Summer means more matches, fewer layers, and extra practice time. Unfortunately, it also means increased sun exposure and risk for sunburns and heat illness. But if you follow the right sun safety rules, you can hit the courts just as hard this season without getting burned.
PROTECT YOUR SKIN
Wearing sunblock is essential for athletes since sweaty skin burns at lower UV light levels. “Tennis players should use a minimum SPF of 30 and recognize that even ‘sweat-proof’ varieties need to be reapplied frequently, as often as once per hour during periods of intense sweating,” says Dr. Brian Adams, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Cincinnati and a consultant for the WTA tour.
Adams recommends wearing moisture-wicking clothing to cut down on sweat and using spray sunscreen to avoid a greasy grip.
Check with your doctor if you’re on antibiotics, acne medications, or other prescriptions that result in extra sensitivity to light.
LOOK SHARP
Think a visor or a hat is enough eye protection? Not according to Dr. Samir A. Shah, a cornea and external disease specialist at Henry Ford Ophthalmology in Detroit. He warns that leaving eyes unprotected “can lead to the development of eye diseases like pinguecula, pterygium, cataracts and macular degeneration.”
To protect eyes from reflective courts and direct glances into the sun during serves, Shah says players should wear shatterproof sports goggles that block most high-energy visible, or HEV, light, and 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays.
STAY COOL
Skin and eye damage aren’t the only risks that come with exercising in the sun. You also need to watch out for things like dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion. To prevent them, take frequent cool-down breaks, and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to replace fluids and electrolytes.
Michael Bergeron, Ph.D., a WTA hydration consultant, advises drinking a liter of a sports drink and a half liter of water for each hour of tennis. “Strong thirst may be a sign that you’re already 2 to 3 percent dehydrated,” he says. “A 1 percent level of dehydration can decrease athletic performance; 3 percent could put you in the high risk zone for heat illness.”
Most importantly, listen to your body—stop playing immediately if you feel sick, and avoid the sun between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M., when rays are strongest.
Originally published in the July/August 2010 issue of TENNIS.