Nutrition for the Tennis Player

Hot dogs help me serve better

I'll admit it. I struggled coming up with a title for this one. It could have been "Remember to Eat, Dummy", "Don’t Play Fat Guy Tennis", “Food Coma for Doubles Players” or even "How to Use Nutrition to Your Advantage in Sports, Particularly Tennis Without Looking like a Calorie-counter, Granola Munching Weirdo or Fitness Freak". I guess this will have to do, though.

What was I writing about? Oh yeah, nutrition and tennis. Over the past year, I have been trying to get leaner, stronger and faster for tennis. Once I got to a certain level of fitness, I noticed that I was still running out of gas on the court (and in the gym). After speaking to a friend of mine who is a trainer, he asked whether I was eating before I practiced. My answer was "hardly ever" but when I did, it was pretty much anything I could grab (nachos, some Oreos, a pretzel). Needless to say, I was on the wrong path, my friends.

As I quickly found out from my trainer, nutrition for athletes (touring pros down to you and me) finds success based on the combination of what you eat and when you eat. Neglecting either one of these seriously weakens the results.

What to Eat

Aside from the healthy, well-balanced diet you currently have (you do, right?), we have provide a proper mix of complex carbs and simple sugars, before and during match time. As far as complex carbs go, whole grain breads, bagels, oatmeal and cream of wheat works really well. (I know, sounds pretty bad) The truth is, you are doing it for match fuel, not your birthday dinner, so stop whining! Once you feel the effects this type of food has on your energy level, you will feel differently. Simple sugars will bring you back to your happy place. Fruit is great in this case. I like bananas but it’s a free country. Also, some balance bar-type snacks combined with pretzels work pretty well. As far as drinks go, bring some Gatorade with your water. The sugar and electrolytes will help the cause. Stocking your house with these types of foods is good, but stocking your tennis bag is essential. Starting the match feeling good doesn’t matter if you are setting yourself up to run out of gas. Show up prepared.

When to Eat

I found out the hard way that when you eat is just as important as what you eat. Cramping, food coma, dizziness and over all nausea are just a few joys I have experienced by eating at the wrong time and then playing a match. Who knew going all out at a Chinese buffet 30 minutes before a match in the summer was a bad idea? There had to be a better way. That being said, you should eat complex carbs and completely hydrate an hour before your match. (You should always be properly hydrated, but at this point of your day, you are topping of - so to speak). Since most league matches are in the morning, whole-grain cereals are best. Nothing overly sugary, however, for several obvious reasons (Cap’n Crunch is probably never going to be the breakfast of champions). 15 minutes before you play, take in a source of simple sugar, like half of a banana and a few sips of Gatorade (preferably watered down). Once you get to the courts, try to monitor how you feel. The complex cabs give you long-term energy and the simple sugars get you out of the blocks quickly. You are hydrated, fed and ready. Now what? Maintain. After the warm-up and side changes, take a sip or two of Gatorade (not too much), and drink water. Naturally as the days get warmer, you need to increase the amount of fluid you take in. Also, have a balance bar and a banana around to nibble on. You must keep replacing the carbs and sugars in your blood to maintain maximum power.

Naturally, nutrition is a science and I am not a scientist, although I play one on T.V. Just changing this simple element allows me energy throughout my matches with plenty to spare. This just may be the thing that allows you to deliver a world-class beatdown on your opponents.

Comments

[Scott]

So that's why I've been losing all my matches lately :)

Great article!