For years, recommendations have been made for athletes to drink based on pre-determined hydration schedules: Suggesting when to drink and how much. There are Position Stands, Consensus Statements, etc. These include more general recommendations; and now more individual recommendations based on monitoring of hydration status, and fluid losses/sweat rates. Even more recently, although not incredibly new, the ‘drink to thirst’ concept has gained more attention and traction.

For years, recommendations have been made for athletes to drink based on pre-determined hydration schedules: Suggesting when to drink and how much. There are Position Stands, Consensus Statements, etc. These include more general recommendations; and now more individual recommendations based on monitoring of hydration status, and fluid losses/sweat rates. Even more recently, although not incredibly new, the ‘drink to thirst’ concept has gained more attention and traction. Clearly a hotly debated topic, what are your thoughts? Should athletes drink to thirst, or on schedule? Should their fluid guidelines be individualized? How so?

Please review the included readings and any additional literature you find relevant. Then provide your thoughts on this topic, addressing these questions and anything else you would like to add. Please provide links to, or copies of, any additional resources you utilize to complete your post.