Fueling Your Sport

• The number of calories that you need to play tennis

depends on your age, gender, training intensity and

duration, and competition schedule. Tennis is a high-

intensity sport involving hundreds of short bursts of

activity. Most points in tennis last less than 10 seconds.

But tennis is also an endurance sport. When you play

long matches, there are only 25 seconds of rest between

points and only 90 seconds between games. It is very

important to have enough energy and fluids.

• You use 5 to 11 calories per minute when you play

singles recreational tennis and 3.4 to 7.7 calories per

minute when you play doubles. Competitive tennis

players can burn 6.4 to 14.4 calories per minute of

activity.

• You need to eat at least 2.7 grams of carbohydrate per

pound of body weight per day (6 g/kg/day). When you

are on the court several hours a day, you need to eat

more carbohydrate: 3.2 to 4.5 grams per pound per day

(7 to 10 g/kg/day).

• Eating carbohydrate can improve the quality of your

stroke in the final stages of a long tennis match. Eat 100

grams of carbohydrate about 30 minutes before a match,

and eat an additional 50 grams every 2 hours during the

match.

• Good sources of carbohydrate include whole grain breads

and cereals, fruits, and vegetables.

• Tennis players need 0.55 to 0.8 grams of protein per

pound of body weight per day (1.2 to 1.7 g/kg/day).

Eating more protein than this does not improve your

tennis.

• Good sources of protein include fish, chicken, turkey, beef,

low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, nuts, and soy foods

(tofu, soy nuts, and soy burgers).

• Carbohydrate is a better fuel than fat for playing tennis,

but you do need to eat some fat every day to stay healthy.

Also, your body will burn fat for energy during long

matches. Eat at least 0.45 grams of fat per pound of body

weight per day (1 g/kg). Choose heart-healthy fats, such

as canola oil, olive oil, and nuts.

Fluid Needs

• Tennis players need a planned schedule for drinking

fluids. Drinking enough fluids improves performance and

helps prevent heat illness during training and

competition.

• Drink on a schedule. Drink 2 cups of water or sport drink

2 hours before practice or competition.

• On hot, humid days and when the sun is at its peak,

choose sport drinks.

• During matches, keep a bottle of sport drink in a cooler

on the bench and drink 5 to 10 ounces at every change-

over. Most players can easily drink 5 ounces.

• After matches, drink enough to replace lost water weight.

Drink 3 cups of fluid for every pound lost during practice

or a match.

• Check the color of your urine. A pale, straw color means

you are hydrated.

• If you get cramps, you may need more fluid and sodium.

If you get cramps often, add 1⁄2 teaspoon of table salt to

32 ounces of sport drink, or choose an “endurance”

formula sport drink. It will contain more sodium than a

regular sport drink.

Supplements Commonly Used

by Tennis Players

• Creatine supplementation may help athletes in high-

intensity, short-duration activities, like the short bursts of

play in tennis.

• Creatine may help you recover more quickly from

workouts, which could help you train harder.

• Creatine monohydrate powder is a common creatine

supplement. The recommended dose is 3 to 5 grams per

day spread throughout the day. Taking more than that

amount does not increase the benefits.

• Creatine does not help with endurance, and it may cause

weight gain.

• Creatine is not recommended for athletes younger than

18 years because it is not known whether it is safe for

use in people in that age group.

• Energy bars and gels can provide added calories to your

food plan. Choose an energy bar that provides more

carbohydrate than protein or fat.

• Energy gels can give you extra calories and carbohydrates

for day-long tournaments. Gels are concentrated

carbohydrates, and you should drink extra fluids when

you use them.

Top Three Nutrition Tips to

Improve Performance

1. Replace the fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates

that your body loses in long matches. This will help

you recover faster and get you ready for the next match. A

sport drink can help replace fluid, electrolytes, and

carbohydrates. Drink sport drinks at the end of the match

to start to recover. At the meal after your match, eat plenty

of carbohydrate-rich foods, salt your food, and drink

plenty of fluids.

2. Train your body to tolerate fluids during exercise.

Many tennis players don’t drink enough because they feel

like fluids “slosh” around in their stomachs. To get over

this feeling, start by drinking a small amount (about 1⁄2

cup) at the change-over when you train, and gradually

increase the amount you drink to 1 cup. Drinking more

helps move fluids into your blood and muscles where

they are needed.

3. Work with a sports dietitian to create a food and

fluid plan. A sports dietitian can help you plan

prematch, match, and postmatch foods and fluids that fit

your training schedule and your lifestyle.

Nutrition Prescription:

______ calories per day

______ grams of carbohydrate per day

______ grams of protein per day

______ grams of fat per day

______ cups of fluid per day

Special concerns: