Pre-Match Nutrition

What you put into your body in the days running up to a tennis match can seriously affect your game. All of the practice in the world will not help if you are dehydrated, bloated or hung over.

Preparation should start at least two days before a match when you should gradually begin increasing your intake of carbohydrates in order to build up your glycogen levels.

The night before the match you should also eat food high in carbohydrates such as:

• Pasta with tomato or bolognaise sauce.

• A baked potato with a low fat filling such as baked beans.

• A low fat pizza.

• Any pasta or rice dish.

Followed by:

• Tinned fruit.

• Fresh fruit salad.

• A scone or fruit bun.

• Any low fat dessert such as yoghurt or trifle.

On the morning of your match you should eat a light breakfast, but one that is high in carbohydrates, such as:

• Breakfast cereal with low fat milk. (Bran flakes or porridge, not a cereal high in sugar).

• Fresh fruit.

• Toast with jam, marmalade or honey.

It is important to eat breakfast, as your blood sugar levels drop overnight. If your match is not until later in the morning you should also eat a mid morning snack incorporating bread and fresh or dried fruit.

If your match is not until early afternoon you will need to eat lunch. Lunch should consist of a pasta or rice dish with bread or a sandwich filled with cold meat or banana accompanied by low fat yoghurt or some fruit.

After the match you should eat a high carbohydrate food in order to replace the glycogen in your body.

Tips for developing good tournament eating habits.

• Never try something new close to a tournament. You should know what works for you and agrees with you and if somebody suggests a different food to try before a match, try it during training and never during a tournament.

• Stick to the same diet all year round, nutrition is just as important during training as it is in the run up to a tournament.

• Practice your eating and drinking routine. If your body gets used to regular water intake it will be able to ingest it much easier.

• Check in advance if the tournament has eating facilities and what will be on offer. If there is any doubt that the right foods will be available, take your own.

• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol does nothing good for the body and can leave you feeling run down and lethargic the following day, affecting both your judgement and your reactions.

• If you know that one type of sports drink works for you, take a supply of it with you.

• Depending on where the tournament is, be wary of consuming seafood or dairy products as these are often the sources of bouts of food poisoning.

If you are unsure whether you are eating the correct diet, ask your tennis coach. He will be able to advise you on the best foods to eat and when to eat them in the run up to a tournament. If you have to eat fried food, do so no more than once a week as your body will soon build up an intolerance to grease and oils and you may become unwell.