Team Nutrition- Quick test

Steps to use at home and before competition

To carry out this quick test you need to check the colour of your urine. This can be in the bowel or in a clear jar, where the first part of the urine stream is discarded and a small sample of urine collected into the jar.

The sample should be collected first thing in the morning and then compared with a sample after exercise, or at the end of the day. Measurement may be done immediately, or the specimen can be stored for later analysis.

For a more specific guide to your hydration levels try to compare samples collected prior to and post competition exercise. (Please note there may be a time delay of up to 2 hours for the effect of dehydration to pass through the body and show in the urine colour.)

The sample should be held up in front of a white background, in good light, and the colour compared to the “ Urine Colour Hydration  Chart” below.

The lower the reference number / colour, the better the results.!

Urine colour ratings of 1, 2 and 3 are considered to be well-hydrated  (Armstrong, 2000).  However, colour ratings below 3 suggest some de hydration and therefore loss of physical and mental performance.

Based on these results you can make change to the volume and timing of  your  fluid intake.

Please note
Certain medicines and vitamins may cause the colour of the urine to change. If any of these have been taken, this test is unreliable.

The colours your see on the screen, or when you print the image out, may appear different to the original chart. Therefore this chart should only be used as a guide.