Human Nutrition.

All Male club athletes.Below are details of a memo we received from a Human Nutrition student who is looking to see if some of our male club athletes over the age of 18 would participate in a project titled “An investigation of the hydration status and nutritional knowledge of male endurance athletes”. Please could you take the time to read this and consider taking part in the project. The student's name is Sarah-Jayne and she will be carrying out the testing procedure on Tuesday the 14th of February at the Sligo I.T athletics track between 4pm and 8pm.

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET

Study title
An investigation of the hydration status and nutritional knowledge of male endurance athletes.

Invitation to participate
You are being invited to take part in a research study that will form the basis of 2 undergraduate research projects at the University of Ulster. Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important that you understand what the research is for and what you will be asked to do. Please read the following information and do not hesitate to ask any questions about anything that might not be clear to you. Make sure that you are happy before you decide what to do. Thank you for taking the time to consider this invitation.

Purpose of the study
Exercise increases the loss of water and electrolytes from the body and, if dehydration (a loss of > 2% body weight through sweat) occurs, this can significantly impair exercise performance. It is important that athletes commence exercise in a hydrated state and have an adequate fluid intake during and after exercise. Sweat rates vary dramatically between athletes and it is important that athletes consume enough fluid during exercise to maintain an adequate hydration status in line with individual needs. Furthermore, nutrition has a profound effect on sports performance and it is important that athletes have a good understanding of their nutritional requirements for optimal performance.

The aim of this study is to assess the hydration status of athletes before and after training and to assess the nutritional knowledge of athletes.

Why have I been chosen?
You have been chosen for this study as you fulfil our inclusion criteria. We are looking for healthy male athletes over the age of 18 who currently train on a regular basis.

Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you decide to take part you will be given this information sheet to keep and be asked to sign a consent form. If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw at any time and without giving a reason. You should be aware however that as the urine samples provided are fully anonymous, it will not be possible to withdraw samples from the study.

What will happen to me if I take part?
If you do decide to take part you will be asked to do the following:
1. Provide a urine sample (~10ml) immediately before and immediately after training on one occasion. Urine samples will be used to assess your hydration status.
2. Complete a questionnaire to assess your sports nutrition knowledge.
3. Have your weight (kg) and height (m) measured. (n.b. weight will be recorded before and after training).

All samples, questionnaires and data will be fully anonymised.

Your participation in the study should take no longer than 45 min in total.

Risks
Participation in this study will pose no risk to participants.

Possible benefits
There are no direct benefits to study participants; however, the findings from this study will provide valuable information with regard to the general hydration status of athletes within your club/team before and after training.

What if something goes wrong?
It is extremely unlikely that something will go wrong during this study. However, you should know that the University has procedures in place for reporting, investigating, recording and handling adverse events and complaints from study volunteers. The University is insured for its staff and students to carry out research involving people. The University knows about this research project and has approved it. Further details on the complaints procedure can be found in the University’s "Research Ethics and Governance" webpage (Internet address: http://research.ulster.ac.uk/rg/0208ResearchVolunteerComplaintsProcedure.pdf). Any complaint should be made, in the first instance, to the Chief Investigator identified for this particular study. Any complaint you make will be treated seriously and reported to the appropriate authority.

Confidentiality
All samples, questionnaires and data will be fully anonymous.

What will happen to the results of the study?
The results of the study will be written up as an undergraduate research project by a final year BSc Hons Human Nutrition student. The student will provide general feedback on the results of the study in the form of a short presentation to the club/team.

Who is organising and funding the research?
This study is being conducted as a final year research project funded by the University of Ulster.

Who has reviewed this study?
This study has been reviewed by the Biomedical Sciences Ethics Filter Committee, University of Ulster.

Contact details:

Sarah-Jayne Boyce: Boyce-SJ@email.ulster.ac.uk

Dr Pamela Magee: pj.magee@ulster.ac.uk