HomeHealth of tennis playersCan We Have a Real Conversation about Tennis Nutrition?

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Can We Have a Real Conversation about Tennis Nutrition? — 6 Comments

  1. Hi David,

    My daughter is 16 years old. She is drinking 11 grams Whey protein before practice tennis (2 hours). Is this good or bad for her ?

    Thanks,

    HP

    • HP,

      This a good question and there are a lot of contradictory voices out there when it comes to this topic. My opinion is that if it is a high quality whey protein product, your daughter has no digestive problems when during practice, she appears to be recovering well from her workouts, and her tennis workouts are quite intense then it is likely that the whey protein is having a positive impact. Whey protein is much more digestible than Casein so you are on the right track. There are also many studies that support drinking whey protein before workouts. Personally I try to stay away from supplement powders unless I am pressed for time or don’t have some natural products readily available. I am definitely not anti-supplementation by any means as I have a number of supplements I take on a daily basis, but I do believe that most people consuming a standard western diet already have more than enough protein to support muscle regeneration. If you believe your daughter is not getting enough calories to support her workouts or if she has a particularly hard physical day training then I believe she should take the extra supplementation. If she is consuming enough calories from her regular meals and has a lighter practice than it probably is not necessary. I hope that helps, but feel free to follow up.

      • Hi David,

        One hour private tennis lesson considers hard physical day training ? How about two sets of tennis?

        My daughter also drinks whole fat milk every day. Should she have non-fat milk instead ?

        Thank you

        HP

        • HP,

          I don’t think it would be necessary before a 1 hour lesson unless she has not eaten within a few hours of her session. If you believe she will be on the court for about 2 hours during the sets then have her drink it. Maybe use 2 hours as a good guide as to whether or not to take it.
          Stay away from any non-fat products. Fat gets a very bad reputation in the media. From my research about 60% of our diets should be made up with healthy fats, but again everyone is a little different. If you can source some more organic milk options I would highly recommend paying extra for it, but always get the full fat for the most benefits.

  2. Hi David

    My 12 years old sons playing tennis since one yeras, could you suggest the diet for them

    REGARDS

    SHIV

    • Hi Shiv,

      I wouldn’t recommend any diet for a 12 year old, other than suggesting that you get him eating a well balanced array of foods from multiple sources. Ultimately you want to teach great eating habits, encourage experimentation and have him understand that what he puts in his body will impact his performance on the tennis court and in life.
      When it comes to his tennis avoid foods like gatorades and energy bars. Focus on fruits, nuts or home made energy bar options. Try and eliminate any soda’s or other sugary beverages and stick to water.
      Let me know if you have any more specific questions and I will do my best to help.