Drink Plenty of Water

As temperatures could reach 31 degrees Celsius today and as high as 34C on Friday, dehydration becomes a 12th player no one wants to play against. So, it is essential to drink plenty of water.

‘Typically, players loose one litre of fluid per hour of match play. A human being can absorb a maximum of 1 to 1 ½ litres of water per hour, thus, it is very important to drink a lot of water. However, more than 1 ½ litres are not necessary,’ emphasis Mads Lynge Jensen, who is a doctor and affiliated with Dana Cup’s medical staff in the MASH tent.

‘In addition to water, it is essential to get salt because everybody needs it. Symptoms of dehydration are, for instance, headache, dizziness and dry skin.

‘Moreover, anyone exposed to heat must also get some sugar. Ordinary sugar – not fruit sugar – for instance, a cup of tea with sugar,’ says Mads Lynge Jensen, who encourages everybody to stay out of the sun if possible, and otherwise cool off with water, if necessary.

‘In last year’s very hot summer, we saw many players with heat strokes and that can be quite uncomfortable. One cannot prevent sunstroke by drinking water. But simply try to avoid staying too long in the sunshine,’ the doctor encourages.