The Effect of Hydration Status on Reaction Time and Recall Tests in College-aged Individuals
Document Type
Paper
Publication Title
Journal of Exercise Physiologyonline
Abstract
In a footrace, a fraction of a second can alter the outcome. Dehydration upsets the resting membrane potential (RMP) within the cellular environment which may lead to a delay in the conduction of action potentials. Previous research has shown impaired physical performance in the setting of dehydration. Further investigation is needed to assess whether cognitive performance is impacted similarly. The purpose of this study is to investigate how hydration status, as determined by urine specific gravity (USG), affects performance in reaction time and recall tests. Forty university students were recruited and attended a morning and afternoon appointment scheduled three-14 days apart. Random assignment was used to determine which appointment the participant attended first. Participants were given suggested fluid intake parameters prior to each appointment. Tests completed during appointments included USG, total body water, Sport Concussion Assessment Tool fifth edition (SCAT-5) screening and a simple and choice reaction time test. The NCAA defines a USG of >1.020 as dehydrated; this criterion was used to inform the present study. In the morning, participants had a mean USG >1.020 (1.029 ± 0.002) and were considered the dehydrated group. In the afternoon, participants had a mean USG <1.020 (1.018 ± 0.008) and were considered the hydrated group. A dependent T-test and Pearson's correlation test were conducted on SPSS V28 for data analysis. Dehydration was found to have significantly slowed CRT but did not slow SRT. Delays in action potentials may negatively impact physical activity performance.
Department(s)
Human Kinetics and Applied Health Science
Date Accepted/Awarded
Spring 6-2024
Recommended Citation
Smith J, Parent J, Qubty L. The Effect of Hydration Status on Reaction Time and Recall Tests in College-aged Individuals. JEPonline 2024;27(3).
Terms of Use and License Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.