Carb loading for tennis?

Tennis players often ask if carb loading before a match is something they should do.

Here is a question submitted by one of our subscribers who gave us permission to post it:

“I have a game scheduled for 10:30am. I usually play in the afternoon or evening and therefore have plenty of time to make sure I’ve properly hydrated and energized.

I’m not worried about hydrating, but I’m really not sure when to eat to make sure I don’t feel weak on the court that morning.

Should I eat a carbohydrate-rich meal like pasta the night before? I understand that it takes 6 hours for the body to incorporate complex carbohydrates into useful glycogen, so I don’t want to get up at 4am just to eat. I’m really struggling with the right approach. Can you help me?”

Here is our answer:

Although many people believe the opposite to be true, it is extremely important for everyone to understand that “carb loading” is not really the answer to continuous energy on the tennis court.

Carbs, particularly starchy carbs, are very important, but you also need some protein and some vegetables (which are the colorful carbs). The inclusion of protein before a match ensures a quicker and more complete recovery from the match (assuming you are eating properly after the match) and the inclusion of vegetables, raw and/or cooked, is recommended as they contain nutrients that are necessary for convert starches into energy.

I’ve worked with players who were convinced pure carb loading was the answer, but still weren’t performing at their best on the pitch. Imagine his surprise when his energy skyrocketed as a result of reducing his intake of starchy carbohydrates, as well as including protein and vegetables!

The previous night

All of your meals should consist of about one-third (or slightly less) lean protein, one-third (or slightly less) starch, one-third (or slightly more) colorful, raw and/or cooked vegetables.

The night before a game, slightly increase the starch content. The ideal would be not to have a single type of starch but a variety.

We all know pasta, bread, rice, and potatoes, but consider a (or any part of) sweet potato, bean mix, couscous, cooked parsnips, carrots, or any other root vegetable. The greater your variety of starches, the more nutrients are in them. All these nutrients (vitamins and minerals) help in the process of energy production, as well as in recovery (in case you need to play several games).

the morning of the match

Get up early enough to have a good breakfast and time to digest it. It is better to try this on a training day and not a game day.

How long does it take you to digest food before you feel comfortable enough to run? For me, that’s a good 3 hours, but for some of the junior players I work with, they can have a full meal and play right away! Of course, some of this will depend on what you eat.

Fatty foods like mackerel or salmon tend to be a bad idea for breakfast, as they can take longer to digest than less fatty foods. Eggs aren’t usually that much of a problem, but whatever you decide, remember that breakfast should consist of protein, starchy carbs, and colorful carbs in the form of vegetables or fruits.

Milk and yogurt are not as protein dense as eggs, seafood, poultry, or meat, so if you decide to have porridge with milk and some chopped fruit, you may want to consider including a protein powder as part of your meal. of your food. Whey protein is my recommendation with nothing added, so pure whey, no sugars or sweeteners or any other additives.

If eating a full meal is not possible due to the time you need to wake up and eat to digest properly, then have a whey protein drink and eat a piece of fruit.

Whichever breakfast you choose, 1/2 hour before the game have any part of a banana or any part of an energy bar (I say any part because some people find eating small amounts better).

During the match

When you’re on the track, don’t just hydrate yourself with water at every break, but bring a bottle of isotonic (or homemade) drink, a banana or something sweet to snack on.

If you don’t start getting some form of glucose until you feel tired, it’s too late and your game will suffer, so start getting some glucose into you, even in trace amounts, within 1/2 hour to start your game. .

Is little and often better?

In general, eating smaller amounts more often is much better, you’ll never feel too full and your body will be constantly energized, so if you can, consider doing this:

The day before your match – have 6 smaller meals but still contain protein, starchy carbs and colorful carbs. This would mean eating every 3-4 hours (if you work in an office during the day, this may mean carrying multiple containers with your food. It can be a real hassle, but works wonders on mental clarity and focus). Larger meals tend to make you sleepy, which is not good for tennis.

The day of your match: get up at 0600. Eat half your breakfast at 0630 and half at 0830. Half an hour before the match have a snack as recommended above. I’m going to say it again though… if this is totally new to you, try it out first! Don’t do anything new before a match!

keep a diary

If you’re serious about performance enhancement and want to take that extra step to really individualize your eating plan, write down exactly what you ate, how much, and when, and then include how you felt right after, 1/2 hour later, 1 hour later and 3 hours later.

This is how you rate your mood, energy, and mental clarity. No one ever remembers this information, so write it down. This way you can always look back to see what worked and what didn’t. If it didn’t work, you should be able to figure out why by looking at what you ate the previous few hours.

Remember that you are biochemically unique: what works for someone else may not necessarily work for you. Only by keeping a record will you be able to make subtle changes to your diet to achieve peak performance.
So use this information to help you get going in your matches and keep things running at a high level!