Tennis junkies like myself have learned over the years that maintaining proper hydration is critical for both the body and mind on court. And here in Texas, the summer heat is brutal, especially when playing a three-setter on a hard court in the middle of August.
Oh sure, you can guzzle water and/or sports drinks all day, but that can only do so much. Meanwhile, you are slowly being filled like a human water balloon.
A few years back I watched Maria Sharapova in a press conference talking about the upcoming US Open. She discussed her plan for beating the heat and staying hydrated, and her secret was quite surprising.
She revealed that during matches that took place in hot temperatures, she sipped Pedialyte between points. Pedialyte? The “sick kids” Pedialyte?
Yep.
According to Abbott Labs (makers of Pedialyte) “Pedialyte provides a precise balance of electrolytes, sugars and water.” Sports drinks are usually too high in carbohydrates (sugar) and too low in sodium (an important electrolyte lost through sweat) and are not the best choice for fighting dehydration.
It’s good for kids and athletes!
I found out for myself how well Pedialyte worked when I tried it during my club’s 2-day member-guest.
It has an unpleasant salty taste to it, so my partner and I played court chemist. We mixed it with some fruit punch Gatorade and sipped it throughout our matches. And even though the mid-day court temperatures reached 110-115 F, we didn’t get light headed, or nauseous, or those dreaded “chills”, or any other warnings of heat stroke. Nothing!
Not only did we survive, but we one our flight!
So now, Pedialyte is a staple in my tennis bag during the hot months.
You can get Pedialyte anywhere – grocery store, pharmacy, most convenience stores – and it comes in a variety of flavors, and in liquid or powder form. It even comes frozen! I prefer the powdered form because I can disguise the taste by adding it to a flavored drink.
I’m gonna go all Don Draper and say that Abbott should have their ad agency spend some dough on sports commercials. They’d get more money and athletes everywhere would learn how to survive the heat! It’s a win-win!