1. I don't have time to eat right with my hectic schedule:
If you can get at least one core shopping trip per week you will get a jumpstart for having more fresh appetizing food on hand. Shop for quick, ready-to-eat foods ... i.e. hand held fruits, already cut fresh vegetables, fresh ready-to-eat meals, fresh luncheon meats, yogurts, single serve cottage cheeses, low-fat granola bars, pretzels. Most of these foods can be packed in a cooler and even transported on the road.
2. With being on the road so much, I overeat while dining out:
Yes, it is true you will have larger portions and more hidden fat in your diet if you don't dine out carefully. Try to order entrees with lower fat cooking methods ... broiling, grilling, baking or roasting. Order dressings, sauces and regular cheeses on the side. Doggie bag large meat portion sizes ... most entrees give you 8-10 oz. of meat protein. Hold regular desserts and opt to eat fresh fruit from the salad bar.
3. I am confused by what I hear and read; should I be avoiding breads and pasta?
The main fuel for muscle activity in tennis is carbohydrate in the form of starch or flour in breads and pastas as well a cereals, rise, crackers, corn, peas, beans. Tennis players need to eat at least eight serving a day for these types of foods (with a potion size being 1/2 cup cooked pasta or on slice of bread, approximately an 80 calorie equivalent). These types of foods raise your metabolism and help you last longer on the court.
4. I am not hungry for breakfast, and I feel lighter on the court when I haven't eaten:
When you body is not used to having fuel input in the morning it gets accustomed to expecting no food and thus not being hungry. By missing breakfast you are missing a key opportunity to fuel up especially for tennis play later in the day. For starters, introduce a piece of fruit or a glass of juice with a slice of toast, bagel or yogurt in the morning.
5. I am most hungry at night, so I eat my biggest meal at the end of the day:
When you under-eat earlier in the day, you will build up a calorie deficit later in the day that leads to an increased risk of overeating. Unfortunately, this appropriation of fuel intake doesn't best meet the players's needs for training during the day. Shifting calories earlier in the day, even having a larger lunch than dinner may be helpful.
6. I do not drink milk; I don't need it now that I am grown:
You may think you don't need it anymore, but calcium is not only used to grow bones, but to maintain bone density as well as serve as a conductor for nerve impulses to make muscles contract. Dairy products also are an important part of the tennis player's protein intake. Players should try to consume 2-3 one cup equivalents of milk, yogurt, and low fat cheeses per day.
7. When I try to drink more, I frequently have to go to the bathroom:
Yes, you need to be drinking more. Most players in training need a minimum base of 100 oz. of hydrating fluids per day. When you start drinking more, your body is not used to the increased volume of fluid and this will cause an increased urinary frequency. For the most part this is transitional and as you body adapts to the improved fluid status. Don't give up hope, it will improve and what will result is an overall improved energy level.
8. I feel like I need coffee first thing in the morning to improve energy:
One cup of coffee first thing in the morning is not a negative practice, as long as you are doing a good job hydrating yourself as mentioned in #7. Coffee alone (before matches, practices or teaching) is a diuretic and will increase you risk for cramping, fatigue, and heat illness.
9. I try to get an energy boost by drinking a soda before I go out on the court:
Yes, you may feel like you get a boost, but that energy burst in very short lived. What you are doing is experiencing a sugar high for 15-30 minutes. Most matches last 3-5 times this duration, so you will need a more significant energy boost than this. Drinking a sport beverage would be a more appropriate choice. Sodas are extremely high in sugar and are diuretics because of the caffeine content.
10. I feel like if I don't eat enough I can replace the nutrients with vitamin pills:
A multi-vitamin is a good safe guard for ingesting some of the vitamins or minerals that you may have missed with your food intake, but that is it .... just non-caloric nutrients. Vitamins do not contain energy and do not help prevent fatigue from an under-fueled body.
So why don't you eat well? For me it was work, I would pick up a burger and fries between visiting offices, now I try to keep a large container of yogurt at work and make sure I eat enough not to be hungry when I'm on the road.
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