Gatorade funds TCU kinesiology study analyzing sodium among athletes
By Evan Vanderbilt Schieffer School of Journalism
With scorching summer temperatures lurking just around the corner, things are also starting to heat up in the TCU Kinesiology Department.
Approval for an in-depth lab study, funded by a $19,000 grant from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, was received recently that allows TCU to use human subjects to participate in research that will examine how sodium levels in high performance athletes are affected by extensive exercise under high outdoor temperatures.
This is the second time Gatorade has contributed funding to kinesiology research projects at TCU. Gatorade has also contributed smaller grants for more than six independent research studies aiding graduate research at TCU.
Dr. Joel Mitchell, chair of the kinesiology department, discussed the study’s benefits; “We want to explore the physiological mechanisms that contribute to hyponatremia. In other words, what causes low sodium levels in the blood?”
Dr. Mitchell is directing this study with the assistance of six other faculty members and several TCU kinesiology graduate students. Kimberly Hubing, a kinesiology master’s degree student, will be using this study as part of her thesis project.
Most people are aware that dehydration can be quite dangerous. While dehydration is a common problem in athletes, over-hydration, drinking too much water, can also pose severe threats to athletes. The over-hydration can cause sodium levels to become overly diluted, resulting in exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH).
EAH is a condition that occurs primarily in ultra-endurance athletes, such as marathoners and tri-athletes, who engage in prolonged physical activity in hot environments. Although not highly prevalent in most typical athletes, this rare condition can cause serious harm that can lead to comas or even death. Common symptoms associated with hyponatremia are nausea, dizziness, fatigue, confusion and headaches.
The TCU study surrounding the sodium balance issues affecting athletes developed after the Hotter ‘N’ Hell 100 cycling event which took place in the blistering summer heat of San Antonio, Texas, in August 2006. The event is one of the nation’s most popular 100-mile cycling events attracting more than 9,000 cyclists.
Dr. Mitchell and several of his TCU colleagues were stationed at a medical tent that provided care for riders experiencing a variety of ailments. At the tent, Dr. Mitchell analyzed the sodium levels of riders who appeared to be suffering from hydration problems by using a portable sodium analyzer.
“Because of the extreme 100-degree-plus temperatures, we had to keep the portable analyzer in a cooler full of ice in order for it to function properly,” Dr. Mitchell said.
The examination of riders at the medical tent served as a basic field study that showed how athletes were affected by the heat in a real world setting.
“Since we were limited on the amount of control we had over the participants, the Hotter ‘N’ Hell field study was a good real world application, but it failed to provide good science. A pre-test and post-test analysis of athletes is necessary to accurately gather factual scientific information, and the nature of the Hotter ’N Hell event prohibited us from doing this,” Dr. Mitchell said.
The new lab study conducted in the TCU Kinesiology Department will provide accurate scientific data explaining the sodium control mechanisms that can contribute to problematic sodium imbalances among athletes.
“By the implementation of various controls on the participants, we can accurately monitor their progression throughout the course of the study,” Dr. Mitchell said.
The group of 10-12 participants in this study will primarily include highly trained cyclists and tri-athletes selected from a variety of off-campus organizations and clubs. Each participant will complete four trials, each consisting of one hour of intense exercise in the heat followed by a three-hour rehydration recovery period.
Participants will be continually monitored throughout this process during the next several months. Information gathered through these trials will include blood sampling, sweat and repertory variation measurements and sodium concentrations. Also, ADH (anti-diuretic hormone) measurements will reveal how the body responds to the re-absorption of fluids.
“We hope to have half of the study completed by the end of the summer and expect that it will concluded in the fall of 2007,” Dr. Mitchell said.
For more information on the study, contact Dr. Mitchell at j.mitchell@tcu.edu.
By Evan Vanderbilt