The Effect Of Mild Exercise Induced Dehydration On Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (SCAT3) Scores: A within-subjects design.
Sean M Collins, Monica R Lininger, Thomas G Bowman
PMID 33842047WHAT IT FOUND
In recreationally active volunteers, fluid-restricted exercise led to higher self-reported symptoms and symptom severity than rest or exercise with fluids.
Balance and cognitive scores did not show the same pattern.
Key findings
01Fluid-restricted exercise produced higher self-reported symptom count and severity than rested control.
02Rested control had a lower symptom count than euhydrated exercise.
03No statistically significant differences were seen for modified BESS or SAC total.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used 17 recreationally active volunteers, not professional, collegiate, or scholastic athletes. The table reports 16 participants in the control and dehydrated sessions and 17 in the euhydrated session, but the paper does not explain the difference. The exercise protocol was 60 minutes of steady-state treadmill running, which may not match many sports or game durations. The participants were healthy, non-concussed volunteers, so the findings do not show what happens during a real concussion. Diet was not monitored. Symptom scores varied widely between participants.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that dehydration impairs balance or thinking during concussion assessment. Only self-reported symptom scores were higher after fluid-restricted exercise. Balance and cognitive total scores did not show a significant difference.