Stavros Kavouras, a University of Arkansas associate professor and coordinator of the exercise science program, gave presentations earlier this month in Japan and China on his research into the effectiveness of using urine color as a guide to hydration status.

Data from Kavouras' research indicated that urine color can be as effective a gauge as expensive and complicated laboratory analyses to which most people do not have access. A urine color guide can help a person know whether he or she is taking in adequate water and other liquids for optimal health.

"Another important point is that our daily water intake requirements can significantly vary based on the weather and our activity level," Kavouras said. "So, hydration self-assessment is of a great value. By evaluating your own urine color, you can have a fairly good idea of whether you need to drink more water."

While earning a doctorate at the University of Connecticut, Kavouras studied with leading hydration researcher Lawrence Armstrong, who developed the eight-point urine color scale in the 1990s. Urine ideally should be pale yellow or straw-colored. The darker the urine, the more concentrated it is and the more dehydrated the individual.

Kavouras presented scientific evidence May 17 to attendees of a luncheon symposium in Yokohama, Japan, titled "Hydration: From Daily Intake Habits and Assessment to Cognition and Mood." His talk was titled "Assessing Hydration in Adults and Children."

Then, Kavouras flew to Beijing for the May 18 Chinese Nutrition Society Conference that takes place every two years. He was also an invited speaker for the conferences in 2013 and 2011, when the society announced major changes in recommended volumes and nutritional dietary guidelines for water.

His talk during the "Hydration and Health for Children: From Science Research to Practice of Life" symposium was titled "Assessing Hydration in Children: From Physiology to Practical Tools."

Kavouras was lead author on a study published last month in the European Journal of Nutrition that described research validating the urine color scale for use by healthy children.