Hydration Awareness and Effect of Sports Nutrition Education Among Youth Baseball Players: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate hydration awareness among youth baseball players and the effect of sports nutrition education on hydration-related indicators.METHODS Eighty-two youth baseball players who participated in a winter training camp hosted by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) participated in this study. A questionnaire was used to assess hydration awareness, and sports nutrition education focused on hydration-related topics was implemented. Hydration-related indicators such as fluid intake and urine color were measured to determine the effect of sports nutrition education.RESULTS Although the hydration awareness of youth baseball players was low, sports nutrition education had a positive effect on changes in fluid intake and urine color during the training camp.CONCLUSIONS Sports nutrition education should be actively implemented in the field to improve hydration awareness and status among youth baseball players.