Tennis is both aerobic and anaerobic activity, requiring sustained energy for long bouts and quick bursts of power. Overhead training sessions increase carbohydrate and energy requirements that should be fulfilled through eating foods rich in nutrient-dense carbohydrates, lean proteins and healthy fats.
Eating foods with minimal processing (like whole grains, fruit, vegetables, quinoa, low-fat dairy and nuts) is highly recommended.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are essential fuel for tennis and other forms of rigorous exercise, making up over 80 percent of our energy requirements during match play, training sessions and recovery periods. Supplementation has been proven to decrease fatigue levels during prolonged activity while increasing performance levels.
Bananas are an excellent source of fast-acting carbohydrates and an excellent source of potassium (vital for muscle function) and vitamin C, not to mention several other vitamins and minerals that are found within them.
Carb intake must be tailored to each person’s specific training load, body composition goals, and health requirements. Tennis players typically need 6-10 g*kg-1 of carbohydrates daily – with intake peaking around training sessions or just before matches – keeping in mind that exceeding this amount could result in weight gain.
Make an effort to incorporate both starchy carbohydrates and low-glycemic carbs like fruits and vegetables into your diet for maximum efficiency in maintaining a healthy weight while providing necessary fuel for tennis.
During match play, it is critical to replenish your carb stores every 30-60 minutes and 200mL of fluid with electrolytes at changeovers to help with replenishment and hydration. Consumption of carbohydrates and caffeine before and during a match has also been found to enhance performance; however, due to limited research in this area, more evidence must be accumulated before this can become an established practice. Training twice daily and competing in multiple matches quickly requires meticulous nutrition planning to optimize training adaptation, performance and recovery. This involves including nutritious carbohydrates for fueling muscle repair as well as plenty of fluids and electrolytes to replenish sweat losses.
Protein
Protein consumption is essential for tennis players who aim to build more muscle mass. A diet high in protein can also assist with body composition regulation, immune support and muscle repair. Achieve this through fish, poultry, lean meats, nuts seeds and whole grains is highly recommended; excessive consumption of processed food such as cakes biscuits or crisps could negatively impact heart health as well as reduce availability of essential vitamins and minerals.
Bananas that you might see tennis players eating during changeover contain rapid release carbohydrates – the body’s preferred source of fuel for anaerobic movements like ball chasing and baseline scurrying. They quickly fuel muscles before being stored as glycogen in muscles and liver – the body’s main energy banks – before eventually depleting within 90 minutes, depending on intensity of exercise.
Tennis requires an uninterrupted supply of energy that can only be met through a carefully considered diet. Each individual player’s energy requirements will depend on factors like competition level, training load, body composition goals, health concerns and potential growth for younger players.
Carbs and proteins are both rich sources of nutrition that should be included in a tennis player’s meals. A balanced diet should include complex carbs, lean proteins, healthy fats and plenty of vegetables and fruit – for further advice seek guidance from an Accredited Sports Dietitian.
Fats
Athletic performance depends on a balanced combination of carbs and proteins for energy during tennis matches, with carbs providing fuel for high intensity efforts while protein aiding muscle repair and recovery. A healthy fat intake from different sources is also vital to athletes.
An ideal meal for tennis players prior to competition involves whole grains, lean proteins and vegetables. Snacks containing both carbohydrates and proteins, like Gatorade sports drinks or energy gels; trail mix; fruit; chews; granola bars etc can provide fuel for performance throughout the day.
As tennis is typically played during summer months, proper hydration is key to optimal performance. Drinking enough liquid before and during matches helps avoid dehydration which may impact performance by increasing perceived fatigue, heart rate and muscle glycogen use. Water may suffice during shorter games while for longer or more intense competition an athlete may benefit from drinking a drink that contains 6-8% carbohydrates per ounce lost of weight lost.
Tennis requires anaerobic bursts and movements that can cause muscle damage, so athletes need a diet rich in both moderate protein consumption as well as healthy fats to aid muscle repair. Fatty fish, nuts, avocados and olive oil are excellent ways to provide this important nourishment to aid recovery from exercise.
Nutrient-Dense Foods
Tennis is an intense, competitive sport that demands endurance and unflappable concentration, which necessitates fueling up with foods rich in essential vitamins, such as whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats.
Carbs provide working muscles with their primary source of energy during physical exercise. Once digested, carbohydrates break down into simple sugars (glucose) that enter the bloodstream for use by working muscles and are measured according to a food or drink’s “glycemic index”. Fruit has a low glycemic index which means digestion takes place slowly while instant breakfast cereals, muesli bars, and rice cakes with higher index ratings may quickly release their energy supply, leading to spikes in blood glucose levels during exercise.
Protein is key in rebuilding and strengthening muscle tissue, and helps players feel full between meals. Good sources of protein include chicken, fish, eggs, tofu and beans. While healthy fats – mono and polyunsaturated fats in particular – support cardiovascular health as well as facilitate nutrient absorption; such sources include nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil.
Tennis matches typically last over 3 hours and thus require significant energy reserves for optimal performance and recovery. Carbohydrates provide primary energy sources for tennis players; however, similar to any athlete they require a balanced diet with quality proteins, nutrient-dense carbohydrates, quality fats and plenty of water in order to support performance and recovery.
When planning their tennis-specific nutrition strategy, players should consult closely with an Accredited Sports Dietitian in order to explore various hydration and fueling strategies during training sessions and matches – this will allow them the best chance at performing consistently throughout each match.
Hydration
Training and matches require players to use an immense amount of energy, while sweat loss causes fluid and electrolyte losses which should be replenished through adequate hydration practices for maximum performance and recovery.
Carbs provide instant energy that’s stored as glycogen in our muscles, so tennis players must ensure their carb stores are full prior to and during matches. Low-fat, high fibre carbs such as pasta, rice and quinoa as well as fruit are great sources of fuel if mixed with lean proteins like turkey or chicken breast or even yogurt for additional energy and satiety benefits.
Carb-rich meals consumed 3-4 hours before tennis matches can help to fuel athletes. Athletes should also eat small, carb-rich snacks during matches to maintain energy levels, such as bananas. Protein is another essential nutrient to replenish muscle tissues after intense physical exercise.
Water is the optimal way to stay hydrated, but sports drinks may also provide an effective method of replenishment by aiding fluid absorption and helping prevent dehydration and muscle cramping.
Individual hydration needs for tennis players vary based on match length, intensity, temperature and sweat rates. Therefore, it’s essential that tennis players monitor hydration both during practice and matches by paying attention to thirst and urine color changes as well as using Precision Hydration’s sweat test results for taking an online sweat test to gauge individual needs – for example some people needing more sodium in order to retain fluids more effectively.