Firstly I must apologise for the lack of updates! I’ve been massively busy over the past week or so setting up a number of projects and I haven’t been able to dedicate any time to this free site.

Since the Australian Open has begun this week I thought it would be appropriate to discuss a little bit on how to deal with extreme heat whilst playing tennis. I’ll give you some basic tips in this article and relay some of my own experiences of these conditions. Another tennis lesson with a difference!

Heat has got to be the biggest climatic factor that we have to deal with when playing tennis. Obviously the best way in dealing with extreme heat conditions is to simply not play but this isn’t always possible especially if you are scheduled to play in a tournament or league match and the officials or opponents refuse to call it off.

In these situations it is absolutely vital to be properly hydrated. Drinking before, during and after the tennis session should be a part of your routine whether it is hot or not but it is amazing how many players don’t do this.

When playing we perspire, in warm weather the evaporation of that perspiration from our skin produces cooling thus bringing down the body’s core temperature. When the body doesn’t have enough fluid to perspire adequately this cooling mechanism fails and the core body temperature rises often leading to severe consequences.

I have played in huge heat many, many times. Once whilst playing in Egypt the temperature was 55 degrees - and that wasn’t even on court! Whilst I was playing a futures event in Hawaii my roommate had a marathon match against a local player.

My friend won the first set comfortably but began to struggle in the extreme conditions. It wasn’t only hot but humid as well, it was even more difficult to stay cool in the midday sun. Midway through the second set my mate (he was from Australia!) was unable to play to his normal high standard and began to hit slower and softer. The rallies became longer and longer and it was obvious that he was in trouble despite being far and away the better player.

After one particularly grueling rally he approached the side netting and threw up a combination of water and Gatorade. Following that after pretty much every point there was more vomiting - everything he drank down came straight back up again. It’s not pleasant to write and believe me, it wasn’t pleasant to watch!

Somehow he came through the match in a second set tie-break - relying on his powerful serving to get him through. After the match he clambered back to the hotel room and jumped in the shower, which is when the cramps started. I was relaxing in front of the TV when I heard agonizing screams coming from the bathroom. I rushed to see what was up and he was slumped in the bath in excruciating pain.

I called down to the tournament director and he sent for an ambulance. Whilst the paramedics were on their way I tried to help as best I could to get water down him and put on his clothes. He was rushed to hospital and needed a total of 4 drips to get his level of hydration back up where it belonged. Needless to say his match the next day was a non contest, his body simply couldn’t recover.

The total body muscle cramps that my friend suffered were caused by severe dehydration. Despite his athletic prowess and constant drinking his body was unable to cope. Some people are simply more susceptible to cramps.

Potassium is often cited as important in avoiding cramps and this is why we often see the professionals eating bananas on court - but this has yet to be scientifically proven. If you suffer cramps easily I would recommend taking Quinine Sulfate tablets once per day during a tournament when high heat is expected.

Let’s look at some other ways to avoid problems in the heat. Firstly, if you must play, avoid playing between midday and two o’clock. As mentioned above, make sure you are properly hydrated - again before, during and after tennis. Water is the best kind of fluid and when mixed with a commercial electrolyte product such as Gatorade can be even more beneficial.

At every change of ends I used to drink approximately half a cup of these fluids - your body takes a little while to process this so it is unnecessary to drink more. Be sure not to wait until you get thirsty - by then it’s too late - you’ve already lost a percentage of your body weight in fluid and your athletic performance will be compromised. Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coca-cola or iced-tea. Caffeine causes dehydration

You should also wear white clothing as it reflects the sun far better than dark colours. A hat is advisable and look to purchase light weight, dri-fit type clothing which is far better at allowing your skin to breathe compared to regular cotton.

Another good tip is to bring to the court a cooler with ice and a towel. You can use these at change of ends to cool your head and neck. Be sure to take your time, utilise any shaded areas between points and especially at the change of ends.

I do hope this has helped any of you who anticipate playing in severe heat. If you have any comments, questions and concerns I’d love to hear from you. Bye for now and happy hitting!