Tennis

It is generally agreed that tennis has both aerobic and anaerobic components, but the majority of the energy supply appears to come from anaerobic systems. ^38,39 This heavy reliance on the anaerobic metabolic system is likely why carbohydrate supplementation improves the stroke quality during the final stages of a tennis match.⁴⁰ Since long-lasting, high-intensity exercise is highly dependent on carbohydrate as a fuel, it makes perfect sense that tennis players should ensure that carbohydrate is available to the muscles as a fuel.

Although carbohydrate consumption may be of concern, it appears that collegiate tennis players (Division I) have been well coached to consume sufficient fluids in hot environments. In a study evaluating fluid and electrolyte balance during multiday match play in a hot environment, the athletes successfully maintained overall balance, resulting in no occurrence of heat illness.⁴¹

It also appears, from data on young tennis players, that the adequacy of energy intake is better than that seen in other sports (gymnastics and swimming). It is well established that menstrual onset is, to a great degree, dependent on adequate energy intake. In general, females experience the first menses at age 13. Females who have energy deficits may have up to a 2-year delay in the age of menarche. Tennis players, however, appear to have only a slight delay (13.2 years) in the age of menarche, suggesting that energy consumption is good. ⁴² Typically, there is less concern in tennis about“making weight. ”The focus is on conditioning, regardless of where the weight ends up, and there is evidence that college women tennis players are no more at risk of eating disorders than any other young woman.⁴³

Keeping this in mind, tennis players must consider the following nutritionally relevant factors for their sport.

Tennis is commonly played outside on courts where the reflective temperature off the court is higher than the environmental temperature. The heat at courtside can quickly cause heat illness if tennis players fail to take steps to adequately hydrate themselves. Players should be aware of the signs of heat disorders (thirst, fatigue, vision problems, inability to speak normally) and take quick action if they, a partner, or an opponent appears to have any heat-related symptoms.

Tennis has natural breaks after each odd game, when the opponents change sides. These natural breaks in a tennis match are, perhaps, why tennis players are in relatively good hydration state during and after a match. However, because carbohydrate supplementation has been found to improve end-of-game strokes, players should make certain that the beverage consumed contains carbohydrate. These sports beverages, if sipped during a match, will help ensure that high-intensity activity can be maintained for a longer period of time.

Sports that require a combination of power and endurance have only recently received the same level of scientific attention that endurance sports have enjoyed for many years. Studies on these sports indicate that carbohydrate consumption is useful for enhancing performance even if the activity lasts less than 1 hour. This is an important finding because the traditional thought has been that water is an appropriate hydration beverage for activities lasting less than 1 hour, whereas carbohydrate-containing sports beverages are important to consume for activities lasting longer than 1 hour. We now know that even for these shorter activities, carbohydrate consumption is performance enhancing. Since many of these sports (basketball, soccer, tennis) place an enormous caloric drain on the system, athletes should develop eating strategies (i.e., eating enough) that encourage maintenance of muscle mass during long and arduous seasons.