By Page Love, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD, PTR, and Skylar Smith, MS
Why is adequate sport nutrition important for summer tournaments?
Summer tournaments place unique physical demands on racquet sports players. Hot weather, long match days, and high-intensity play require strategic nutrition and hydration to maintain energy, prevent cramping, and support rapid recovery. Preparing in advance allows players to start competition well-fueled and better able to perform at their best.
Pre-match fueling
The goal of pre-match fueling is to top off energy stores while minimizing stomach discomfort. Two to three hours before a match, eat a balanced and moderate sized meal with carbohydrates, moderate protein, and minimal fat or fiber. For example, for a morning match, oatmeal or toast with one egg or nut butter with a fruit. One hour before a match, choose light, easily digestible carbohydrates such as bananas, applesauce, and a salty grain, i.e. pretzels.
Nutrition during match play
Maintaining blood glucose during a long match is critical for maintaining intensity, so make sure to snack between games. Aim for 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour, from sources such as a banana, sports drink, caffeine-free chews or gels, or low-fiber granola bars, to help sustain energy and prevent late-match fatigue. Hydration is also important. Aim for one-half liter to one liter of water and electrolytes or sport beverage. Electrolyte packets, such as Liquid IV, in summer heat can help your body hold onto water that is normally lost through sweat to delay or minimize dehydration. Take advantage of every changeover to refuel and hydrate.
Post-match recovery
Recovery begins as soon as the match ends. Focus on the “3 Rs”: Refuel, Repair, and Rehydrate. Refuel with carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores. Repair with 15-25 grams of protein within 15-45 minutes to support muscle repair. Rehydrate with an electrolyte beverage to replace fluids and electrolytes lost during play. Chocolate milk or protein smoothies make excellent first-line recovery choices.
If you are in-between matches, it is still important to prioritize recovery as well. If the break is short, focus on quick-digesting carbohydrates and fluids. If you have a longer break (2+ hours), a full meal with carbs and protein is appropriate, i.e. turkey or chicken sandwich/wrap with pretzels. After a full tournament day, your recovery meal should be a higher carbohydrate meal with 5-6 ounces of protein and vegetables, such as pasta with ground meat sauce and side salad, to support overnight recovery.
Special considerations for summer tournaments
In the summer heat, sweat rates increase significantly, leading to greater losses of fluid and electrolytes. Players can estimate their sweat rate by weighing themselves before and after a practice session to determine their personalized hydration needs. Replace each pound lost with at least 20 ounces of hydrating fluids within two hours. Players can further personalize their hydration plan through wearable patches (such as MX3) that measure sweat sodium concentration to determine electrolyte replacement needs. A structured hydration plan helps athletes avoid starting matches already dehydrated. Some elite players lose 800-3,000mg of sodium per hour.
Frequent traveling for tournaments can cause disruption in your fueling routine and often exposes players to high-calorie, low-nutrient-dense foods. If you are traveling, you may want to consider packing sport foods in case choices are limited at your destination (see below). Another consideration for travel play is hotel breakfasts which may also have varied availability. Ideas to look for at your hotel or to DIY in your room include bagel or toast, scrambled eggs or Greek yogurt, banana and berries, and milk or juice. If there is no breakfast available, an easy breakfast to help meet your fueling needs is instant oatmeal with nut butter and banana paired with a low-fat dairy.
Multiple matches in a day mean less recovery time and more reliance on quick, convenient fueling choices. When fueling for a multi-day tournament, reach for your trialed and dependable foods on day one. On day two, add more calorie density for adequate performance. As the fatigue increases on day three, prioritize recovery and carbohydrates. Keep at least one bar, one electrolyte packet, and one quick carb, i.e. pretzels, on hand for each tournament match.
Sport Nutrition Packing List for Travel
- Bars: CLIF Bar, ProBar meal, Bobo Bars
- Electrolytes: Liquid IV, LMNT
- Recovery drinks: Whey Protein Shake, Core Power, Fairlife Chocolate Milk
- Sports drink packets: Powerade, Body Armor Rapid Hydration
- Instant oatmeal cups, energy bites
- Nut butter packets
- Trail mix or nuts
- Shelf-stable milk boxes, drinkable yogurts, or protein shakes
- Crackers or pretzels
Sample Sport Nutrition Plan for Pre- and During Tennis Tournament
| Night before match | High carb dinner: 2 cups pasta + 3-4 oz meat + tomato sauce or cooked vegetable + several cups water |
| Breakfast / Pre Warm-Up 2 hrs before | Oatmeal or toast, egg or nut butter, and fruit
Hydration: ~1L electrolyte beverage and/or water leading up to match time |
| 30 minutes before match | Applesauce pouches, non-caffeine energy chews, CLIF bar or ProBar, pretzels, banana
Hydration: Continue pre-hydrating w/ electrolyte beverage |
| During match (per hour) | Hydration: ½ L to 1 L per hour of water and electrolytes or sport beverage pending intensity of play
If match exceeds 1 hour or have split set situation, consider nibbling on an energy bar or energy chews or bland fruit at changeovers. |
| After 1st match | Early Lunch: 1 turkey wrap (1-2 slices meat) or sandwich + pretzels
Hydration: 2-3 cups water |
| 30 minutes before next match | Applesauce pouch or high-carb energy bar
Hydration: 1-2 cup electrolyte beverage and/or water |
| After last match | Drinkable yogurt or chocolate milk right away for recovery
Hydration: 1-2 cup electrolyte beverage and/or water
|
| Recovery meal | Recovery meal w/in 1-2 hours: 2 cups carbohydrates + 5-6oz protein + veggie
Hydration: 1-2 cups water
Examples: Grilled chicken + pasta + side salad + side bread, Rice bowl + chicken/steak + veggies or greens, Sandwich + soup + salad, Salmon + rice + asparagus. |
Page Love is an avid ALTA participant and sport dietitian and certified tennis and pickleball instructor. She is a nutrition advisor for the WTA and ATP professional tours, serves on the USTA sport science committee, consults with Resurgens Orthopaedics, and has a private practice in Sandy Springs. You can reach her at nutrifitga.com. Skylar Smith has a master’s in nutrition from the University of Georgia working towards getting her dietetics license and looks forward to working in sports dietetics in the near future!
