Tennis Nutrition & Sports Supplements for Tennis Players

Not only is tennis a very skilful sport, matches also involve incredible agility, lightening fast reflexes, repeated short bursts of high intensity action and can last for several hours.

So, whilst tennis players are highly reliant on their anaerobic energy systems, a strong aerobic capacity is also required to sustain levels of match play.

Although tennis matches are not continuous they can last a long time, which provides something of a challenge to any athlete’s carbohydrate capacity.

Tennis training

Tennis training is an essential part of the sport for the top professionals who can spend anything between 25 and 40 hours a week training, most of that time on court, but with periods also spent in such conditioning exercises as running, weightlifting and agility work.

for tennis players to optimise their on-court performances a diet rich in carbohydrate foods is essential to provide sufficient energy to maintain a high standard of play and assist in post match and training recovery

Indeed, at the elite levels training can often be more intense and physically demanding than the actual matches themselves.

Tennis nuitrition

To allow tennis players to optimise their on-court performances a diet rich in carbohydrate foods is therefore essential to provide sufficient energy to maintain a high standard of play and assist in post match and training recovery.

All serious tennis players from club to professional levels need to focus on eating nutrient-dense carbohydrate meals and snacks such as pasta, rice, bread, cereal, vegetables, fresh and dried fruit and dairy products.

Pre-match nutrition

What, you may ask, is the right way to go about eating before a tennis match?

The answer is, have a meal, high in carbohydrate and low in fat, two to three hours before the scheduled start of play.

Here are some menu suggestions that may help:

• Pasta and tomato-based sauce or rice dish.
• Muffins, crumpets, toast, or scones with jam or honey.
• Fresh, dried or canned fruit, yoghurt and low fat milkshake.
• Breakfast cereal and low fat milk.
• A liquid meal supplement.

Nutrition during a tennis match

As for your nutritional intake during matches and training it all depends on the type, intensity and duration of the sessions involved.

As far as competitive matches are concerned you should take advantage of every break in play to consume water or a formulated sports drink, and carbohydrate snacks such as fruit (bananas are good), sports bars and muesli bars are also recommended, especially during longer matches.

Afterwards, within 30 minutes of the end of the tennis match, you should be looking to have a snack containing carbohydrates, protein and fluid – a bowl of cereal with fruit and milk is a good example.

Two and a half to three and a half hours later should come a more substantial meal which must retain those vital ingredients of carbohydrate, protein and fluids.

Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, matches can be delayed, or interrupted by poor weather, and on such occasions you should always be able to dip into a pre-packed store of ’emergency’ rations of carbohydrate-rich foods and liquid meal replacements.

Post-training nutrition

When you are going through an intense training period, with less than eight hours between sessions, it is necessary to start a recovery nutrition programme immediately after each session.

Your aim should be to consume between 50 and 100 grams of carbohydrate within half-an-hour of finishing training, and these snacks should always be combined with fluids to replace sweat losses.

If there is 12-24 hours recovery time there is no need to rush the carbohydrate intake, but the total amount consumed in that time should still be sufficient to replenish your stores.

Under such circumstances you should be looking at consuming things like an 880ml sports drink, three medium pieces of fruit, one large bread roll or fruit scone, two pancakes with maple syrup, two cereal/muesli bars, two 200 g cartons of yoghurt – but not the kind which has been artificially sweetened – one and a half cups of fruit salad with one tub of low fat yoghurt, a 250-350ml smoothie, or three slices of toast with honey or jam.

Optimise levels of body fat

Levels of body fat are also particular important for successful tennis players and you need to find your optimum weight.

If you are overweight you will be at a competitive disadvantage and may well find that your speed, agility and stamina are much compromised.

Body heat and sweating will also be increased, another factor that can lead to a deterioration in performance levels.

Some tennis players have been beguiled by magic diet pills, miracle cures and quick fixes – but they are not the answer.

Tips to help you manage your nutritional intake

Your aim should be a long term nutritional solution and the following hints could help towards that goal: