Which signs indicate dehydration in an athlete?

• A. Excessive urination and clear urine only.
• B. Thirst, dry mouth, dark urine, fatigue, dizziness, decreased performance, and feeling lightheaded.
• C. No symptoms at all.
• D. Nausea without other signs.

Answer: (B)

Dehydration shows up when the body’s fluid deficit starts to affect both basic needs and performance. The best choice reflects a combination of common, recognizable signs: thirst and dry mouth signal that you’re not adequately hydrated; dark urine indicates concentrated urine from fluid loss; fatigue and dizziness show the body's reduced blood volume and impaired thermoregulation; decreased performance is often the practical impact athletes notice during training or competition; and feeling lightheaded ties these effects together as fluids drop further. Together, these signs provide a coherent picture of dehydration in an athlete.

Excessive urination with clear urine would more likely point to well-hydrated status or possible overhydration, not dehydration. No symptoms at all cannot indicate dehydration, since dehydration characteristically produces at least a few signs. Nausea by itself is not specific enough to diagnose dehydration, whereas the listed cluster of signs forms a clearer, more reliable signal of fluid deficit.