Tennis
At its highest level, tennis is highly reliant on anaerobic energy systems although a developed aerobic capacity is of significant advantage in terms of recovery between points, and tolerance to heat.
Today's top players are religious about their nutrition:
- Before: Maximise glycogen stores before play using hi-carb nutrition for carbo-loading.
- During: Replenish used-up glycogen at a maximum rate using complex carbohydrate-protein drinks.
- After: Most importantly they recover using high-protein and carbohydrate drinks.
For top players the order of importance is as follows:
- Recovery - Make sure you have a good recovery strategy. If not your progress will slow down soon and you end up with injuries and a poor immune system. These symptoms of overtraining can be prevented with a good recovery strategy.
- Energy drink - Poor rehydration and energy and electrolyte suppletion will cause you to tire sooner and loose concentration after a while. For optimal performance en endurance a tennisplayer must optimise its glycogen levels during matches and training. Use a professional sports drink with comples carbohydrates and amino acids just before and during matches and training. A good sportsdrink will replenish your glycogen during the training at a maximum and even level. Carbohydrates taken in combination with amino acids are easier absorbed and better utilised. Timing and volume of intake and adjustment to weather conditions are of great importance. For this he will need to have the best available energy drink and take it at the right time.
- Immune system - Keep your immune system strong and avoid injuries. By using the right nutrition the immune function can be supported. By using a good recovery strategy and providing your body with the nutrients needed for healthy joints, tendons and muscles injuries can be prevented and the recovery of injuries can be accelerated.
- Carbo-loading - Matches can last for up to five hours and the carbohydrate fuel stores of the player are likely to be challenged.Carbo-loading before important events can provide you with the energy edge in long extended matches. Endurance athletes can not erform to their best without well planned carbohydrate loading.
The great importance of recovery - Professional players’ training are devoted to on-court practice but all will have additional conditioning work such as running, weight training and agility work. Such daily activity levels will challenge the athlete's ability to fully rebuild their glycogen stores between bouts. Insufficient recovery of depleted stores of glycogen will result in a build-up shortage over time resulting in deminishing performace, overtraining and injury.
Recovery without using carbohydrates and proteins immediately after training will last up to 36 - 40 hours. The use of a ordinary energy drink in the first two hours after trainig will reduce this to 20 - 24 hours. Only recently drinks using a combintion of carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids were developed that reduce recovery time to 16 hours if used within the first 30 minutes after exercise. This is the best we can do and is just enough for athletes who train over a period of 8 hours per day.
We have developed a programme of nutrients especially for tennis to be taken before, during and after exercise:
- B.load is designed to maximise the the glycogen levels if taken up to two hours before major events or a major bout of exercise utilising mainly long–chain glucose polymers.
- B.fuel is designed to maintain hydration during exercise whilst providing some energy in the form of a combination of carbohydrates.
- B.gain combines protein and carbohydrates to promote fast recovery, muscle resynthesis and growth.
Click on any of the products on this page to improve your performance on court.
