Recently moved to the Caribbean and started playing tennis. I'm in my mid 30's in pretty good shape. I can play for hours in the north east, barely break a sweat. When I play for 2 hours in the Caribbean or more I get exhausted playing with the heat index over 100 degrees F. Temperature is usually in the high 80's low 90s and humidity in the 70's during the day. Sunlight is pretty direct with little cloud coverage. I'm drinking water constantly during play and sweating out buckets of water. Any suggestions on how to better cope with the heat and humidity? Thanks!
Advice for extreme heat and humidity
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SlvrDragon50
Semi-Pro
Hydrate, use one of the cooling towels, try to play when there's less heat. Not much you can do.
SlvrDragon50
Semi-Pro
They're just used to it. It's just like the people who grow up playing in Florida. Acclimation takes time.
Silverbuns
New User
You just have to get used to it. Once you do, it'll still be hot but you won't feel like you're dying. I played a lot this summer (hot) and after about three weeks, 97 degree days weren't nearly as bad for me as for some of my opponents who weren't out as much as me.
Yeah, one morning I was wiped out I didn't have any gatorade and hadn't eaten a lot for breakfast. Just was drinking a ton of water and felt really sluggish after 2 hours. Probably sweated out at least a few pounds of water, if not more.
Get some salt pills. I like a combo electrolyte pill but they can be expensive. If you're a profuse sweater then it's possible to lose like 1000 mg+ an hour. I'm Nadal like and my sweat is salty, I'd guess I'm in the 2k an hour loss area. I feel completely drained when I get home and just want to sleep for the next 10 hours.
Dansan
Semi-Pro
You are not alone. I'm 34 and I play in Florida during the summer, it can be brutal.
After a 2 hour session, my day is over. Dead/drained the rest of the day.
Stay hydrated throughout your day even on off days because it will help you when you do go out to play. A mix of water, fruits/veggies, salts, and sports drinks.
I've been known to put down several beers on a regular basis in evenings, and so I've learned I just can't do that when I'm going to be playing often. Making an effort not to do that often anymore....love of beer vs love of tennis
Obviously diuretics such as alcohol and caffeine will kill your hydration.
I'm going to experiment with a larger hat to shade my head more.
If I wake up in the morning and my mouth is dry, I'm not hydrated. Hydration is kind of a lifestyle you gotta live, eat right, drink right. That's the best you can do.
After a 2 hour session, my day is over. Dead/drained the rest of the day.
Stay hydrated throughout your day even on off days because it will help you when you do go out to play. A mix of water, fruits/veggies, salts, and sports drinks.
I've been known to put down several beers on a regular basis in evenings, and so I've learned I just can't do that when I'm going to be playing often. Making an effort not to do that often anymore....love of beer vs love of tennis
Obviously diuretics such as alcohol and caffeine will kill your hydration.I'm going to experiment with a larger hat to shade my head more.
If I wake up in the morning and my mouth is dry, I'm not hydrated. Hydration is kind of a lifestyle you gotta live, eat right, drink right. That's the best you can do.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
Watch out for hyponatremia: if you hit this threshold, drinking more water won't help because your body doesn't have enough sodium to retain it. It can be life-threatening.
Hyponatremia - Wikipedia
Watch out for hyponatremia: if you hit this threshold, drinking more water won't help because your body doesn't have enough sodium to retain it. It can be life-threatening.
Hyponatremia - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Thank you. Good thing to watch out for.
mikeler
Moderator
You are not alone. I'm 34 and I play in Florida during the summer, it can be brutal.
After a 2 hour session, my day is over. Dead/drained the rest of the day.
Stay hydrated throughout your day even on off days because it will help you when you do go out to play. A mix of water, fruits/veggies, salts, and sports drinks.
I've been known to put down several beers on a regular basis in evenings, and so I've learned I just can't do that when I'm going to be playing often. Making an effort not to do that often anymore....love of beer vs love of tennis
I'm going to experiment with a larger hat to shade my head more.
If I wake up in the morning and my mouth is dry, I'm not hydrated. Hydration is kind of a lifestyle you gotta live, eat right, drink right. That's the best you can do.
Lifelong Floridian here. I'll second this, you really need to stay hydrated every day. I wear the goofy foreign legion hat to cover my neck, cake on the sunscreen and load up on various electrolytes during the match. Having ice cold water is another necessity for me. I started using the energy gu a few years ago on day where I start crashing. Sometimes it gives me the pickup I need but there are always a few days where I hit the wall and my body won't cooperate.
am1899
Legend
Biggest key for me is hydrating the night before playing. For me all it takes is a few extra pints of water between dinner and bed time. When I remember to do it, no cramps, and my tolerance for heat and humidity seems better. It takes a lot longer before I notice, “holy **** it’s hot out here!” Which is worth its weight in gold - an old guy like me needs every edge he can get against other USTA 18+ whipper snappers.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
No play after dark or on Har-tru?
mikeler
Moderator
Har-tru is defintely cooler and easier on the body. I rarely play on hard courts. After dark play becomes necessary in the winter.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Winter??????!!!!!!!!!!
mikeler
Moderator
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
UP Powder,
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Heavenly
Play at night !!!
C
Chadalina
Guest
You have to drink a bunch before you play. My old coach wanted me to drink a gallon of water before each match.
What do you keep your thermastat on in the house? When i was playing alot i would set mine to 80. Going from 72 to 100+ is brutal, from 80 its not so bad. Gotta get acclimated to the heat.
Dansan
Semi-Pro
Native floridian here...I'm heading to Portsmouth NH in about 2 weeks. Guess I'll need a jacket....anything below 65 degrees is chilly for us
Do you guys just stop playing in the winter or are there indoor courts ?
bobleenov1963
Hall of Fame
My family and I went to Turk and Caicos back in Jun 2019 for three weeks and it was 95+ degrees F every day and sunny. Great weather for beach but not for tennis. My son and daughter played tennis there @6am in the morning and we were done by 8am. We played again @7pm until 9pm. Between 8am and 6pm is just brutal outdoor. Lot of coconut there and it was our preferred drink
SlvrDragon50
Semi-Pro
Indoor courts here in Illinois.Native floridian here...I'm heading to Portsmouth NH in about 2 weeks. Guess I'll need a jacket....anything below 65 degrees is chilly for us
Do you guys just stop playing in the winter or are there indoor courts ?
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Native floridian here...I'm heading to Portsmouth NH in about 2 weeks. Guess I'll need a jacket....anything below 65 degrees is chilly for us
Do you guys just stop playing in the winter or are there indoor courts ?
I play on indoor courts. We usually go in mid to late September.
Portsmouth is a very nice place for a visit. It's past the beach season though. Temperatures are back to normal between 40s and 70s. The dip into the low 30s for a few days wasn't really seasonal but it does happen.
mikeler
Moderator
Another thing you can do is other activities in the heat. Walking around the theme parks all afternoon can really help with acclimation.
