[Sunday, June 9, 2019 9:07 a.m.]

What do I eat DURING training or matches? Image 1

Nutrition in tennis: what do I eat DURING the game?

So you go into training or the match well prepared. So what's the best thing to eat during a long game? What and how much do I drink? What is best to eat and drink DURING your training or match. Here you just have to trust your body, your taste and try out a few things in training. And then you fill your tennis bag with the things that you enjoy and are good for you. Because not everyone likes dates and can tolerate the XY fitness bar. And basically the basic rule applies to your nutrition in the game: a lot and expensive doesn't always help a lot. So eat smart on court.

What you should pay attention to in terms of nutrition DURING the match

Always drink enough. It's best not to drink too cold, otherwise your body will need energy to bring it up to body temperature - energy that you actually want in your muscles. Water is usually enough. You only need an isotonic drink for matches lasting 60-90 minutes where you sweat a lot. Drink small amounts during the match: approx. 90-180 ml when changing sides or every 10-20 minutes during training. Also make sure to think about your fluid balance BEFORE and AFTER the match: drink between 1/2-1 liter before the match, at least 1/2 liter after the match - as a recommendation.
Provide yourself with constant energy . For example, you can do like Djokovic and take a bite of a date every time you change sides. That's better than 2 dates at the end of the sentence. This means your energy level remains constant and your blood sugar level doesn't rise too much or drop abruptly.
Opt for snacks whose energy goes quickly into the blood, such as energy balls, dried fruits or the legendary banana.

Finally, bananas have an intermediate glycemic index, which indicates how quickly blood sugar levels rise after consumption. The riper the banana, the higher the glycemic index, which shows how quickly the blood sugar level rises, i.e. how quickly energy is available.

Examples of tennis food DURING the match

Dried fruits such as dates
Bananas
Energy balls
Homemade muesli bars or store-bought bars with ingredients that are as natural as possible
If you can't tolerate anything "solid": Energy gels (be sure to try them out first - not everyone can tolerate them!)
Water
light spritzers or cold teas with a little honey and fruit juice

Tip

Try different things! What happens if I have an energy low and eat a piece of banana? Am I better? Do I have more energy again? The same applies here - every person is different. My tip: just try it out and listen to your body’s signals. Dextrose certainly gets into the blood faster - but if it works with a natural food, that would always be my first choice! Because here, in addition to sugar, I also have a load of minerals and a lot more!