Youth tennis players do not fully comprehend the significance of proper hydration. We conducted an experiment at a training camp to evaluate a lecture on proper hydration for junior players; our body mass (BM) measurements before and after practice on each of the first and second day was recorded for comparison purposes.
Dehydration hinders exercise performance and increases the risk of heat-related illness, so proper hydration requires fluids containing electrolytes to compensate for sodium losses in sweat and promote water retention.
Pre-Exercise Hydration
Youth tennis players with an effective understanding of how to monitor their hydration status are more likely to hydrate sufficiently during matches and intense training sessions, particularly those that produce sweat at high rates during exercise, which increases body fluid loss that must be replaced through ingestion of water or beverage (Martin, 2018). It is generally suggested that they consume at least 30cl during side changes during matches (Martin, 2018), however this amount should be tailored based on each athlete’s sweat rate and gastric emptying rate.
An appropriate level of hydration can be determined by measuring urine output prior to exercise; this indicates that kidneys aren’t producing too much urine to excrete all the fluids consumed. Furthermore, consider its color; darker hues indicate more body fluid was lost than was consumed and may indicate dehydration has already occurred.
Drinks that contain electrolytes should be the norm during practices and matches as these help with fluid absorption, helping prevent dehydration. This drink should especially be consumed if the match or training session lasts over 90 minutes as sweat loss causes early fatigue and heat illness.
Even though dehydration has long-term repercussions on performance, its importance can often be neglected in tennis, particularly among junior players who play alone and do not receive advice during matches from others. Our study group demonstrated this, being mostly unaware that drinking water should help avoid decreased performances and heat-related illness. Through education – such as an educational lecture given to young tennis players – awareness about its significance can be significantly increased.
Post-Exercise Hydration
As tennis matches typically take place in hot environments, sweat rates can quickly become an issue that needs to be compensated for quickly; otherwise dehydration could set in and cause further reduction of performance (Bergeron et al. 2007).
After every tennis match, it is essential that sufficient water be available. Players’ hydration status can best be assessed by taking measurements of their body mass index (BM), WLR (calculated by subtracting BM before and after practice from WLR calculated via subtracting), symptoms of heat-related illness during practice sessions as well as asking whether any were experienced.
Our research revealed that junior tennis players may not always understand the significance of proper hydration management during competitions. Results demonstrated that players often begin matches measurably dehydrated which increases on-court thermal strain (Bergeron et al., 2017).
However, WLR among players who had attended our lecture was lower than among players who hadn’t. This suggests that knowledge about hydration cannot easily transfer between environments and that junior tennis players need to learn how to manage their hydration independently.
Our results also revealed that many junior tennis players were unaware of the significance of electrolytes to their hydration status. Although it’s recommended that water and electrolyte drinks should be consumed at equal amounts, this approach may not work best due to variations in sweat sodium concentration and sweat rate between players; additionally, water quality varies across regions, so high-sodium sports drinks might not provide maximum benefit to certain individuals.
Most health professionals and athletes acknowledge the value of consistent hydration management as part of healthy habits and practices. Not only can it support acute exercise and performance, but it can also prevent chronic disease (Clarke et al. 2016). Therefore it is vital that youth athletes develop healthy attitudes toward hydration management which could impact their beliefs and behaviors as adults.
Warm-Up Hydration
If you plan on playing tennis for over an hour, make sure that you bring plenty of fluids with you to drink. A great way to do this is to preload your body with fluids prior to exercise – particularly in hot and humid conditions – which will provide an additional source of hydration over time and improve performance.
This can also serve as an opportunity to familiarize your body with drinking during exercise, and learn the best time and way for you to hydrate during practice sessions. While you should drink throughout, most of your fluid consumption should occur prior to and during warm-up phase. When sweating heavily starts occurring, your fluid loss accelerates rapidly – so being well hydrated beforehand gives you more reserves from which you can draw upon when needed, making hydration maintenance much simpler.
Many youth tennis players don’t realize they aren’t getting enough fluids during a long match, particularly if the match goes the distance. According to one study that investigated participant hydration habits at a tennis camp (Rowland 2007), only 50% of U12 players knew the importance of staying hydrated during play (Rowland).
As well, most youth athletes were unaware of the significance of preloading their bodies with fluids prior to competition and should not rely on thirst alone as a gauge of their hydration status.
Drinking freely during a game can lead to involuntary dehydration; however, tailor-made hydration strategies for each player may decrease this risk. Such plans may be implemented by trainers, coaches or medical staff of tournament sites by measuring fluid loss during events.
When it comes to measuring an athlete’s sweat rate, one method involves weighing them both before and after exercising, subtracting their post-exercise weight from their pre-exercise weight to determine how much fluid was lost through sweat in kilograms – this number can then be divided by how long or minutes they spent exercising in order to calculate an hourly average sweat rate rate.
Cool-Down Hydration
While cooling down, players should replenish any losses from sweat. A good rule of thumb is to drink 20 ounces for every pound lost during play; remembering to sip slowly rather than gulp down fluids. Some experts also suggest adding salt for added electrolytes as our bodies lose them through sweating; but it should not replace proper hydration practices.
Young tennis players should consume 12-16 ounces of water or a sports beverage on competition days and eight more during warm up period, and consume pre-match meal rich in carbohydrates (e.g. pasta/rice) and proteins which provide energy sources to fuel the body during competition.
An inconvenient reality of junior tournament play is multiple matches on one day with too little rest and recovery between contests, leading to dehydration and reduced performance levels due to prolonged exertion, excessive heat exposure and thermal strain.
Although there is limited field-supported and sport-specific evidence, it is generally accepted that individual players’ rehydration strategies should be tailored according to age, size, fitness level and experience with exercising in heat. Younger players tend to be less effective at managing body temperature during exercise in heat than adults and can become more vulnerable to exertional heat illness than adults (Martin 2018).
Young tennis players should establish the habit of regularly hydrating themselves before and during matches, in addition to eating well on a consistent basis and maintaining a healthy body weight in order to decrease over-training injuries. Furthermore, professional coaching plays an integral part of developing skills and knowledge which will remain with them forever.