I just completed two weekends of tennis tournaments without a migraine!  I realize not every migrainuer plays tennis.  Whether you want to run, bike, hike a mountain, or do whatever form of activity you love, avoiding a migraine means you must properly prepare.

Before beginning my migraine plan I spent tournament weekends overusing triptans and caffeine in an attempt to just make it through the weekend.  Then I would spend days trying to recover from the weekend in a dark room with ice wrapped around my head.  I am now able to make it through my tournament weekend through proper preparation.

The difficulty playing in tennis tournaments (and many other sports or activities) for the migrainuer lies in the high temperatures (1), the change in activity level (2), and possible dehydration (3).  All three of these factors are physical stressors and require proper preparation in order to overcome them.

1.  High Temperatures:  The weather in Oklahoma did not reach 100 degrees until a week before the tournaments began.  Although the beautiful 80 degree weather up until now provided many comfortable days of tennis it did not give me the opportunity to acclimate to the 100 degree weather I encountered for the tournaments.  Another important temperature fact about tennis is that you add 10-15 degrees to the temperature when playing on hard court surfaces (which I did this past weekend).  Since I spend most my days in a well shaded air-conditioned room, preparing for the tournament means I needed to start acclimating to a sunny 110 degree environment.  Most of the time as a migrainuer I avoid heat and exercise because it is a migraine trigger.  However tournament officials don't appear to care about my migraine brain so at least one of my match times will be in the middle of the day and at peak heat.  Since no one has invented a weather machine yet, I must acclimate to this hot environment.  The experts say that it takes about 7-14 days to acclimate to temperature changes.  My acclimation plan started with adding a walk into my routine at the hottest possible time (around 5 p.m.).  I gradually increased the length of my walks in the heat in order to slowly acclimate and avoid an exertion level that would trigger a migraine.

2.  Change in Activity Level:  Any change for a migrainuer can be a trigger.  Stressing our bodies to do something that they aren't accustomed to whether it is staying awake too long or skipping meals can put us over the edge.  Tennis tournaments mean an unpredictable amount of activity.  A highly competitive third set match could possibly mean I am on the court for over two hours.  Since we play two matches a day, I may be playing four hours of tennis a day.  Trust me when I say that I never play four hours of tennis a day.  What I can do is make sure my body is well-conditioned.  I get on my treadmill or bike whenever I can squeeze in an extra 45 minutes of cardio in order to prepare my body physically.  Only one Saturday before the tournaments began was I able to play tennis twice in one day.

3.  Possible Dehydration:  Properly hydrating is extremely important for exercising in the heat.  Headaches are a main symptom of heat exhaustion.  Heat exhaustion is brought on by high temperatures, humidity and overexertion.  Body water is what keeps us cool.  If you allow your body to dehydrate you can't sweat enough to keep from overheating.  I start hydrating the week before the tournament.  My goal is to never be thirsty and to pee clear.  The day of the tournament I wake up drinking water.  I drink two full 16 oz. waters before I get to the courts.  The Sport Medical Advisory Committee recommends you drink another 8 to 16 oz. of water 15 minutes prior to your event.  They also recommend drinking 4 to 8
oz. of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during your event.  I drink as much as possible at every change over.  Their recommendation for after events is to drink 16 to 20 oz. of water for every pound lost before the next competition (I will not be weighing myself at the courts). I plan to drink as much water as possible and seek shade  (if I can find some) between and during matches.  The recommendation regarding sports drinks is that they may provide additional benefits with "prolonged continuous or intermittent activity of greater than 45 minutes, continuous or repeated exertion, and in warm-to-hot and humid conditions".  The problem with sports drinks for the migrainuer is that the ingredients are many times migraine triggers.  The idea behind sports drinks is to give an athlete both carbohydrate along with electrolyte replacement during the event.  This migrainuer  will stock some cherry juice in my cooler to sip on if I need some carbohydrate and carry a salty snack for sodium replacement.

Happy Hot Exercising--I hope my experience will help better prepare another migrainuer for exercising in the heat.

I just finished my first women's USTA match of the year!   I am so excited to start a tennis season without migraines.  When my migraines became chronic, I was in the midst of competitive tennis season.  A number of factors coincide during a tennis match to create the perfect migraine storm. 

1. Heat: Here in Oklahoma, it is not unheard of to be playing a match in over 100 degree weather.  To combat this I try to make sure that I am adequately hydrated and seek shade whenever it's possible.

2. Blinding Light: During these 100 degree days, even with the best pair of UV shades available, there is no avoiding staring directly into the sun during a match.  When I toss my ball up for a serve the sun is there.  When my opponent annoyingly, but wisely lobs me, the sun is there.  I wear my shades and hat or visor and hope for the best.

 3. Dehydration: While deliberately blinding myself in this "just for fun" game of tennis, the heat and activity drain me of all my water reserve.  Like I said making sure I drink plenty of water the day before and day of a match is important.

4. Stress: If heat, the bright and blinding light of the sun, and dehydration weren't enough to trigger a migraine I can add competitive stress to the list of triggers.  Don't forget about stress caused by anger and frustration.  If you think an adult won't cheat you at a "fun" game of tennis you are wrong. When I am not playing up to my usual aptitude the anger isn't directed towards my opponent it is directed towards myself.  I try to remember that tennis is  my entertainment and recreation, not to be stressed and worried about.

After rereading those triggers, I am starting to wonder why anyone would play adult competitive tennis.  I never completely gave up tennis through my bout with chronic migraines, but I did sit myself out of many a match when I was in pain or knew I couldn't handle the heat.  During those days I popped quite a few drugs (triptans and anti-inflammatories) to get through my tennis match and that day.  It's hard to combat the heat, but making sure I am adequately hydrated prematch is a must.  I good pair of shades and a hat or visor helps some when playing in the sun. 

The migraine experts will tell you that regular exercise can lower your migraine threshold.  However, it can be somewhat of a catch 22 since it's also a trigger.  Adherence to my migraine plan has resulted not only in being almost  migraine-free for a year, but now I can start my competitive tennis season without the anxiety and anticipation of a headache.  I have listed a bunch of bad things I associate with tennis and obviously there must be an upside to the sport or I wouldn't be playing it.  Here are some good things about tennis...

1.  It builds cardiovascular fitness, strength, agility, flexibility, and coordination.
2.  According to Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger, playing tennis for 3 hours per week at a moderately vigorous intensity will cut your risk of death in half from any cause.
3. Competitive tennis burns more calories than aerobics or cycling, according to studies in caloric expenditures (and my polar watch).   I don't even realize how hard I am working because it is more like a game than exercise to me. 
4. Scientists at the University of Illinois found tennis requires alertness and tactical thinking which can generate new connections between nerves in the brain and promote a lifetime of continuing brain development (I knew tennis players were smart people).
5. It's a lifelong sport. I hope to be hitting the little yellow ball well into my senior years.
6. It's a social sport.  My closest friends have been found on the tennis court.  Just look at all these pretty people!