As a sports nutritionist who works with professional and competitive athletes, including tennis players, I’m always on the lookout for tips and tricks that give my clients an edge. An in my 10-plus years of practice, not a week goes by that we don’t learn more about how particular foods and nutrients help the body operate like a well-oiled machine. Each one of your body’s 100 trillion cells relies solely on what you eat and drink to fuel your performance and help you recover. And while sports nutrition isn’t an exact science, there are plenty of tried and true techniques every tennis player should know.
The 20 Things You Need to Know About Nutrition
19. Calcium Isn't Just for Strong Bones
In a study published in the <em>British Journal of Nutrition</em>, obese women who consumed less than 600 mg of calcium per day, 60 percent of the daily recommended intake, followed a low-calorie diet for 15 weeks. The women were instructed to take either 1,200 mg of calcium or a placebo. The calcium group lost nearly 12 pounds over the course of the program, compared to just two pounds in the control group. Nearly 55 percent of men and 78 percent of women aged 20 and up fall short of the recommended 1,000 mg of calcium, which ramps up to 1,200 mg after age 50. If you supplement your intake don’t take more than 500 mg at once, as absorption decreases as the dose increases. And look for calcium citrate, which is well tolerated and absorbed efficiently.
More:
**1. Your Diet Impacts Your Brain Function
2. The Right Breakfast Fights Hunger All Day
3. Food Can Fight Pain
4. Don't Run on Empty
5. Sleep Matters ... A Lot
6. Omega-3s Are Beyond Essential
7. Milk Does More Than Double Duty
8. Don't Get Fooled by the Afterburn Myth
9. Organic Food is Worth the Extra Money
10. Alcohol May Weaken Muscle
11. Relying on the Sun for Vitamin D May Be a Mistake
12. Spices are a Secret Weapon
13. Chocolate is a Key Superfood
14. Buyer Beware When it Comes to Supplements
15. A Little Vitamin C Makes a Big Difference
16. Variety Trumps Quantity for Fruits & Veggies
17. Drinking Water May Help You Lose Weight
18. Bacteria Are Critical to Your Health
19. Calcium Isn't Just for Strong Bones
20. Let an Expert Personalize Your Plan<strong>**</strong>
Originally published in the January/February 2012 issue of TENNIS.