Carbohydrate intake for optimal performance in professional male &amp; female tennis players

Lorena Martin

doi:10.52383/itfcoaching.v23i66.138

Abstract

   Many coaches and athletes underestimate the competitive advantage that proper carbohydrate intake can have on athletic performance. The intake and timing of carbohydrates may be the differentiating factor between victory and defeat. Remember there are many variables in the equation of optimal performance. In this article we will review some fundamentals on carbohydrate intake for optimal performance both in professional male and female tennis players.  

Highlights

Under the umbrella of sports nutrition, there are factors such as nutrient timing, sex, age, injuries, number of hours training, body composition, etc., that play a contributing role to the performance of professional tennis players (Burke et al, 1989; Burke et al, 1993; Costill et al, 1988; Coyle, 1991)
One of the most important nutrients that can affect all the previously mentioned variables is carbohydrate intake. It has been well documented in the literature that carbohydrate intake affects both physiological and psychological performance (Krieder et al, 1995; Ostojic, 2002)
How so? Well, this article aims to explain the mechanisms of how carbohydrates can help with training load, match endurance, and post-match recovery and how they differ between male and female professional tennis players

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Under the umbrella of sports nutrition, there are factors such as nutrient timing, sex, age, injuries, number of hours training, body composition, etc., that play a contributing role to the performance of professional tennis players (Burke et al, 1989; Burke et al, 1993; Costill et al, 1988; Coyle, 1991). An analysis of all studies available shows that a carbohydrate ingested during exercise will be oxidised at rates up to about 1 g/min, even when large amounts of carbohydrates have been previously ingested (Jeukendrup, 2004; Wagenmakers et al, 1993) With this in mind, if you measure and weigh your tennis player’s food prior to consumption you can estimate how much carbohydrates they are using while training and how much remains post-training. If you measure and weigh your tennis player’s food prior to consumption you can estimate how much carbohydrates they are using while training and how much remains post-training This improved performance after a high carbohydrate diet was linked with the higher muscle glycogen concentrations observed after such a diet (Wee et al, 2005). Glycogen supplies energy during the first few minutes of any sport

International Tennis Federation

Findings

CONCLUSION