Site Search

Eating For Aces: A Quick and Easy Nutrition Plan for Junior Tennis Players

By Alton Skinner

Fuel your efforts with tennis specific snacks If you have every left the gym or court feeling weak or felt unusually fatigued, take a look at your what you ate before you played. Nutrition is the cornerstone of training success, and the hour or two before your workout is critical. Many research studies conclude that having the right blend of protein and carbohydrates before your training session will help you go longer and stronger plus aid in your recovery and prepare you for your next session or match. Here are some great snacks to fuel your training.

Strength Training

To optimally fuel your body for muscle toning and recovery you need the right kind of nutritients 60 to 90 minutes prior to your workout. For your strength workout you should consume about 0.1 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and 0.2 grams of carbohydrate so for a 130 lb woman, that is about 13 grams of protein and 26 grams of protein. For a 60 to 80 pound junior player that is 6-8 grams of protein and 13 to 15 grams of carbs.

Choose moderate to fast digesting sources of protein(i.e. low fat) sources of protein, such as egg white, low fat fish, turkey breast, whey protein and soy protein. Carbs should be low glycemic and slow digesting to prevent insulin surges which limit the fat burning during your session. Whole grains, fruit, brown rice and oatmeal are excellent choices.

Try one of these snacks an hour or so before pumping some iron

Food

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)
  • 1 ½ oz. Canned tuna with 1 tbsp. Fat free mayo on 9 whole grain crackers

14

28
  • 2 large scrambled egg whites 1 cup cooked oatmeal

14

25
  • ¾ scoop whey or soy protein blended with water with 1 medium banana

16

28
  • 2 oz. Chicken breast
    2 slices whole wheat bread

16

26
  • 2 oz. Boiled shrimp ½ cup brown rice

14

24
  • 2 cups chicken noodle soup 3 whole wheat crackers

13

27
  • 2 hard boiled egg whites 1 whole wheat English muffin

14

27

Cardio workout for Tennis match

Sometimes we workout for different reasons, for health, weight control, or weight loss. Why you do it will influence what you should eat before you start. For maximum performance, you need to supply yourself with an ample amount of low to moderate glycemic carbs, like raisins, popcorn and apple juice. Studies reveal that adding some protein to the mix can help tennis players improve their stamina.

You should increase your carb intake to about 0.4 gram and0.1 gram of protein per lb in your preworkout/ prematch meal. That’s 13 gram of protein and 52 grams of carbs for 130 lb female tennis player: getting 10-15 grams of moderate to fast digesting protein and 40-60 grams of carbs will work for most players. Your protein should be those that digest quickly since the amino acids will be used by your muscles for fuel during the workout. Again your protein should be low in fat.

Long Lasting Snacks

An hour before your long training sessions or matches, these snacks are good examples for fuel.

Food

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)
  • 1 ½ oz. Canned tuna w/
    1 tpsp fat free mayo on 4 slices
    Of wheat bread

18

50
  • ½ scoop whey protein mixed with
    Water and 2/3 cup blueberries
    1 whole wheat English muffin w/
    1 tpsp. Low sugar preserves

17

50
  • 2 oz. Deli turkey breast
    1 large whole wheat pita
    1 cup strawberries

17

84
  • 2 oz. Chopped chicken breast
    1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta w/
    ½ cup marinara sauce

19

51

For Fat burning. If you main cardio goal is fat burning and lots of it then avoid carbs altogether. Research studies show that when you don’t eat carbs before aerobic training, more body fat is burned. But that doesn’t mean you should run on an empty stomach. Research reports that when athletes consume only amino acids before aerobic exercise, they burn even more fat than when they drank water alone. Your snacks should contain 5-10 grams of fast digesting protein.

Lean Snacks. An hour before your get lean session, eat one of these:

Food

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)
  • ½ scoop whey protein
    Blended in water

10

0
  • 2 hard boiled large egg whites

8

0
  • 1 ½ oz. Canned light tuna

10

0

Combo workouts. If you are saving time by combining strength and cardio training your ratio of carbs to protein remains the same (0.1 gram of protein and 0.2 grams of carbs, but the type of protein can vary. Since these session tend to be longer than strength alone session you can use slow digesting types of proteins like dairy, beef, and nuts. Also choose the same type of slow digesting carbs, such as fibrous fruits , vegetables and whole grains. Combo Snacks. If you’re weight training and doing cardio, nibble on these an hour or so before training.

Food

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)
  • 8 oz. Fat free plain yogurt w/
    1 cup sliced strawberries

14

28
  • 3 oz. 95% Lean beef patty
    1 whole wheat hamburger bun
    2 tbsp. Ketchup

20

30
  • 2 whole large poached eggs
    1 whole wheat English muffin

18

28
  • ½ cup fat free cottage cheese mixed w/
    2 cups sliced pineapple

14

23
  • 2 tbsp. Peanut butter
    2 slices whole wheat bread

14

32
  • 1 cup skim milk
    ½ cup Special K cereal

12

23
  • ¼ scoop whey or soy protein
    Blended in 1 cup skim milk w/
    ½ cup blueberries

14

24

Try these snacks and watch the quality of your workouts and matches improve.

About the Author:

If you are a weekend tennis player, a competitive amateur, or professional player, Alton Skinner, a Raleigh, North Carolina athletic performance and nutrition specialist, can help you create a conditioning and nutrition program that adds endurance, reduces painful injuries, and reshapes your body so you can win more tournaments and play your best tennis all the time. Work with him directly or follow the guidelines in a personalized Tournament Player Performance Plan, a complete plan designed just for you based on your playing schedule and current body condition, to maximize your performance when it matters most to you.

More information is available by calling . Or visit his website www.altonskinner.com. Mention that you read this article and receive a complete tennis conditioning analysis and a copy of Alton’s quarterly conditioning and nutrition guide, Accelerated Golf and Tennis, a $40 value.