You won’t win long matches without stores of energy. Balance is the key to success even top players can fall into “nutrition fads” these mistakes can seriously impact their playing ability.
One misconception amongst sportsmen and coaches is that a high protein meal goes directly into the muscle tissue, but it is not that simple.
If you eat too much protein combined with too many calories it actually gets turned into body fat. More importantly excess protein can’t be stored when it is being broken down and it places a high work load on the kidneys which can cause other substances to be lost in urine such as calcium. This is the main cause of muscle cramps during tennis matches.
Sports nutritionists have for years recommended a diet that emphasizes carbohydrates and a balance of protein and fats. This advice should be followed very closely.
Protein intake should vary with the level of activity and should range between 15-20% of your total calorie intake.
So go ahead and consume fat in your diet, it enhances absorption of key vitamins, provides energy and it can make you feel fuller after a meal. But still make sure to keep fat consumption between 15 and 20% of calorie intake.
There is fair amount of fat burnt when you play tennis so that occasional chocolate bar will do good to your game. This will stop you from having those nasty cramps that can really bother your playing level. Without fat, you will not be able to finish those long matches or go through long training sessions in the summer heat.
So always keep a little chocolate bar in your tennis bag!!
