Tennis, when played at even a moderately high level, is a very physically demanding sport with no time clock. It can leave any player, even the most fit, exhausted and wrung out after a long match. Tennis is played most often during the warmer months, adding to the stress on the body as it is played.

Proper tennis nutrition is a must for tennis players who play the sport on a regular basis and wants to feel good before, during and after a match. For players who participate regularly in tournaments, this is even more of a must as she or he needs to recover quickly and play again the next day or even later the same day. If you put junk into your body, it will respond in kind. Tennis players need to pay attention to what they eat and drink, and when they eat and drink it, in order to compete and fully enjoy the sport.

Bjorn Borg once said that a tennis match is like “a thousand little sprints.” He was right. The sport calls for repeated quick anaerobic movements that might have to be performed over the course of several hours. Tennis gives a full body workout like few other sports can.

Good tennis nutrition for tennis players must focus on several aspects:

• High-energy foods
• Adequate hydration
• Proper timing of food input

Pre-Match Tennis Nutrition

Let’s consider first of all the tennis nutrition guidelines that need to be followed before a match takes place. This can be applied to an official match or even the casual grudge match you will be playing against your co-worker later today.

You didn’t realize that I know that you get nervous even playing your co-worker, did you? I know it matters that much. That’s why you’re going to learn how to eat right by reading this article on tennis nutrition and get the victory (and bragging rights).

Anything consumed before a match needs to provide fuel for hours, as the match unfolds and you might have another one later that day. Pre-match meals and snacks should be:

• Familiar to you and known to settle hunger
• High in carbohydrates so that your muscles will have adequate energy
• Moderate in protein
• Low in fat
• Quickly digested (not high in fiber or fat)
• Meals and snacks that meet all of these criteria include pasta, bread, fresh fruit, granola bars, energy bars and sports drinks. You probably don’t want to load up simply on the energy bars, however. They might give you a rush that turns into a crash at the midway point of your match.

Tennis Nutrition – What to Eat?

Here is a sample ideal tennis nutrition lunch to consume about 3-4 hours before a match: turkey or grilled chicken sandwich, crackers, apple, skim milk, sports drink.

For a pre-game snack, to be consumed about 1-2 hours before the big match, eat: fruit yogurt or a banana, water, energy bar, 20 oz. of sports drink.

Of equal concern to you as you seek to practice sound tennis nutrition is your hydration level.

Be sure to limit or avoid completely caffeinated beverages right before or after match play, such as iced teas, coffee, coffee drinks and colas. These beverages might cause additional fluid loss as urine before the match.

In addition, be sure to chill at least 2 liters of your favorite courtside drink the night before your match, such as water or a sports drink, so that it will be nice and cold during your match. All players should have a minimum of 2 liters of liquid by their side during a match.

Tennis Nutrition In-Match Play – Hydration

Fluids should be consumed every 15 minutes or so during a match, regardless of your thirst level. Thirst is not a reliable indicator of hydration. Ask anyone who has suffered heat stroke. They will probably tell you that they did not feel thirsty at all before collapsing.

Drink a bit during changeovers, whether you feel like it or not. Gulp down 5-10 oz. of fluid every quarter hour or so for optimal hydration.

Sports drinks are preferable to water because they contain carbohydrates and electrolytes, such as sodium. As a player takes in carbs during play, she or he is able to maintain more power and accuracy, studies have proven.

Such carbs are quickly absorbed and used by working muscles. As you sweat, you lose a lot of sodium as well, so you need to replenish that with a good sports drink. Need a good guideline for the best sports drink? Find one that has 17g of carbohydrates and electrolytes. They are ideal for consumption during match play.

Post-Match Tennis Nutrition

After you have won your match, don’t celebrate with a big trip to Dairy Queen! Continue to practice sound tennis nutrition so that you’ll be ready for the next challenge. After the game, you will need to eat foods and drink beverages that replenish muscle energy stores and the electrolytes that you lost in competition.

For that reason, you should east carbohydrates as soon as possible, even 30 minutes after a match. Drink your sports drink as you walk off in triumph, then eat a high-carb meal that contains lean protein as well.

This will maximize muscle glycogen recovery that will activate protein synthesis in your muscles. Don’t back off the sodium, either. You lost a lot during your match, so it’s okay to salt your food a bit and eat and drink things that are natural sources for sodium. Stay away from the high-fat and high-protein foods; they contribute to dehydration, and just because you won the match does not mean that you are out of the woods in terms of staying hydrated.

Tennis Nutrition Guideline:

Here’s a good post-match meal to celebrate your latest win:

-2-3 cups of pasta with marinara sauce (little meat, low fat content)

-2-3 slices of garlic bread (easy on the margarine or butter)

-Salad with vinaigrette or low-fat dressing

-2-3 cups of sports drink or low-fat milk

If Italian doesn’t float your boat, go Chinese with:

-2-3 cups of steamed rice with vegetables and chicken stir fry

-2-3 cups of sports drink or low-fat milk

What to Remember When Practicing Sound Tennis Nutrition Habits

On the days when you are not playing a match or even leading up to one, practice good tennis nutrition and a balanced diet to stay fit and lean. Not too many winning tennis players sport huge pot bellies or rail-thin arms.

Eat a healthy diet heavy on vegetables, light on red meat, very light on fried food and fast food altogether. Keep your consumption of sodas to a minimum if you drink them at all. You can indulge your sweet tooth from time to time, but don’t live on sugar highs and the lows that follow.

At the same time, if you are playing regularly or training, don’t skimp on the calories. You might be worried about maintaining your great figure, but if you are burning hundreds of calories every day by playing tennis, you need to be sure to eat well in order to replenish your body.

Avoiding Fast Foods – A Key to Tennis Nutrition

It’s certain that some players have won consistently while eating a lot of fast food and consuming more alcohol than they should, for instance. It’s also certain that many players ascend to the next level once they pay more attention to what they eat.

That’s why many of the top pros have their own personal chefs to help them maintain a balanced diet and eat the foods that will prolong their careers.

Even if you are not a pro, healthy eating will prolong your career as well, as in enabling you to live longer and have more years to enjoy the great lifetime sport of tennis. By practicing proper tennis nutrition as described above, you will feel better, look better and play better. The right foods and beverages in proper amounts are a win-win-win for any tennis player of any age.

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Thus, it is vital for every tennis player to have the aerobic capacity for them to have the endurance and tolerance to heat (if matches are held in hot climates) or any type of situation.

They also need to recover between matches to maintain optimum performance throughout the tournament. To achieve these objectives, tennis players need the proper and adequate tennis diet which is explained below.

Tennis Diet before a tennis match

The tennis diet before match may vary depending on the time of the day the match starts. However, the basic diet guide is to have a meal 3-4 hours before the match. The diet should contain high carbohydrates, moderate amount of protein, and low fat food. Some examples of foods that satisfy above requirements are chicken (preferably grilled), energy drink, fruits, and some low-sodium biscuit or cracker. More examples are also given below

One to two (1-2) hours before the tennis match, a small snack is best to take to avoid hunger during the time of the match. The snack can vary but the most common snack would be banana, energy drinks, energy bars and of course water for hydration. See below for more hydration drinks examples

Every tennis player should eat a good and balanced breakfast before their tennis matches. It is the most important meal of the day not only for tennis players but for everybody. It is the meal that replenishes the depleted glycogen after the absence of food intake through the night. A proper Tennis diet is characterized by steady supply of energy. This means that they eat less quantity of food at a regular interval. This is important because eating a large quantity of food at one time can make tennis players slow and sluggish due to the digestive system overloading. It is also important for players not to eat too much of their needs to avoid fat depositions. However, they should also avoid starving themselves as very low food intake will also drain their glycogen storage which can result to fatigue.

Tennis Diet during a tennis match

During the match, tennis players use so much energy resulting to glycogen deposit depletion. The tennis diet during the match should be able to replenish the used-up glycogen. The type of diet that has the capacity to replenish used-up glycogen at the maximum rate is complex carbohydrate drinks. That is why if you watch tennis matches, you’ll notice the players drinking some drinks other than water. Some players also brings with them some snacks like banana and energy bars during the match.

Players should remember that water intake should not be based on thirst. This means that players should not only drink water when they are thirsty. It is important for them to drink water or sports drinks every 15 minutes if possible. This is important to replenish the water and electrolytes they used up and lost through sweats.

Tennis Diet after the tennis match

With all the energy used up during the whole duration of the match, it is vital for players to recover from the drain. The tennis diet they have to take for recovery purposes are high-protein foods and high carbohydrates food and drinks. Examples of foods and drinks that are ideal to have after the matches include a high carbohydrate meal like rice, potatoes, etc. with a combination of lean meat for protein source. A natural sodium source food is also necessary like cheese. More examples are given below

Every after tennis match, most players are drained in terms of water, glycogen and electrolytes. Thus, it is necessary for them to recover and replenish all those lost nutrients and energy. Replenishment or recovery diet should be taken in within two hours after the match. Right after the match, players can start their recovery by drinking sports drink.

To effectively replenish the energy and nutrients lost during the match, a high-carbohydrate and high protein meal should be eaten. Again, this should happen within 2 hours after the match. If a player waits longer to have his recovery meal, the longer it takes for him to replenish the energy lost. When choosing the right recovery diet, every tennis player should put emphasis on restoring the fluid electrolytes and energy lost or used up.

There are cases that players have to play another match immediately after their first match. Normally this happens when a player is playing two types of tournaments (tennis singles and tennis doubles) and both his and her matches are scheduled on the same day. If the second match is scheduled 1-2 hours after the end of the first match, the player should focus on his or her rehydration and carbohydrate intake.

Ideally, the player should take about 50-100 grams of carbohydrates for him or her to have the required energy for optimum performance. However, if the time interval between the end of the first match and the start of the second match is longer (4-5 hours), the pre-match diet recommendation can be followed.

Examples of a proper tennis diet

In the tennis backhand, tennis players should focus on the most fundamental commonalities which the top pro players share in their own tennis backhand. By learning to model the tennis strokes of the pros, particularly the backhand shot – a tennis player can have a better grasp of the proper tennis technique.

Hydration

Water is the most important drink for everybody and for every player. Tennis players should drink an adequate amount of water regularly and especially if a match is approaching. Ideally, the water intake should not be lower than eight glasses a day. This is vital to maintain strength and physical fitness during and after matches.

Other sources of liquids are fresh fruit juices, milk and decaffeinated coffee and tea. Caffeinated drinks should be avoided especially before, during and after matches. For best results, zero caffeine consumption should be maintained all throughout. Sport drinks is another type of hydration drink but it’s intake should be minimized in the absence of any physical activities. Very high sugar content in drinks and fruits should also be avoided, especially during matches.

Carbohydrates, Fruits and Vegetables

To get the energy you need, take only the types of foods that contain complex carbohydrates. Examples of healthy carbohydrate sources are: brown bread or whole wheat bread (avoid white bread), brown rice (white rice is also less ideal), pasta and any type of cereals such as oats, barley and many others. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, peas and corn are also great sources of carbohydrates.

Vegetables and fruits are also very important to be included in the tennis diet for every player. They are the main sources of nutrients and minerals. Examples are the leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, cabbage vegetable and many others. There are a lot of choices of vegetables depending on the nutrients and minerals they provide. Squash and carrots for instance are examples of beta carotenoid source vegetables.

Fruits also come in different forms and they also vary on the vitamins and minerals they provide. Citrus fruits like orange, clementine, grapefruit, pomelo and many others are good sources of Vitamin C. Berries fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries are just examples of fruits containing antioxidant. Banana is considered as the complete fruit because it contains lots of nutrients and minerals.

Protein

Protein has a vital role in every human’s body especially for physically active people like tennis players. It serves as an energy source and it also helps in the repair of damaged tissues during the tennis training and matches. Tennis players should consume about 0.5 to 0.75 grams of proteins per body weight basis. For best results, players should eat high protein food with low fat content. Examples of this are: lean meats (beef, pork, and many others), poultry meat (turkey, chicken, etc.).

Vitamins and minerals supplement

Vitamins and minerals supplements are also necessary to supplement the required nutrients and minerals for the players. Examples of these are vitamins C, A and E supplements. Minerals such as calcium, iron and sodium are just some of the examples of macro minerals that players should be supplemented with.

Learn to Hit a Forehand Like Roger Federer

If you want to jumpstart your forehand and play like the PROS, check out my 70+ page Tennis Ebook that will immediately show you how you can take your forehand to the next level.

The Modern Forehand Domination Ebook is guaranteed to improve your tennis technique, and increase power, topspin and accuracy of your tennis forehand!

Modern Tennis Forehand Ebook
Learn How to Hit a Forehand Like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic

The post Tennis Diet – Learn Proper Tennis Nutrition appeared first on Tennis Instruction.