The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hydration status and thermoregulatory responses, during official soccer matches, of soccer players in different categories. The participants of the under-15 (U-15, n=36) and of the under-17 category (U-17, n=14) were placed into different groups according to the amount of time spent in the field: Main group; Partial group; Intermediate group; Control group. The thermoregulatory responses and hydration status were measured. The Main group and the

more »

... ial group presented significantly higher water intake, weight loss and sweat rate compared with the Intermediate and Control group (p<0.05). The under-17 players of the Main group had a larger weight difference pre and post match compared with the under-15 players of the same group (p<0.05). It was concluded that an official soccer match altered significantly the hydration status of the players, and it was related with the time spent in the match.