Wimbledon 2023 did not disappoint. Carlos Alcaraz’s thrilling win over Novak Djokovic in the final seemed to mark the beginning of a changing of the guard at the top of men’s tennis. Just a day earlier, Marketa Vondrousova had become the first unseeded player to lift the women’s title.
Two remarkable victories powered, no doubt, by fighting spirit, relentless dedication and countless hours of training. However, beyond the obvious lies the attention to detail success in tennis entails — from finetuning strokes to sports nutrition, one of the most important aspects in professional sports.
In tennis, since there are regular breaks between games and sets, and matches can stretch to hours, players frequently fuel up, taking snacks as well as fluids for rehydration.
The fast-paced movements and extended matches can take a toll on a player’s performance. Diet and nutrition have a big say in their endurance, performance and even resistance to injuries. This makes it crucial for tennis players to ‘refuel’ during matches too.
Importance of snacks during tennis matches
Even if you take adequate food and fluids before a match, intense play will deplete the body’s glycogen stores by 55% in an hour — and they will drop to zero in two hours. It is challenging to keep the blood sugar levels in the normal range and give muscles the energy they require.
This is where snacking during breaks helps.
“Carbohydrates for energy and fluid and electrolytes for hydration make up the specific nutrients needed during a tennis match,” says Gauri Murthy, wellness and sports nutrition specialist from Mumbai. “There are many concentrations of sports drinks, but the most common are isotonic sports drinks since they have an easy-to-absorb composition. They enable us to meet our requirements without putting strain on the stomach. They also contain a certain amount of carbohydrates which are easy to digest.”
The snacks consumed during breaks should be carbohydrate-rich; ideally, there should be a balance between simple and complex carbohydrates, says Murthy.
While simple carbohydrates deliver rapid energy for immediate requirements, complex carbohydrates release energy more gradually, maintaining energy levels.
Factors to consider when choosing snacks
Be it pre- or post-match, choosing food with a higher glycemic index (a value assigned to foods based on how quickly and how high they increase blood glucose levels) can provide fast energy and quicker recovery. However, for training diet, it is recommended that players choose lower glycemic index food to maintain a consistent blood sugar and energy level.
“Liquid carbohydrate sources (like glucose and energy drinks) and food containing simple carbohydrates (like tubers, rice and sago) could be used to raise the glucose level quickly during training or a match,” says Samreen Sharieff, a Bengaluru-based nutritionist and diabetes instructor.
It is recommended that complex carbohydrates be consumed for regular training or if you are playing tennis as part of your fitness routine. Complex carbs, especially with a low glycemic index, have a high fibre and vitamin content and give a sustained energy release over a prolonged period.
“Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the liver, which helps to maintain normal glucose level in the blood and in skeletal muscles, where it is used as a source of fuel for physical activity,” says Sharieff.
Muscle glycogen is the main source of fuel for the muscles. It enables athletes to undertake both aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) exercises.
Recovery meals, meanwhile, should contain carbohydrates (fuel), protein (for muscle repair and development) and plenty of fluids and electrolytes to replace losses due to sweating. Plenty of vegetables should also be included to complete nutritional recovery and support gut and immune health.
Protein becomes increasingly important for recovery between matches to help players return to the court in top shape. According to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, tennis players should follow a habitually high carbohydrate diet of between 6-10 g·kg-1.d-1 (grams per kilogramme of bodyweight per day) to ensure adequate glycogen stores, with women requiring slightly less than men. Protein intake guidelines for tennis players training at a high intensity and duration daily should be around 1.6 g·kg-1·d-1. Dietary fat intake should not exceed 2 g·kg-1·d-1.
Natural snacks vs packed snacks for tennis
A wide range of snack options are available today. Tennis players used to have bananas during breaks in the past. They have been supplanted by packaged snacks today. The debate between natural and packed snacks continues to rage, though.
“Packaged snacks are sometimes required,” says Murthy. “If you do not have access to natural options, [it is] better to choose healthier packed snacks. You should see the composition of packed snacks before picking them. Avoid snacks that contain more of fat, sugar or starch. Options like a granola bar or an energy bar are good.”
The important thing is to not let the energy levels fall.
“Snacks high in fat — such as fried or junk food — can be heavy to digest and may hamper performance,” adds Murthy. “The idea behind having a snack during the match is to maintain sustained energy. Something like a chocolate or a sugary snack gives an instant rush of sugar, but it will not really help the performance.”
Ideal snack options for tennis players
“Packed snacks like energy drinks, energy bars, energy gels, electrolytes and fluids are the best sources of energy during breaks in matches as they are easy to digest and don’t cause discomfort to players,” says Sharieff. “If there is a long break during a match or if it’s a day-long tournament, then foods like muffins, peanut butter with banana or plain bread, protein shakes paired with some fruits for carbs, muesli with milk and fruits, regular cereals with fruit and honey, yogurt and fruit bowl, etc can be used.”
Apart from solid snacks players should also choose fluids with higher levels of electrolytes during breaks as the sodium content promotes effective rehydration.
Takeaways
- It is important to have snacks during breaks in tennis matches to sustain energy levels and maintain hydration.
- Both pre- and post-match, choose higher glycemic index foods as they provide quicker energy and hasten recovery. However, in the general training diet, tennis players should choose lower glycemic index food to maintain consistent blood sugar and energy levels.
- Packed snacks like energy drinks, energy bars, energy gels, electrolytes and fluids are the best sources of energy during breaks. If the breaks are longer, food such as muffins, peanut butter with banana or plain bread, and protein shakes paired with some fruits for carbs are a good option.
