Involuntary dehydration during cricket

The sweat rate, heart rate and core temperature as well as urinary volume, osmolarity, electrolyte concentration and pH of 20 cricketers were measured under cool, warm and hot conditions with wet bulb globe temperature indices of 22.1, 24.5 and 27.1, respectively. Simulated match conditions were used on the cool and warm days, while 3 bowlers were measured under actual match conditions on the hot day. The tendency for higher heart rate, sweat rate and renal conservation of water and sodium on the warm day compared with the cool day is consistent with increasing thermoregulatory stress under relatively moderate environmental conditions. The average dehydration of the three fast bowlers was -4.3% of initial body mass after only two sessions of play, on the hot day. This level of dehydration is sufficient to impair physical performance. These results suggest that the adverse effects of dehydration could be minimised if the rules of cricket were amended to allow players the opportunity to drink as desired when the environmental conditions are extreme.