An exercise science major conducted research on the effects of drinking vs rinsing with water while running.
Name: Lauren Shaver
Major: Exercise Science
Minor: Public Health
Faculty mentor: Svetlana Nepocatych, assistant professor of exercise science
Abstract:
This study examined the effects of consuming water versus mouth rinsing with water during a running time trial. Methods: Recreationally active female runners (n = 23; 26 ± 6 y; 22 ± 3 % body fat) completed two, 15-km time trials on an outdoor course (~20ºC; 87% RH) separated by at least one week in a randomized cross-over study design. Participants consumed 355 ml of water (CW) during their run or mouth rinsed (MR) with water every 3 km for 5 s. Completion time, HR, RPE, ratings of perceived thirst (PT), pre-run urine specific gravity (USG), and sweat loss were measured. In addition, ratings on the feeling scale (FS) and felt arousal scale (FAS) were recorded. Results: There was no significant difference observed between treatments for pre-run USG (p = 0.63). CW or MR did not affect time (79.8 ± 7.0 min and 79.6 ± 7.1 min, p = 0.77), HR (p = 0.44), or RPE (p = 0.97), respectively. Sweat losses were greater (p < 0.01) for CW (1.5 ± 0.3 L) compared to MR (1.2 ± 0.3 L) and PT was greater (p = 0.03) for MR (7 ± 1) compared to CW (6 ± 2). A significant effect was exhibited for time (p < 0.01) but not conditions (p = 0.85) for FS and FAS. Conclusion: MR versus CW does not impair performance or alter affect during runs of >1 h for female runners who begin exercise euhydrated (ie. Normal state of body water content). This strategy may reduce gastrointestinal distress for runners who do not like drinking during runs and allow for a reduction in volume of water carried.
In other words:
For people who do experience stomach fullness during running, rinsing provides an alternative to drinking water during a 15-km run and may reduce gastrointestinal distress.
What made this research interesting to you? How did you get started?
I was not sure what I wanted to do as a career and none of the career paths I considered seemed to spark my true interest. Thus, I decided to give research a try to see if that might help me figure out what I want to do in life. I thought it would be a good experience and one that would help me learn about other opportunities within my field of study. Nutrition was a particular area of interest, so when my mentor mentioned doing something with hydration, I was intrigued because I never thought of hydration as nutrition. Being a big runner, I hear many different guidelines that people should follow to stay hydrated, but no one seemed to have a clear answer. Therefore, I wanted to see if it really mattered how precise people need to be with drinking. Participating in the research process ultimately helped realize how much I love searching for answers to new questions and that I want to continue on solving mysteries of the unknown.