(-1); P < 0.05) and [K+] (5.27 +/- 0.2 mmol L(-1); P < 0.05) over the euhydration values for [Na+], [Cl-] and [K+], respectively (138.9 +/- 0.6, 102.9 +/- 0.5 and 4.88 +/- 0.1 mmol L(-1)). Plasma aldosterone was also significantly higher during exercise in the dehydration trial compared with the euhydration trial (53.8 +/- 3.8 vs. 40.0 +/- 4.3 ng dL(-1); P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Acute exercise-heat stress without fluid replacement resulted in a greater sweat [Na+] and [Cl-] which was potentially related to greater extracellular fluid [Na+], plasma aldosterone or sympathetic nervous activity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)37-43
Number of pages7
JournalActa Physiologica Scandanavica
Volume182
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2004

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Aldosterone
  • Body Temperature Regulation
  • Chlorides
  • Dehydration
  • Exercise
  • Hot Temperature
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Male
  • Potassium
  • Sodium
  • Sweat

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