Heat and hydration for pickleball players 55+
Pickleball is a social, joyful sport, and it’s one of the best forms of exercise for players over 55. But it’s also played outdoors on hot asphalt in summer, and every year hospital emergency rooms see pickleball players with heat illness — disproportionately in the 55+ age group. The risk is real, it’s preventable, and it’s almost never discussed at your local open play. This page tries to fix that.
Why older players are at higher risk
Several things change with age that make heat illness more likely:
- You sweat less efficiently. The body’s main cooling system becomes less responsive over time. The same effort in the same weather produces less sweat, which means less evaporative cooling.
- Your thirst signals weaken. By the time an older adult feels thirsty, they’re already measurably dehydrated. Younger players can play by thirst; older players can’t.
- Many common medications reduce heat tolerance. Diuretics, beta-blockers, antihistamines, some antidepressants, and certain blood-pressure medications all affect hydration, sweating, or heart rate responses in the heat. If you’re on any of these, talk to your doctor before summer play.
- Cardiovascular strain is higher. Heat puts demand on your heart to pump blood to the skin for cooling and to the muscles for play. Any underlying heart condition amplifies this.
None of this means you shouldn’t play in the heat. It means you need a strategy.
The hydration plan
Before you play: drink 16 ounces of water in the hour leading up to your session. Not all at once, and not right before — start an hour out.
During play: drink 4 to 8 ounces on every changeover, even if you don’t feel thirsty. For a typical two-hour session, you should go through 32 to 48 ounces of water. If the temperature is above 90°F, bump that up.
Replace electrolytes on long sessions. Plain water is fine for under an hour. For longer sessions in the heat, you need sodium, potassium, and magnesium — use a sports drink (Gatorade, Liquid IV, Nuun, LMNT, etc.) or add a pinch of salt and a splash of orange juice to water. This is not marketing. Heavy sweating without electrolyte replacement can cause hyponatremia, which is dangerous in its own right.
After you play: another 16 to 24 ounces over the hour after the session. Check the color of your urine — it should be pale yellow. Dark yellow means you’re behind.
What to wear
- Light-colored, loose, moisture-wicking fabric. Avoid cotton; it holds sweat. Technical t-shirts and shorts are cheap and make a real difference.
- A wide-brimmed hat or a cap with a back flap. The sun on the back of your neck is one of the biggest heat loads.
- Sunglasses with UV protection. Sun in the eyes causes squinting, which is a stress signal your body responds to.
- Sunscreen, reapplied every two hours. Sunburn reduces your skin’s ability to dissipate heat.
Avoid: dark colors, heavy cotton, anything tight around the neck or chest.
Warning signs you must not ignore
There are two phases of heat illness. The first (heat exhaustion) is recoverable on the bench. The second (heat stroke) is a medical emergency.
Heat exhaustion — walk off the court and rest:
- Heavy sweating
- Weakness or fatigue out of proportion to your effort
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Nausea or upset stomach
- Cool, clammy skin
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
Heat stroke — call 911 immediately:
- Stopping sweating when you should still be sweating
- Hot, dry, red skin
- A core temperature of 103°F or higher
- Confusion, slurred speech, or bizarre behavior
- Fainting or collapse
- Racing heart
When to cancel
You don’t have to play through everything. Cancel or reschedule when:
- Heat index is over 100°F
- You’re on a new medication you haven’t played in heat on before
- You’re not feeling 100% going in (fatigue, stomach bug, hangover, poor sleep)
- You didn’t hydrate properly before arriving
- You don’t have shade, water, or an easy way to stop
The pickleball will still be there tomorrow. Skipping one session is nothing. A hospital visit is a lot.
One last habit: the buddy check
When you play in heat, keep an eye on your partners — not just your partner, but everyone on the court. Older players sometimes don’t notice their own warning signs, and a friend saying “hey, you look a little off, let’s sit” can be the intervention that prevents a bad outcome. Return the favor; if someone tells you to sit down, sit down. Ego kills in the heat.