Optimizing Hydration in Elite Athletes

Craig A. Horswill, PhD is clinical associate professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois. He had previously spent 8 years conducting research in pediatrics at Columbus Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University as well as researching and teaching at Ball State University in the Human Performance Lab. Dr. Horswill was also a senior scientist and manager for research and development and led the physiology research program at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. There, he helped deliver science and technical support to innovation, professional marketing, sports marketing, sales, and legal divisions. With that industry experience, he brings a unique perspective to his students and colleagues in academia. He has published 56 peer-reviewed articles and many book chapters and other articles. He has served as the principal investigator on numerous projects. He holds 2 patents related to electrolyte replacement and avoiding muscle cramps. Dr. Horswill served on the Interest Group on Combat Sports (cochair, 2007-2010), the Program Planning Committee (member 2007-2009), and the Strategic Health Initiative on Youth Sports and Health (2005- 2009) for the American College of Sports Medicine. He has been an active member of the Midwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine since 1981. He was previously on the Science and Medicine Committee for the USA Wrestling Association (1987-1993) and was a member of the American Society of Nutrition, the North American Society of Pediatric Exercise Medicine, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association

David S. Rowlands, PhD is professor of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Exercise at Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand. There, he also directs the Exercise Physiology and Metabolism lab and is a member of the Nutrition and Dietetics Research Group. He also serves as associate investigator for the Riddet Institute, a national center that addresses the intersection of food material science, novel food processing, gastrointestinal biology, and human nutrition. He previously led the Microvascular and Metabolic Research Group (2013-2019). Professor Rowlands has published regularly with international collaboration, including 81 peer-reviewed articles, several book chapters, and numerous industry reports. His primary research areas include the study of nutrition and nutrients on cellular and whole-body metabolism in health, disease, and response to exercise; his current research interests include carbohydrate type and format on performance and glycemic control, and the role of novel and combined plant and animal-protein matrices on tissue health. His teaching area is exercise metabolism and biochemistry, sport nutrition, and metabolic aspects of clinical exercise physiology. He has led as the principal investigator on numerous projects addressing electrolyte beverages and has published extensively on hydration, including most recently publishing “The Hydrating Effects of Hypertonic, Isotonic, and Hypotonic Sports Drinks and Waters on Central Hydration During Continuous Exercise: A Systematic Meta-Analysis and Perspective” published in Sports Medicine in 2021. He also serves as academic editor for Nutrients, as associate editor for the Australasian Medical Journal, and is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Sport Sciences and Frontiers in Nutrition. Professor Rowlands has received several awards, including the 2017 Gatorade Sport Science Institute and American College of Sports Medicine Sport Nutrition Award. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (Fellow), Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand (professional member), and the American Physiological Society (professional member).