Research summary · Hydration and heat
A wearable sweat monitor showed substantial individual error during soccer practice
Researchers compared a reusable hDrop monitor with fluid-adjusted body-mass changes and urine measures during Division I men's soccer training. Athletes contributed 38 practice observations; only 18 had device sweat-loss estimates suitable for the main comparison, while 36 supported hydration-score analyses.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Field-based repeated-measures device-validation pilot study
- Journal
- Nutrients
- Population / context
- Football · Male collegiate players · Hydration monitoring
What the publication reports
The monitor produced sweat-loss estimates in fewer than half of observations. Available estimates had a mean absolute percentage error of 50.3%, with greater underestimation at higher sweat loss. Its hydration score was not significantly associated with urine specific gravity before or after practice. A statistically significant association with sweat loss did not make the measurements interchangeable.
Limits and interpretation
This was a small field pilot with repeated observations, not 38 independent athletes. Missing device estimates and field reference-measure error limit precision. Findings apply to the tested device and setting, not all wearable sensors. The current updated publisher record, rather than an earlier version, is summarized.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Evaluation of a Wearable Hydration Monitor for Estimating Sweat Loss and Hydration Status in Collegiate Athletes: A Pilot Study
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42884617DOI: 10.3390/nu18193166Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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