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Instructional Unit: Goal 3

Objective 3: Given the information, the athlete will be able to identify how an athlete can become dehydrated.

Objective 3: Key Terms

  • Plasma Volume - the volume of the fluid in the blood that transports nutrients, hormones, and proteins to the body.

  • Stroke Volume - the amount of blood that the heart pumps with each beat.

  • Cardiac Output -  the total product of the heart, stroke volume multiplied by the heart rate (beats per minute)

The Science Behind Dehydration

  • The most common cause of dehydration is restricted fluid intake. Whether the person is an athlete or not, restricted fluid intake can lead to a dangerous level of dehydration.

  • Another cause of dehydration is fluid loss.

    • Sweating with exercise is a main factor that increases fluid loss.

    • Illnesses such as diarrhea and vomiting can also cause fluid loss leading to dehydration.

  • Coupled with fluid loss is loss of sodium chloride (salt) in the body.

    • Both of these states lead to a decreased plasma volume in the blood which lowers the stroke volume thus making the heart work harder to pump blood to the body.

    • With this decreased access to blood for the body common functions like sweating are decreased, which perpetuates the problem of dehydration even further.

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