Comparison of different bromide equilibrium times to measure extracellular water in athletes: analysis before and after a 4-day intervention to increase water intake.
Jesus Filipe F, Francisco Rúben R, Kondo Emi E, Nunes Catarina L CL et al.
Bromide (Br-) dilution is the criterion to determine extracellular water. While 3h equilibrium is typically used in athletes, the optimal equilibrium time has not been assessed. The study aimed to determine the optimal time of equilibrium of Br- in athletes before and after increasing water intake (WI). Thirty-one athletes [21.5 (0.8) years; 41.9% females] from the H2OAthletes randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT05380089) were included in this longitudinal sub-analysis. Athletes were assessed before and after a 4-day intervention to increase WI (experimental group) or maintain WI (control group). Br- dilution was assessed through saliva before and 3, 4, and 5h post-dose. Total body water (TBW) and water turnover (rH2O) was measured through deuterium dilution. Body composition was determined through the 4-compartment model. At baseline, most athletes achieved equilibrium at 3h (45.2%) or 4h (48.4%). After the intervention, most athletes (70.4%) achieved peak concentration at 3h, with fewer reaching at 4h (14.8%) or 5h (14.8%). No differences in body composition, TBW, or rH2O were observed between athletes grouped according to the time of peak, both before and after the intervention. Time of peak was not associated with the intervention group [x2 (1)=1.439; p=0.487] or sex both before [x2 (1)=0.230; p=0.891] and after the intervention [x2 (1)=0.728; p=0.695]. Br- equilibrium appears to occur 3h to 4h post-dosing, suggesting it is unnecessary to extend the collection to 5h, reducing the burden on athletes. Future studies should include larger samples to confirm the current findings.