Getting Tired

[dhallgar]

Tiring during round

I am sixty eight, and healthy, live in wes tex, and the heat sometimes just gets everyone.
BUT, myself and I notice many others, in my senior group, tire later in the round. This is frustrating, myself included, never know what has happened until after the round. Front nine is a forty, back nine is a fifty, yucks, double yucks.
I would appreciate hints from those more experienced at dealing with this sort of thing.
WHAT HELPS YOU GET THROUGH THE ENTIRE ROUND//////keeping in mind, there is no magic pill for this, but perhaps some of you have something that works for you.
kind regards david

[MrParr1Noid]

A bottle or two of water, and apple or a banana, and a granola bar. Works for me... Usually.

[shuttle1]

What I'm doing, and the heat absolutely beats me down....

Drinking water in excess an hour or two before hitting the course.

A protein shake, usually with a banana blended in before heading out the door.

A 64oz gatorade for the course, usually finish it and fill with water about hole 11-12.

A energy/protein bar at the turn or time permitting a Tuna sandwich at the turn. No soft drinks or alcohol.

Following this routine has helped me tremendously. I also keep a wet towel around my neck in between shots
as well as douse my head with water every couple of holes.

May sound extreme but it works.

*edit*

for you guys that don't play in 100+ degree temps it might seem extreme but it's a whole different ball game when it gets
this hot.

Good luck

[Trendsetter916]

I'm only 23 but on hot days I always get really hydrated before a round. I drink at least 2 bottles of water or Gatorade before my round and drink 4 bottles of water on the front and 4 on the back. I also take a couple Ginseng pills along with my daily mens vitamins, it helps keep my energy levels up. I also have a habit of eating either power bars or other healthy snacks like carrots or crackers. I even sneak in a couple candy bars just to feel like I am keeping gas in the tank during my round.

[TuffKukae]

I drink Amino Vital, that stuff really works.

[EnglishBob]

All of the above on hydrating, and for me as i walk, a reflective silver Sun mountain umbrella to give me shade as I push my cart.... it is really different under that thing from in the direct heat.

Currently on the 3rd week of 100 plus heat here. And for an Englishman in California, it really kicks my butt.

[Greenie]

I usually drink a bottle of Gatorade 32oz on the way to the course and have a light snack.Granola bars ,trail mix ,along those lines.I then drink constantly while playing.I carry to bottles of Gatorade on the course ,plus water.I take sips every hole and if it is really hot after every shot.I use to wait till I got thirsty but this method works well for me now.I also snack on trail mix or power bars.A bannana after the turn does wonders for me too.Wearing proper clothing helps out alot too.There are various brands out there.Addias Clima Cool is my favorite but I have some of all the brands.(Nike,Underarmour,etc).
These will keep you really cool on a super hot day.My friend wears a mock neck long sleeve Clima Cool when it is really sunny and stays cool.A nice hat and comfortable shoes and I am ready for anything.These ideas works well for me.Most of my group are in their fifties.We still play 36 holes every other Tue and we have played a few times each yr when temps hit 100.In the afternoon it can really get to you.

[cAsE sEnSiTiVe]

Don't forget to hydrate the night before as well. Believe me, it helps.

[MrParr1Noid]

Just a word of caution to some of the seniors out there. Some of these sports drinks are loaded with salt. Even if the drinks aren't loaded, the amounts they do contain, coupled with the amount you may consume, might be putting some of us at risk. JAT Water is the way...

p.s. I do like the above suggestion of wearing long sleeved shirts to keep cool.

[Hidalgo]

[quote name='MrParr1Noid' post='1847278' date='Jul 27 2009, 10:40 PM']Just a word of caution to some of the seniors out there. Some of these sports drinks are loaded with salt. Even if the drinks aren't loaded, the amounts they do contain, coupled with the amount you may consume, might be putting some of us at risk. JAT Water is the way... [/quote]

YEP...good advise. Stay away from anything except plain 'ole H2O.

Bananas, apples, and oranges are ideal also.

[Ridgecrest18]

I'll precurse my response w/ the fact that it is my preference to both walk and carry my bag whenever possible....... Having said that, once the temperature and/or heat idex moves into the high double digits and above for a few days, a golf cart becomes a real, if somewhat distasteful, asset........ Regardless of age or physical conditioning, there are times when simple prudence should override one's sensibilities for tradition. After all, a round of Golf should be intended to challenge one's skill at the game, not their physical well being.

Just the thoughts of a blade-playing 56 year old traditionalist.

[Solutions Etcetera]

Lots of water and no booze the night before. Take a small cooler filled with ice and wet towels. Towel off your face, head, and neck often, not just when you think you need it.

Take a liter bottle and fill 3/4 with water and freeze the night before, fill it up the rest of the way with cold water just before your round and you'll have cold water all day. Have a few swigs at each tee (whether you're thirsty or not).

In really hot weather, consider a brimmed straw hat, and possibly even one of those hand pump misters. All of these will help to keep you refreshed during your round and eliminate the fatigue.

I rarely eat during a round but bananas (you can peel and freeze them the night before) are great as is real granola (my local SafeWay bakery has tubs they've made up that are wonderful).

Key is don't wait until you feel hot, tired, thirsty, or hungry to do anything about it.

[fillphil]

You wanna wake up and get back to business? Have someone pour ice cold water down your back along the spine. This is great, also, for someone who you suspect is falling into prostration. Gotta keep alert and COOL. Wet cold towel around neck and rub down your arms and legs. Shade-Shade-Shade. Play at night!

[yoonie]

I'm 24 and I have to deal with this. After long practice day and then 18, especially in the sun, fatigue is simply always going to be a factor.

Obviously, as people said keeping hydrated and cool is important, as well as eating small amount throughout the round (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, trail mix, etc), but a lot of it comes down to conditioning. Adding a bit of light interval training to get your heartrate up and down regularly to your weekly routine is the only solution I think.

[MrParr1Noid]

[quote name='yoonie' post='1856071' date='Jul 31 2009, 04:02 PM']I'm 24 and I have to deal with this. After long practice day and then 18, especially in the sun, fatigue is simply always going to be a factor.

Obviously, as people said keeping hydrated and cool is important, as well as eating small amount throughout the round (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, trail mix, etc), but a lot of it comes down to conditioning. Adding [u]a bit of light interval training to get your heartrate up [/u]and down regularly to your weekly routine is the only solution I think.[/quote]

Heck man, I take meds to keep my heart rate down.

[Buddyjay]

I'm 54 and have been fairly athletic my whole life. I am used to being able to do what I want (physical) when I want, without any problems. NOT NOW!!!
Aches & pains, joint stiffness, etc.. are the norm and I am overweight with low blood sugar. I am trying to get into a routine of stretching and walking, but with years of habit of never having to do this, I am finding it difficult to get motivated.
I want to practice and play more golf, but the soreness and pain is stopping me. Hot days on the course really wipes me out. I drink lots of water but when the heat gets cranking and there is no breeze, I start to suffer. I've never liked the high heat anyway and playing in it really does me in.
This off season, I am going to try and lose weight (have lost it before), do yoga for flexability and take the advice of the above members for hydrating/eating on the course.

[blade_man]

I know I'm going to get flamed for this but a lot of guys I play with drink alcohol during the round and I don't see how they do it! Water is the way to go and as others have said ride a cart, I'm 57 and I am hooked on Propel water, I carry 6 or so with me during the round and when that is gone I'm refilling with H2O!! If you consume alcohol in high heat you are asking for trouble! JMHO

[kevhughes44]

[quote name='MrParr1Noid' post='1847278' date='Jul 27 2009, 07:40 PM']Just a word of caution to some of the seniors out there. Some of these sports drinks are loaded with salt. Even if the drinks aren't loaded, the amounts they do contain, coupled with the amount you may consume, might be putting some of us at risk. JAT Water is the way...

p.s. I do like the above suggestion of wearing long sleeved shirts to keep cool.[/quote]

Sports drinks are also loaded with sugar, and can cause huge swings in blood sugar level. Candy bars, soda, energy bars etc. are a nightmare to a golfer, as they present a glycemic load that all but a few can't handle. As for all the so-called 'hydrating', Google 'hyponatremia'.

For a very interesting perspective on hydration, read the series that begins here...http://www.sportsscientists.com/search/label/fluid%20intake

To the OP, there is nothing that can make you feel as good on the golf course as building muscle. Lift heavy things twice a week and you'll see a difference next year. There's a reason why strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and are more useful overall. Everything is easier with increased muscle mass.

[Nspiel58]

My dad is turning 79 this year. He used to walk 9 holes up until a few years ago, then got a cart and so it goes. He says he's just more tired after a round. I've noticed he has lost a lot of muscle mass in the last few years as well. I only see him once a year, so the change is quite dramatic. My own health has been compromised over the last 7 years dealing with a severely handicapped daughter. Without seeing a naturopathic doctor and doing research on our own, I can't even imagine where my wife and I would be now, health wise. My former doctor's response was to suggest antidepressants to help with my health. Thankfully, I didn't go that way. Anyway, to my point. What I've learned from reading is that a lot of seniors cut back their protein intake (meat and fat) because it's supposedly normal to eat less as a senior. However, protein/fat are the building blocks for cells and cellular regeneration. Without sufficient protein, the body will absorb muscle, so you see a lot of seniors who look like sticks, with their basketball bellies, or blocked colons. Fat will never make you fat, carbs will. Eat more meat, and build more muscle, have more energy. I wish my dad would listen but I'm just his son.

[kevhughes44]

[quote name='Nspiel58' post='1956869' date='Sep 17 2009, 11:16 AM']My dad is turning 79 this year. He used to walk 9 holes up until a few years ago, then got a cart and so it goes. He says he's just more tired after a round. I've noticed he has lost a lot of muscle mass in the last few years as well. I only see him once a year, so the change is quite dramatic. My own health has been compromised over the last 7 years dealing with a severely handicapped daughter. Without seeing a naturopathic doctor and doing research on our own, I can't even imagine where my wife and I would be now, health wise. My former doctor's response was to suggest antidepressants to help with my health. Thankfully, I didn't go that way. Anyway, to my point. What I've learned from reading is that a lot of seniors cut back their protein intake (meat and fat) because it's supposedly normal to eat less as a senior. However, protein/fat are the building blocks for cells and cellular regeneration. Without sufficient protein, the body will absorb muscle, so you see a lot of seniors who look like sticks, with their basketball bellies, or blocked colons. Fat will never make you fat, carbs will. Eat more meat, and build more muscle, have more energy. I wish my dad would listen but I'm just his son.[/quote]

AMEN! I saw pictures of Ansell Keys, the father of the low-fat diet at 95 years old. He looks like an old tissue, and requires the help of a cane to sit up. His nemesis, fitness guru Jack LaLane told us to eat meat, cut out sugar and starch, and enjoy fruits and vegetables moderately. At 95 he's still muscular and robust, and can still do 20 fingertip pushups while smiling for the camera.

[DLiver]

There is a lot of good (and bad) advice in this thread already. I walk and carry in SC, and summers are very tough. There are some things you can do to help.

1) Hydrate--the earlier the better. Water is best, but sometimes you just get sick of it, then go with low-sugar sports drinks.

2) Make sure you are getting a broad range of vitamins in your diet. I recently discovered I was vitamin B deficient. I started taking supplements and WOW what a difference.

3) Amino Vital is unbelievable good. This stuff helps me keep my energy and mental clarity through an entire round. I use the pills, but the drinks are good too.

4) Get into better shape. I'm like the guy above who is in his 50s and there was nothing he couldn't do. I have slowly gotten a little heavier and out of shape. I started working out again and dropped a few lbs, and it has made a big difference.

Good luck!

[peez007]

[quote name='TuffKukae' post='1847109' date='Jul 27 2009, 09:37 PM']I drink Amino Vital, that stuff really works.[/quote]


+1

[InTheHole]

Generally, endurance and fatigue is counter-acted by losing weight and being on a regular excercise program. You're getting tired because your endurance is low.

Eating many small meals as opposed to three big meals is also better- but make sure you have some stuff for the course. Nothing worse than eating every two or three hours, then going five or six hours with nothing. Don't finish a round with a burger and fries. At least try to introduce something healthy. But if you do want to be in that "family" of food, a steak and baked potato is healthier than burger and fries. Yeah, I know it's more expensive (especially at a high-end private club, but you just spent $100 for the privledge of walking 5 miles in the heat- get the steak.)

Talk to a doctor or nutritionist and get on the right vitamin supplements for you and your age- everyone is different. You'll see an amazing difference.

Water, water, water. If you're eating the correct foods and vitamins, and doing the correct excercises, things like Gatorade will be less necessary- those drinks can throw your body chemistry off as much as help.

When you eat something like a banana, it will spike your blood sugar one way- you should eat something to even things out, like nuts, along with it.

Water (in case it hasn't been mentioned before!).

Has anyone tried these chill-towel things- they supposedly stay several degrees cooler than the surrounding air when wet? I see them in the TGW catalog all the time. Those fan misters are great too.

[AlohaJim]

Brown Rice or other substantial long lasting carb with breakfast before the round. Big bag of fruit like apples and oranges thru the round, plus granola bars, a sandwich, lots and lots of water all day long. Slow down and moderate my energy/enthusiasm level from the lst swing to the last. Even though I ride a cart, two spine surgeries and age takes a toll. I make it to about the 12th hole before getting pooped out. Depends on the day and the course, level or hilly. Also stay active, walk daily, etc, on non golf days.

There's also psychological endurance. Keep up the banter with golf partners. Lousy jokes. Old flames. New medications. Dieting. Etc.

mahalo,
aloha jim

[Cart Path]

Aside from the good advice regarding hydration, another area to look into is your hormone levels which can dramatically diminish as you get older. Get a blood test and have your T-levels checked. If your T is low, you may benefit greatly from replacement therapy and/or some dietary-supplement adjustments to regain your strength, muscle mass and overall endurance.

[Senior_Golfer]

OK, this is a subject dear to my heart, pun intended. I have three heart conditions one is a mild case of congestive heart failure (CHF). I say that to say this, I have experience with feeling tired. If the heart muscle (we all get old) is not pumping like it did when we were younger then or body does not get the blood flow it needs to handle the excursion. As a result we feel tired, breath heavy, grip our club to tightly and overswing. None of which is good, of course we are not doing damage to our heart we just need to rest enough for the heart to catch up.. and not over exert.

Here is what I have done, and I am still researching ideas. These work well for me.

1. Be sure to keep hydrating
2. One cup of Raisen Brand w/cup of whole milk... every morning (Mayo Clinic suggestion)
3. Peanut butter, and apple for snacks.
4. Plenty of streching excerise. I use "Yoga for Golfer", Katerherine Roberts
5. Get plenty of sleep, rest helps the muscles, and heart.
6. 400 mg Q10 daily (if you start taking, and stop do NOT stop abruptly)
7. [size="2"]D-ribose 10 -15 grams
8. Magnesium 400 - 800 mg[/size]

Aviod soft drinks, limited amount of caffine, limited salt, and I drink zero alcohol. Courses are learning that it is important to make the greens and tee boxes more user friendly for Seniors, and have a level path to these areas. Walking up even mild elevation creates un-neccessary excersion, and wears us out. One more tip "don't go fishing for a golf ball out of the water around elevated areas".. it is not worth it save your energy, so you don't end up over-gripping because you are tired.

And then................

Tee it Up

[nikster]

Another vote for Amino Vital--I take two tablets before a round and drink a 20 oz bottle of the powder/water on the back nine.

[Nspiel58]

My dad turns 80 this year and has been using a riding cart for the past few years. He was getting tired as well while walking. We don't see each other that often, but what I have noticed
is he is a lot let muscled. I don't know you so I'm just going on what I think the issue is with my father: He doesn't eat as much and he's losing muscle mass as a result. Seniors tend to
cut back on the protein and fat because it's supposed to make you fat, but that's just nonsense. Hydration is so important too. But you think my dad will listen, and I'm 51. What does his kid know.

[profsmitty]

As one West Texan to another (although I am currently on loan to Kansas to balance IQ levels - went up in both states when I moved to Kansas), don't forget about the effect of the wind. I find I drag much more on windy days than on non-windy days. I have come to believe that I try to hit the same clubs into the wind that I hit normally but try to hit them harder. This is incredibly tiring as well as frustrating. Dial it back a little by over clubbing and swinging easy. A simple solution but then I'm a simple guy.