Heat Exhaustion ?

[Phinnutz]

How do you guys deal with playing in hot conditions ? My whole body gets shut down, I cannot move my feet, I feel like I have no energy. I tried to eat the right snacks ( salty peanuts so my body would retain water), but it still doesn't work . Playing at night, no problem, I move well, I could play for 3 hrs, but during the day ( hot day) I cannot play at all.

Do you guys have any suggestions ?
thanks

[Kirko]

Water alot before you begin playing & while you play forget about salt during play ; you just want to take in water & let it out thru sweating . Thats it.

Drink a sports drink like Gatorade while you are playing so you can replenish your electrolytes. And drink a ton of water before, during, and after play.

[Phinnutz]

alright,
I drink tons of water (i'm a water drinker), I drink a lont of water before the match, during the match and after the match. The water is not the problem. I also drink gatorade every once in a while, but it won't do it (gatorade replaces the -various- salts lost by your muscle , so it's equivalent with eating peanuts and drink water, except the nuts have other good things). Anyway, do you have to train in these conditions ? Are you born with them ? Have you noticed the guys who win in the summer come from hot places?

[Phil]

Maybe you're just in poor physical condition. Physical conditioning, and also acclimation to the heat (i.e. playing a couple weeks in it) are the best defenses against the symptoms you describe-in addition to drinking lots of fluids before, during and after play. Forget about the peanuts. Really-they won't help you. That salt stuff is 1960's-70's advice. And sometimes, when it gets SEVERELY hot, then no one, regardless of conditioning, is going to be able to play for long, and shouldn't try. Tennis is fun but it ain't worth dying for.

[Craig Sheppard]

I agree with Phil--forget the peanuts and start training. If you can't play well in hot weather, than start getting used to the hot weather. Exercise more, start running/cycling, etc--anything to acclimate you to the heat. However, DON'T overexert yourself, and if it's absolutely opressive heat (like upper 90s, with over 90% humidity), be very careful, or avoid those days. Drink plenty of water. Also, have you ever had a physical? Get a checkup, and ask your doctor. I'd ask him about asthma as well. Sometimes hot days with bad air quality can aggravate that type of thing.

Craig

[bcaz]

I live in Arizona and play year-round. I'm 50. My advice is:

-- be in shape, whatever time of year it is.

-- no matter what shape you are in, you have to get acclimated to heat to be able to play in it for several hours. It's similar to acclimating to altitude; even people in great shape struggle for a few days before they get used to it.

-- water, water, and more water.

-- salt is not a myth. One shouldn't overdo it, by any means, but the reality is that you lose a lot of sodium, and other salts, when you sweat a lot. I sweat like Shaquille O'Neal and I'm in good shape. In a hot climate, you body should adapt by sending lots of water to your skin. However, don't over emphasize sodium. Potassium (bananas) and other salts are also important. Get them from food.

[netman]

Lots of good advice above. You might also try using a potassium supplement. Potassium gluconate comes in tablet form, is dirt cheap and you can get it at any durgstore. Take one several hours before a match, then take one right before the match. If you drink lots of water you are actually removing electrolytes from your blood. So supplementing helps here. Another think that works is to use diluted Gatorade or other sports drink. Cut it half and half with water.

In the end, as everyone said above, you have to train your body for the heat. High humidity makes it hard for the body to cool itself since evaporative cooling's effectiveness is limited.

[doubletrouble]

What's the other guy look like? If he is dragging too then its maybe just too hot! What is tons of water? I play on the coast in CA and I go through 2 quarts of Gatorade in a 5 setter. I'm guessing its just a little hotter where you are.

There was an Old Spice commercial - the "sweatiest sport" they said a player loses about 14 8oz cups of water in a match. And as was said earlier water is not the same as Gatorade it tends to pass through you - that why its Gatorade. Drink up!

[tennis-n-sc]

Yep, good advice. Personally, I'd rather get my salts from Gatorade or something similar, but not too much of it and usually with lots of water. One thing I notice is that I need more carbs in the summer heat for energy. I'm in my 50's and live in South Carolina and during league seasons, three of them, we don't have a choice of when to play. It's gonna be in the daytime in the heat. Same with tournaments. You gotta get aclimated and in some kind of shape. I've noticed that when I'm really hot everyone else is too. But guys have died in the heat. Do not over do it.

[Ronaldo]

Drink a gallon of water/day and stay in the heat as long as possible, just find a shady spot to get used to the conditions. Finally, you may want to find a Misty Mate or Cool Blast personal mister. At least tennis is not as bad as 2 a days, eh?

[joe sch]

Lots of good advice on hydrating but its also very important to block out the damaging sun rays as much as possible using hats and clothes, some gofor big hats like those legion ones that Ivan Lendl started wearing, some wear long sleve shirts and in the old days, even pants Sun block can also do wonder in protecting your exposed skin and stopping the burn. Stay cool and look for some shade on switchovers.

[ma2t]

I would recommend wearing proper attire -- a white hat, thin moisture -resistant fabric shirt and shorts, thin low socks, shoes that have good ventilation. Also, I believe water is absorbed more quickly that sports drinks, which is an advantage, although the sports drinks help replenish lost electrolytes, etc. Personally, I drink water and some diluted Gatorade (half water and half Gatorade) at every changeover. A lot of it is just getting in shape and getting used to the conditions. Last time I played, it was 90% humidity and 85 degrees (early in the morning) outside but I still played (doubles) for three hours.

[netman]

Found this on a web site dedicated to Sports Science and Medicine. Its from an article published in Med Sci Sports Exercise 2001 Apr 33(4),
pp654-8.

Fluid and electrolyte balance
Playing for long periods in hot environments causes sweat loss and leads to changes in fluid and electrolyte balance which may affect ionic concentration and contribute to fatigue. Even in a match lasting just two hours at 27¡C (80F), a water loss of around 2 litres must be expected, and even small water deficits (2% body weight) have been shown to impair key elements of mental performance, thus emphasising the need for continuous and sufficient hydration.
Heat acclimatisation can be a key factor here, since players who have been training regularly in a hot environment for several weeks will sweat more readily but with reduced sodium concentrations, and are capable of maintaining a higher sweating rate for a prolonged period of time.

Validates a lot of what has been posted above.

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0824.htm. This link is a more in depth article.

[Phinnutz]

Thanks netman,
it is a great article, and more importantly it answered my question.
once again thanks

[kevhen]

I used to hate the heat too and still sometimes get mild heat stroke but am much better now at dealing with it but am in better physical shape after having lost weight and have a lower heartbeat rate now too. Drinks lots of cold water and sports juice and keep yourself calm and cool and just get used to it so you don't even think about it. Mind over matter plus working out (long distance running) and drinking cold sports juice.

[kevhen]

Don't eat during match, that pulls moisture and blood back into your stomach to digest the peanuts. Just drink the cold juice to keep your body temp cool. I freeze mine beforehand when playing on hot days.

[mlee2]

There's also just splashing ice cold water on your face and back to wake you up and regulate your body.

That works for me.

[equinox]

Take up ice hockey or water polo.

Just keep hydrated well before the match and keep under the shade. Take your time like nadal and go for the towel every point, make it a routine.

[chess9]

Here are some other points to know about playing in the heat:

1. The older you are, the more likely high temps will cause you problems. Once you get over 65, get some kind of agreement with your opponent on resting slightly longer between games. When the heat index is over 90, we try to do that. Lately the index has been over 100, so after the first set, we will rest between every game.

2. The medications you take often affect your ability to tolerate heat. Check your meds!

3. Eating a large, slow to digest meal within two hours of play is contraindicated. I've done this with my morning oatmeal and have paid the price. The Gatorade just sits in your stomach, and your stomach bulges like you are getting ready to deliver a clutch of goslings.

4. Good grief, do NOT eat peanuts during or just before a tennis match!

5. As several others have noted you need the proper balance of electrolytes. If you want to read more than you will ever want to know about hydration go here: http://www.hammernutrition.com/downl...gn=fuelingbook

6. The above article talks about the problem of dilutional hyponatremia. Yes, you can actually drink too much and the results can be tragic. Know how much you are drinking! And if you get tired or feel dizzy drinking isn't the most important solution. STOPPING IS! Getting males to stop is very difficult. Just try to stop me. Almost every single one of my triathlete friends, and me, have trained or raced to the point where we were on the threshhold of serious injury. Tennis players are slightly more rational, but not by much. I have had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Some of the above may actually have science to back it up, some of it may be right and most of it is worth what you paid for it.

-Robert