The sport I am into playing at this time is tennis. One day I’ll write about the ills suffered at the hands of the tennis demigods, but today Anna Chakvetadze is having issues. Specifically, she’s had to withdraw from the Porsche Tennis Grad Prix. She was tied 4-4 in the deciding third set against Zuzana Kucova.
This is the third time she’s withdrawn from a tournament due to dizziness. She is concerned:
I started the match feeling fine, but I knew the dizziness was coming and started to feel worse in the second set. It was the same feeling as the two times before. I have seen a doctor and I don’t really have anything more to update with at the moment.
So, what are the top three causes of dizziness when playing tennis?
Heat exhaustion: Tennis is a very physically demanding game at the top levels. Heat can affect your body in many ways given the length of matches at the professional level. Not only do you lose fluids (see below), but your body begins to suffer from heat exhaustion. This can cause dizziness as your body begins to deal with the excess heat.
Dehydration: Many people assume that dehydration is caused by heat, but it isn’t always. Tennis is a sport that taxes the body through both aerobic and anaerobic activities. This means that your body can lose the vital electrolytes needed for performance. No, this isn’t a Gatorade tm commercial. Dizziness is one of the first symptoms of dehydration due to your body’s inability to handle all the demands.
Virus:Viral illnesses can cause dizziness by interfering with the bodies normal processes and homeostasis regulation. Even through heat exhaustion and dehydration are the more likely culprits, a viral infection could cause both, which leads to dizziness.
Complete Conditioning for Tennis (Complete Conditioning for Sports Series)Health, Mind & Body Books)
All three of the conditions above are easily treatable and, most important, easily diagnosable.
Anna says she has sought medical attention for her dizziness issues, but there aren’t any answers. If you presume the medical staff she is seeing is competent, this is going to be something worthy of a House episode.