While Carlo Ancelotti works on the field to assemble the Brazilian team that will seek a sixth championship, another Brazilian works behind the scenes in the team’s preparation. In the laboratories of the University of Florida, in the United States, Rio Grande do Sul researcher Orlando Laitano develops hydration and adaptation to heat strategies that have been used with the Brazilian team.
A specialist in exercise physiology and heat-related illnesses, Laitano has worked for more than a decade with the Brazilian national team, analyzing how each player reacts to high temperatures and fluid loss during training and matches. The objective is simple: to make athletes arrive better prepared to compete in extreme conditions of heat and humidity.
The World Cup’s invisible opponent
The 2026 World Cup will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada during the northern hemisphere summer. Some venues, like Miami itself, can experience high temperatures and high levels of humidity, factors that directly affect players’ performance.
For many experts, the heat can be as decisive as the opponent on the pitch.
That’s exactly where Orlando Laitano’s work comes in. The researcher studies the so-called “sweat science”, an area that seeks to understand how the body loses water and electrolytes during physical exertion. This information allows you to create individualized hydration strategies for each athlete.
“People used to think that sweat only meant physical effort. Today we know that it carries much more information than just water”, explained the researcher in an interview with the University of Florida.
Each player has a different sweat
One of the most important points of Laitano’s research is the discovery that there is no single formula for hydration.
During the Brazilian National Team’s training periods, the scientist uses sweat collection stickers and monitoring systems to measure exactly how much liquid, sodium and chloride each athlete loses. With this data, personalized fluid replacement protocols are created.
According to the researcher, two players can play in the same match, under the same weather conditions, but lose completely different amounts of water and minerals.
Furthermore, the position on the field also influences. A midfielder who travels long distances may have different physiological needs than a goalkeeper or a striker. Therefore, each athlete receives specific guidance.
Competitive advantage
In modern football, minute details can decide a match.
Apparently minor dehydration can cause:
- Reduction of physical resistance;
- Drop in reaction speed;
- Worse decision making;
- Increased risk of cramps;
- Slower recovery between games.
In short tournaments like the World Cup, where a team can play several matches in a few weeks, the ability to recover has become one of the main competitive differentiators.
This is why the work of sports physiologists and scientists has gained so much importance within national teams.
Who is Orlando Laitano
Born in Brazil, Orlando Laitano built an international career in the field of human physiology. He is currently an assistant professor and director of the Muscular and Environmental Physiology Laboratory at the University of Florida, one of the world’s leading references in sports research.
His career includes studies on:
- Water balance in athletes;
- Heatstroke due to physical exertion;
- Adaptation to heat;
- Sports performance in extreme environments.
In addition to his academic work, he is also an international consultant for the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, an organization that has researched hydration and sports performance in elite athletes for decades.
Brazilian science in an increasingly technological World Cup
Orlando Laitano’s work shows how modern football is increasingly connected to science.
Today, cutting-edge selections use physiological data, GPS monitoring, artificial intelligence, biomechanical analysis and metabolic studies to seek competitive advantages. Personalized hydration is part of this universe.
While fans watch goals, dribbles and saves, professionals like Laitano work behind the scenes to ensure that players are in the best possible condition to withstand the physical wear and tear of a World Cup.
On the way to a sixth championship
With the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of the Brazilian team, Brazil seeks to begin a new cycle towards the long-awaited sixth world title.
But preparing for a World Cup doesn’t just happen on the training pitch. It also involves laboratories, sports medicine and research such as that developed by Orlando Laitano.
In 2026, when the ball rolls in North American stadiums, part of the Brazilian strategy against one of the tournament’s biggest opponents – the heat – will have the signature of a Brazilian scientist who transformed sweat into a high-performance tool.
And if the Seleção lifts the cup once again, there will be much more than football behind the achievement. There will also be science.
