The way you eat affects the way you build muscle and endurance in the long-term, but also how much energy you bring to a single match. Long-term nutritional plans during training often differ from what players eat right before a match.

This is why tennis players typically plan their diet around their training and matches. Professional tennis players like Eugenie Bouchard often have a team of dieticians and nutritionists behind them to help them shift their nutritional needs around their schedules.

For those of us without a full team to lean on, there are some simple guidelines for what to eat right before a match to help play your best and perform like the pros.

A turkey or chicken sandwich with veggies 2. A yogurt parfait with berries and granola 3. Bananas and fresh fruit 4. Pasta with butter 5. A bagel with low fat cream cheese 6. A brown rice bowl with protein and veggies. Foods consistent with these guidelines are easy to digest and offer a fast-acting power-up on energy.

Complex carbohydrates are ideal while preparing for a match, and in your recovery period. Carbs are a quick source of fuel, while fats are slower-burning. Heat-related tennis muscle cramps often occur during or following prolonged playing due to significant loss in sodium and chloride salt.

To completely rehydrate, a player must replace the sodium and chloride electrolytes that were lost through sweating. This is important, because drinking water when you have a sodium deficit can lead to hyponatremia which means you have a very low sodium level, which can result in headaches, nausea and fatigue.

Good sodium and chloride sources include:. Carbohydrates are crucial to optimal performance in tennis. Even if you eat a good meal before a match, after 60 to 90 minutes of intense singles play, your carbohydrate stores will likely be significantly decreased.

Generally, you should consume about grams of carbohydrate per hour during play and practice. During periods of intense training or competition, aim for three to five grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight grams per day for a pound player.

Foods with a high glycemic index — to quickly raise your blood sugar level — are good choices, too. Examples include plain bagels, ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, pretzels, honey, certain candies and some sport drinks those with carbohydrate primarily from glucose, sucrose or a glucose polymer.

All tennis players differ in what foods and which nutrition strategies will help them best. But these three items are must-haves in your bag, and will go a long way in keeping you strong and fast on the court.

Focus from back to top button. Athletes during these days will be drinking more to replace sweat losses.

Before a match ~ hours athletes will be having a carbohydrate rich meal with a small amount of protein and fluids. These carbohydrates will keep a steady energy store to power through the matches later on. Protein is a good compliment to the meal, however is more necessary after the match.

This may be a chicken and salad sandwich, spaghetti bolognese or muesli with fruit. They may also top up with small snacks such as yoghurt, fruit or a handful of nuts.

Hydration is key to replace fluids and prevent dehydration. Ball-kids are often at the ready with fluids and a towel to ensure hydration is always available. During the match, so much energy is used that glycogen stores i. stored carbs are depleted. Therefore it is important to replenish these stores.

Other athletes might go for a more conventional option and eat a little snack such as an energy bar, dried fruit or a piece of fruit like a banana. These can enhance performance and delay the onset of fatigue. So much energy has been expended so the key here is to refuel their bodies.

For a quick, easy pre-match meal, I whip up a a yogurt parfait , a mouth-watering combination of creamy yogurt, crunchy granola, fresh fruit, a sprinkle of chopped nuts, and a drizzle of honey.

Voila- the right blend of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. If you aren't feeling a meal before your match, why not try a fruit-filled drink instead? Smoothies are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, not to mention all of the carbohydrates that will fuel your glycogen stores.

I love to stick with the classic strawberry smoothie before playing tennis. Drink up! Many times, players have no idea how long their match could take. Some matches can be over in 45 minutes, while others can last over 3 hours great job, Serena!

Not to mention men's tennis, which has had matches go on for over 11 hours Yikes! Moral of the story, we need to be prepared for whatever is thrown at us when we are competing. It is crucial to remain well hydrated , so try and sip a few ounces of water every 15 minutes during your match to stay at the peak of your game.

While it may be a no-brainer, consuming plain water is extremely important in hydrating cells. Aim for ounces of water every quarter hour to maintain peak performance. Many players shrug off the need for drinking water if they aren't thirsty, which can be dangerous.

Thirst is not an adequate monitor for hydration , so drink even if you aren't thirsty. Your body will thank you.

While caffeine gives us the energy to pull an all nighter for final exams, it may not be the best source of energy for a tennis player. Studies have shown that a small quantity of caffeine may be beneficial in terms of stamina or recovery , but keep the dose to a minimum.

Coffee and caffeinated drinks, which are also high in added sugars, can cause extra fluid or urine loss during the match, which can lead to dehydration or unnecessary bathroom breaks, which nobody likes. Swap out the caffeinated drink for a piece of fruit or electrolyte-filled drink.

As you probably know, sports drinks are not the cure of everything. Electrolyte based drinks such as Gatorade and Powderade are beneficial in smaller quantities, since they are loaded with excess sugar and salt.

To minimize this, try blending half Gatorade and half water for the perfect balance of electrolytes, sugar, and water. Congratulations, you made it through another tennis match!

Wipe the sweat off your brow and get ready to chow down on a post match meal. Try and consume a well balanced, high calorie meal within 30 minutes of walking off the court to maximize benefits. Your main goal is to replenish sodium and carbohydrate levels , which can take up to 48 hours post match.

Happy eating! That's right. Load up on all those carbs, baby. Pasta is a great source of complex carbohydrates , which help repair glycogen stores.

Add salt to the water when making pasta to bump up your sodium intake, which is the goal post-match! Check out these pasta recipes that are sure to satisfy your athletic appetite. Ah, one of my favorite go-to meals. Chicken , rice, and vegetables will always have the key to my heart.

This well balanced meal contains the perfect ratio of lean protein, fat, carbohydrate, and essential vitamins and minerals. There are so many ways to spice this meal up , so get cooking! Who doesn't love breakfast for dinner? next post. Can the US Open Follow in the Footsteps of Other Sports and be a Success?

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Your pre-match meal should consist of mostly carbohydrates, with a little protein. For example, for a typical diet, your pre-match meal might be:. Avoid having too much protein, and especially avoid high-fat foods that will weigh you down for example, a cheeseburger or a large steak.

Drink a normal amount of liquids with your pre-game snack. You want to be reasonably well-hydrated when you start the match, but not over-hydrated. Once you start playing, you will start depleting the energy and water reserves you built up during your pre-match meal.

To keep providing your body the energy it needs, take a small snack during the change of ends every 2 or 4 games. For example, have a bite or two of an energy bar or a banana.

And depending on the weather, you should drink some water at least during the change of ends. The real trick here is to get to know yourself and how much energy and fluids your body needs during a match.

So listen to your body and plan ahead! For example, right after your match, have half a bottle of sports drink Gatorade or similar plus some water and a small energy bar. Then a little later, have a well-rounded meal to help your body stock up on nutrients.

USTA: Match Day Nutrition. USTA: Pre-Match Nutrition. USTA: Nutrition During Play. USTA: Nutrition For Recovery. The nutrient state of a tennis player just before playing or training can have a significant impact on the outcome of a match or the quality of a practice session.

Appropriate fat, protein, mineral, and vitamin intake are all important, but the primary pre-match nutritional concerns for all players are adequate carbohydrate and fluid intake.

From a nutritional perspective, these nutrients or the lack of these nutrients will have the biggest and immediate impact on how a player feels and performs. To ensure this, the emphasis on consuming pre-match dietary carbohydrates ought to begin at least by the previous evening.

Better still, a player should emphasize carbohydrate intake over the several days just before the start of an event, and at the same time progressively decrease overall training volume and session duration. Before play, a player should eat a well-balanced meal with an emphasis on carbohydrate-rich foods and fluid intake there can be a little protein and fat.

Ideally, players should try to eat a moderate-sized meal that contains 2. The recommended number of calories and a permissible amount of protein and fat depend, in part, on when the subsequent match is scheduled to begin.

Too much fat or protein can cause digestion to slow down and become too much of a burden. If play begins 3 to 4 hours after the pre-match meal, players should eat an additional small 0.

A combination such as oz. Sometimes players are too nervous to eat enough solid food prior to a competition; in these situations, a liquid carbohydrate meal with a little solid food often is better tolerated.

Before the match, a player should drink fluids on a regular basis beginning at least the night before.

The less time you have before a match, the lower the volume of food that can be tolerated. Always experiment with new foods during practices to avoid digestive upset on the big day.

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By Kait O'Callahan in Health. Ideal for a morning snack before an afternoon competition, oatmeal is well-tolerated and provides long-lasting energy. The added fruit will give you that quick jolt of energy you need to get your engine started. Peanut butter and jelly or banana sandwich.

Snacks, like small sandwiches, that contain a variety of carbohydrates help maximize and replenish glycogen stores. Adding peanut butter provides protein and healthy fat which can help to sustain energy throughout long-winded matches.

Non-fat or low-fat Chobani Greek yogurt with fruit or cereal. Greek yogurt is an ideal real food pre-workout fuel that's packed with protein and carbohydrates. It's easy to eat, well tolerated and you can add fruit or cereal for an extra energy burst. Low-fat dairy choices, like cheese, provide all three types of fuel — carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Choose whole-wheat bread for long-lasting energy if you've got some time before the competition. A body composition with relatively high muscle mass and lower body fat levels is ideal for tennis players for powerful shots, speed and agility.

Excessive restriction is not useful as this can compromise performance — players with a desire to change their body composition should work closely with an Accredited Sports Dietitian to develop an individual plan. Staying hydrated is important for playing tennis as the intensity of matches, as well as hot weather conditions can lead to high sweat rates including water and electrolyte losses.

Adding further challenge, the timing of matches can be unpredictable making it more important to constantly focus on good hydration strategies. Since dehydration can impair performance including skill and decision making, sipping on fluids particularly water regularly and aiming for pale yellow urine is a good starting point.

During training and matches, having fluids easily accessible and making the most of opportunities to drink will help to replace sweat losses. The timing of matches can be unpredictable which can be a challenge for knowing when to eat a pre-match meal. In general having a pre-match meal ~3 to 4 hours before the start of the match, then topping up with small snacks if needed is a good approach.

The pre-match meal should contain some carbohydrate for fuel as well as some fluids for hydration. Some suitable ideas include:.

Additional snacks should be rich in carbohydrate but relatively low in fat and fiber so it is easy to digest. Some suitable snack ideas include:. As tennis matches are often played in hot conditions, replacing fluid losses and keeping cool at breaks in play is important. In addition, carbohydrate can enhance performance and delay the onset of fatigue.

It never felt too heavy in my stomach and was super easy to toss in my bag. Thanks so much!! All the best, Jon! Your email address will not be published. Article Contents. Click below to jump to a section. Tap below to jump to a section.

Follow a manual added link 1. Follow a manual added link 2. Follow a manual added link 3. New to TennisCompanion? Explore and get to know us. What to Eat Atlanta based Nutri Fit Sport Therapy Inc. Wrapping Up Ultimately, what and when you choose to eat before a tennis match can make a big difference in your ability to perform.

Snacks, like small sandwiches, that contain a variety of carbohydrates help maximize and replenish glycogen stores. Adding peanut butter provides protein and healthy fat which can help to sustain energy throughout long-winded matches. Non-fat or low-fat Chobani Greek yogurt with fruit or cereal.

Greek yogurt is an ideal real food pre-workout fuel that's packed with protein and carbohydrates. It's easy to eat, well tolerated and you can add fruit or cereal for an extra energy burst.

Low-fat dairy choices, like cheese, provide all three types of fuel — carbohydrates, protein and fat. Choose whole-wheat bread for long-lasting energy if you've got some time before the competition.

Fruit smoothie with non-fat or low-fat Greek yogurt. Not only are fruits easily digested and provide quick energy but they're hydrating too. Smoothies are easy on the stomach, hydrating and serve as an easy vehicle for carbs and protein pre-competition.

Try to avoid protein powders and large amounts of protein before a competition to lower the risk of digestive upset. To be safe, save the protein shakes for post-competition when muscle recovery is key. Caffeinated drinks.

Skip the sugary lattes before a match. Although some research supports moderate amounts of caffeine pre-exercise to enhance performance, caffeine can be dehydrating and hard on the stomach. Whole-wheat pasta. Whole-wheat pasta can be a great pre-competition meal the night before or even 4 hours prior to the match when your body needs slow-releasing carbohydrates for long-lasting energy.

However, immediately before a match, your body relies on quick energy from easily digestible carbohydrates.

Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are super healthy sources of fiber and fat. However, before a competition, it's important to focus primarily on simple carbohydrates and to limit amounts of fiber and fat to avoid any digestive discomfort during exercise.

Leafy greens can be healthy complement to your balanced pre- or post-competition meal. However, it's best for athletes to avoid greens right before a match since they're high in fiber and not easily tolerated.

Follow TennisViewMag. Whenever glucose enters our body, it can either be transformed into glycogen or into fatty acids, depending on what our body needs the most. Glycogen is stored in our brain, our muscles, and our tissues — and it is the fastest source of energy for our bodies.

It can help us perform well and without interruptions until we run out of it. However, i f our glycogen reserves are already full, the additional glucose we ingest will be transformed into another source of energy: fatty acids.

They are stored, well… mostly in our bellies. Fatty acids would be the equivalent of filling up a few empty milk jugs with fuel and keeping them in the back of your car.

They can be used as fuel, but you would need to stop the car, it would take longer, and it would be kind of a hassle. In addition, carbs can be classified into 3 categories according to the Glycemic Index: Low, Medium, and High GI foods.

High GI foods white bread, pasta are absorbed rapidly, raising the glucose level in your blood very quickly. Low GI foods whole grain , on the other hand, raise glucose levels slowly and steadily.

Normally, people should stick mostly to Low GI foods, but athletes can benefit a lot from consuming High GI foods before performing. So how do you do that? While preparation right before the match is very important, you should start getting ready for the match the night before.

The dinner on the night before a match is extremely important, as it will set the tone for how your body should operate. The next day, I was extremely sluggish on the court, felt stressed out the whole time, and felt like I could not concentrate.

So even if you eat healthy right before a match, you will still pay the price for a bad dinner the night before. With that being said, what types of foods should you eat the night before a tennis match? containing vegetables, a little bit of lean protein, and a good amount of simple High GI carbohydrates, and stay away from fatty or greasy foods.

Notice that High GI carbohydrates are more desirable here than Low GI ones, as they will allow you to fill up your glycogen reserves faster.

Low GI foods whole grain contain a lot of fiber, which is not digested by the human body. Consuming fatty foods the night before a match is a terrible idea, as they take an extremely long time to be digested, which will make your body work too hard just to process your dinner.

In addition, there is always a risk of getting an upset stomach and staying awake at night. Marathon runners begin loading up on simple carbs about a week before a marathon, just so they can have enough energy throughout the race. While a tennis match does not require the same amount of energy as a marathon, it can still take between 2 to 3 hours.

For that reason, you want to make sure you eat a good amount of carbohydrates the night before, so you can fill up your glycogen reserves and have enough energy during the match. You should try to have breakfast at least 2 to 3 hours before a match, just to give your body enough time to process the food.

My best suggestion in order to avoid that is to try to have breakfast about 3 hours before your match and then make sure you have some snacks packed up in your tennis bag. The idea behind your breakfast on game-day is the same one as for dinner the night before: make sure you eat enough carbs and a little bit of protein.

Steering away from fatty foods is even more important during breakfast; otherwise, you may end up feeling indisposed during your match. Hydration at this point is increasingly important as well, so make sure you are drinking enough fluids. Well, now you might be warmed up already and match time might be coming up.

We need to keep in mind that you might not have access to a store at that time or a restaurant, so you need to be prepared. Here is a list of the best foods to eat before a tennis match:.

While carbs have gotten a bad reputation in recent years, you need to accept that, as an athlete, carbs will be your best source of energy.

With the 23 options we provided above, you should have enough information to develop a healthy routine for your tennis matches.