The Packet a Retired Track Coach Keeps in Her Pickleball Bag

Saturday pickleball is the part of my week I look forward to most. Our group meets at the courts by the river at eight, we play for about two hours, and I come home feeling like I have actually done something. For a long time, though, the good part ended right there. By two in the afternoon I would be flat on the couch, too tired to do anything with the rest of the day. That is not how I want to spend a weekend. I would rather be at the farmers market than staring at the ceiling.

I am Renee Pellerin, I am 58, and I live in Chattanooga. I coached high school track for thirty years, so I know the difference between being pleasantly tired and being drained. This was drained. I tried drinking more water. I tried a second cup of coffee. I tried a nap that turned into the whole afternoon. None of it moved the needle much.

Last June, when the Chattanooga heat started, a friend at the courts mentioned HydroMATE electrolyte packets. She said she kept a few in her gym bag for long matches. I ordered the variety pack mostly because I was tired of feeling wiped out every Saturday. It sat in the pantry for a week before I actually tried one.

The first time I used it was after a hill walk that ran longer than an hour. I stirred one stick into my 24 oz water bottle, the same bottle I carry everywhere. It was not a dramatic moment. I did not feel a rush. But I did notice that I was not dragging by mid-afternoon, and I noticed the same thing the next Saturday after pickleball. I did not change anything else about my routine.

The change was not dramatic. It was just that my Saturdays stopped disappearing.

I want to be honest about what HydroMATE is not. It is not a magic cure. I have never once thought it prevents cramps, and I would not claim that. What I can tell you is how it fits into my routine. I use one stick after a hill walk longer than an hour, on pickleball Saturdays, and on hot days when I have been in the yard. That is maybe four or five times a week in the summer, less now that the weather has cooled.

Glenn noticed before I said anything. He is 60 and walks with me most evenings, and he can tell when I have had a good day. One Saturday he asked why I was not asleep on the couch by three. I told him about the packets. He shrugged, which is his way of saying he heard me. He does not use them himself. That is fine. This is my routine, not his.

The packet itself is small, a stick pack that tears open easily. I pour it into my 24 oz bottle, give it a shake, and drink it while I cool down. The box has 30 packets, so it lasts me about six weeks. I do not have a favorite flavor, and I will not pretend otherwise. I grab whichever packet is on top and move on. Some days I use it after yard work too, when the heat has been on me all afternoon.

What I have noticed, over about five months, is that Saturdays go better when I actually drink something after a hot match instead of just collapsing on the couch. I still get tired after a hard match. That is normal and I would not want it any other way. The stick in the bottle is just what made me remember to drink. I can go to the farmers market. I can walk the hills with my husband Glenn in the evening. The afternoon is mine again.

I also like what is in HydroMATE, because I read labels the way a former coach reads a roster. The listing says 10 calories, low sugar, no artificial colors, and key minerals including vitamin C, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. It is also a source of vitamin B12. For me, that is a reasonable thing to keep in the pantry. It is not a substitute for water, and I still drink plenty of that. I have also learned when not to use it. I do not take one every day, because I do not need one every day. On a normal morning with a normal walk, water is enough. The packets earn their place on the days that ask more of me. I will also say this. If you are expecting a big change, you will probably be disappointed. This is a subtle thing. It just takes the edge off the afternoon. I think that is why it works for me. It does not promise more than it delivers. And at my age, that is worth something. That is how I think about all of this stuff now, at 58. Use the right tool on the right day and skip the rest.

What I'd Tell You If We Were Sitting at My Kitchen Table

If we were sitting at my kitchen table, I would tell you this. I am not a doctor and I do not give medical advice. I am a 58-year-old woman who likes to stay active, and I have found that a single electrolyte packet after long walks and Saturday pickleball makes the rest of my day easier. It will not fix a bad night of sleep or a week of skipping meals. It will not make you younger or faster. But if you are over 40 and you notice your afternoons disappearing the way mine were, it is a small thing to try. Keep it in your gym bag. Use it on the days you actually push yourself. And give it a few weeks before you decide.