HOT WEATHER DAYS

Declaring a Heatout

The following guidelines are designed to protect the health of our players on days which are forecast to be near the MEMRLTA’s official heatout temperature of 32°C (see by-law 12f).

• If the two captains agree, begin the day’s play early.
• Any cancellation must not be arranged before the appointed starting time.
• Be well hydrated before you start your match and keep well hydrated while playing.
• If the temperature reaches 32°C at the appointed starting time or at any time thereafter, play may be stopped at the option of either captain.
• However, before the match begins, the captains may mutually agree on a lower heatout temperature (e.g. 30°C or 28°C) at which either team will have the option to stop play and declare a heatout.
• The temperature is to be confirmed by the Bureau of Meteorology official data, e.g. via their weather app, BOM website or Melbourne Metropolitan Temperature and Weather Observation Service 1300 163 578.
• Any player feeling unwell, due to the heat, may be replaced by an eligible substitute (see by-law 14).

Preventing Dehydration In Sport As We Age

Why are we more prone to the effects of dehydration as we get older?

• Muscle mass declines after 50, so less muscle mass means less fluid in your body to start with.
• Our kidneys aren’t as efficient as we age.
• The desire to drink also diminishes as we age so we need to make a conscious effort to drink throughout the day.

Signs of dehydration

• Feeling thirsty
• Feeling unusually tired, lethargic or confused
• Dizziness/light-headedness when you stand up
• A weak or rapid pulse
• Dark, strong urine or urinating less often than usual

Tips for avoiding dehydration

• See your health care provider regularly to ensure you stay on top of your health and prevent any poten:al underlying conditions that could make you more prone to dehydration.
• Do regular weight training and conditioning exercise to minimise muscle mass loss (really good in helping injury prevention too). Check your proposed training program is safe with your health practitioner prior to commencing any new program.
• Find a routine that works for you that encourages you to drink regularly throughout the day. It’s much easier to stay hydrated during exercise if you start hydrated.
• When you expect you’ll be sweating during exercise take some additional sodium with your fluids. This will help maintain your electrolyte levels.
• Apply sunscreen broadly to minimise the dehydrating effects of the sun. Also wear hat, sunglasses and loose-fitting clothes.
• Make sure you are well hydrated before you even take to the court.
• Take frequent sips of water or electrolyte drinks while playing tennis. Change of ends is the perfect time to do this. There’s also no reason you can’t have a drink after each game on hotter days or during long, arduous matches. Keep your fluids up after you have finished playing too. It is important to not over compensate and drink too much as this can also cause problems.
• If you start to feel weak or dizzy, stop playing and seek rest away from the sun. Use an injury time-out if that helps.
• Also make sure you have a good, healthy breakfast before playing and have small nutritious snacks during breaks (bananas are great).

Remember that while the MEMRLTA heatout temperature is 32 degrees, if both teams agree prior to play, you can lower the heatout threshold.