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NUTRITION: Sports nutrition for the competitive edge
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Page Love
 Page Love, MS, RD, LD, is a nutrition consultant for health, wellness, disease prevention and performance enhancement. She has a Masters of Science in sports nutrition, is a registered and licensed dietitian, and a nutrition therapist.
View all articles by Page Love
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By Page Love
- Drink, Drink, Drink!:
Drink at least 80 oz. of hydrating fluids per day. Replace a liter/hour during play. Sports beverages or water are best on the court; juices, milk, and any other decaffeinated beverages are fine during the day. Sports beverages at 6 -7% absorb quickly from the stomach during match play i.e. Gatorade. Drink 1/2 cup to 1 cup of fluids at each changeover. Fruit juices and sodas should be avoided on the court because of the high sugar concentration. Drink before you get thirsty!
- Do not starve the muscles of fuel!
Eating at least 8 servings per day of complex carbohydrate choices will create the base to maintain your muscle energy levels. Choose higher fiber options whenever possible - cereals, bread, rice, pasta, etc. Seven a day from fruits and vegetables will meet extra carbohydrate, mineral and additional fluid needs from food. Choose a wide variety of colors and types of fruits and vegetables daily - something citrus, something deep green, and at least one other red, yellow, or orange choice. Divide these foods into 5 - 6 small meals. Remember to burn more fat you must keep the muscles fueled.
- Eat breakfast everyday!
After a ten to twelve hour overnight fast your muscle energy levels are low. It is unfair to expect yourself to perform at peak without refueling with carbohydrate sources. Many traditional breakfast choices are appropriate choices i.e. low sugar breakfast cereal, two slices of toast, glass of juice; or, pancakes or waffles, small amount of syrup, fresh fruit, 8 oz. of skim milk. Even if you have not been eating breakfast, try eating a bagel and juice in your car on the way to the court. Starting to eat something again will help to rejuvenate your hunger levels in the morning.
- Provide the building blocks of muscle tissue everyday!
Complete protein sources like turkey, chicken, tuna, tenderloin, and fresh lean deli meats are needed in at least 4 - 6 oz. amounts during the day. Choose alternative protein options to meet additional protein needs such as low fat milk, cheese, and cottage cheese, light peanut butter, beans, or tofu at smaller meals to aid in satiety and fullness. Eating less than the 4 oz. equivalent per day will cause the muscles to breakdown and lose strength.
- Try to eat a small amount of vegetable fat everyday!
Liquid vegetable fats like liquid margarines; vegetable oils - i.e. canola, olive oil; mayonnaise; and oil based salad dressings provide the body with essential fats that are needed to make hormones, help us to absorb antioxidant fat soluble vitamins - A and E, construct hormones that control metabolism, and provide a secondary energy source. Adding a teaspoon per meal will actually help you to feel fuller longer between meals and possible prevent cravings for other less nutritional foods. A healthy low fat range for the day is between 30 - 50 grams per day. Fats to limit are the concentrated fats found in fried foods, bakery items, whole dairy products, and creams and oil based sauces.
- Consume a minimum of two dairy products per day!
Women athletes especially need these two to meet 2/3rds of your daily calcium needs. An eight ounce portion of skim milk or dairy yogurt are your best options. 2.5 ounces of low fat cheese or 2 cups of cottage cheese are alternative equivalents. Deep greens, canned fish and fortified vegetarian products (soy milk) and orange juices are alternatives. If you cannot consume real dairy products, it is advisable to consider a calcium supplement - a least 1000 mg/day.
- Try to eat every 3 - 4 hours!
This refuels the body with carbohydrate fuel at the rate that you are burning up these food choices and helps to maintain a normal blood sugar. Especially if you are on the run all day, keep carbohydrate choices close at hand - i.e. bagels, pretzels, fig bars, granola bars, bananas, apples and other fruit, and sports beverages. Pack these items in your tennis bag and/or car to help replenish muscle energy levels throughout the day.
- Eat the pre-match meal within three - four hours of play!
Preferably you can strive for a typical lunch choice with the amount of time to digest your foods. An example meal would be: a sub sandwich with turkey or roast beef, hold the mayo and cheese; vegetable toppings and oil and vinegar are OK; banana, pretzels, and low fat milk or yogurt, with two other cups of fluid - water or sports beverage. When you have less time, consume less food; especially lighter on the protein and fat options. Even an energy bar or bagel with fruit or juice with only 1 -2 hours is appropriate with plenty of water to digest and hydrate before match play.
- Limit simple sugar foods alone before and in between matches!
A high simple sugar food like a regular soda, candy, frozen yogurt, or fruit juice will cause a "hypoglycemic reaction" creating a low energy level within an hour of consuming the food. Highly refined carbohydrate choices will cause the same effect such as fat free cookies or desserts, donuts, etc. Try to limit these foods overall, but if consumed try to keep them after matches at the end of a post match meal or snack. Try to eat them with other more nutrient dense foods containing complex carbohydrate and protein.
- Refuel after matches!
As soon as possible re-hydrate and choose high carbohydrate foods. 2-3 cups of fluids with a piece of fruit would be appropriate. Sports beverages are also appropriate here because they provide both carbohydrate and water. Getting complex carbohydrate choices within 2 hours of heavy play is important to prevent early on muscle fatigue. The traditional pasta dinner would be an excellent choice for post match play. Limit heavy proteins, fats, and caffeine at this time because of their diuretic effects.
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