Fit for Play
HOT TOPIC
How to stay safe under the summer Virginia sun
by DAVE POND
WITH A TIP OF THE HAT to the classic
song, “Summertime,” summer living is
definitely easy here in Virginia. Longer
days can mean playing multiple rounds
per day—from early morning foursomes
to post-dinner play under the setting sun.
But with that comes concerns about
player safety. If not accounted for, heat,
humidity and unrelenting sunshine can
play havoc on your enjoyment of the game
as well as your overall health.
To learn more about summertime activity—as
well as ways to combat and prevent
potential maladies that may occur—we
spoke with Jeffrey Lowes, a Titleist Performance
Institute (TPI) Level 3 Medical
Provider and the owner of Forest’s Virginia
Sport & Spine Institute.
DON’T SWEAT IT
“Humidity is a major problem for many
golfers,” Lowes said. “This is commonly
an issue when you have a mid-day tee
time or potentially are playing multiple
rounds of golf in a single day. Evaporation
(sweating) accounts for 80 percent of
how the body cools itself during activity,
and high humidity limits evaporation of
sweat—thus leading to a potentially elevated
internal body temperature.”
From a performance standpoint, when
dehydration occurs, golfers may experience
a lack of focus, poor decision-making,
mood changes and reduced overall
alertness. Additionally, dehydration can
alter visual processing, which can affect
distance and depth perception and lead to
improper club selection.
One of the most significant issues is that
many golfers wait until after their mouth
gets dry, or they feel thirsty before going for
any fluids—which typically is too late when
it comes to weakness and decreased performance
setting in. And, Lowes said, if you’re
walking the course, you need even more
fluids than someone who’s riding in a cart.
So what’s the right amount to stay hydrated
in the summer heat? Well, to get there, we
need to back up a bit. Without accounting
for physical activity, all of us should strive
to consume half our body weight in ounces
of water per day. This means that someone
who weighs 150 pounds should already be
drinking 75 ounces of water every day.
“On top of that, we generally recommend
that 2-4 ounces of water should be
consumed every 10 minutes that you are
active,” Lowes said. “That means consuming
a standard 16.9-ounce bottle of water for
every four holes you play.”
Symptoms
of Dehydration
(Based on % of body water lost)
1-2%
Thirst, fatigue, weakness,
loss of appetite
3-4%
Decreased performance,
dry mouth, decreased
urine production
5-6%
Decreased concentration,
headache, increased
breathing rate
7-10%
Dizziness, muscle
spasms, loss of balance,
exhaustion
ILLUSRATIONS BY MELANIE SCHUMACHER
36
V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY/J UNE 2020
vsga.org