Drain on game

Elite tennis players are ruining their chances at big tournaments by starting matches dehydrated.

With millions of pounds in prize money

at stake and lucrative

sponsorships on offer, it

seems inconceivable

that professional athletes need educating

on such an issue.

Scroll down to read more:

Research undertaken

at last month’s Rome

Masters showed one in

two players was dehydrated

at the start of a

match.

Players can lose

up to the equivalent of

two per cent of their

body weight without

suitable hydration strategies. That decrease

in weight can have a negative impact on their

performance, both physically

and mentally.

It is not just a failure

to take on sufficient

fluids that has an adverse effect on players’ performances.

High sweat rates also

contribute to premature

fatigue and debilitating

muscle cramps.

This week, the Artois

Championships will be

working with the Lucozade Sport Science

Academy to increase

player awareness.

The

LSSA will offer each

individual personalised

hydration strategies to

ensure players remain

hydrated and successfully

combat fatigue.