Tennis Nutrition : An Open Letter to Andy Murray – Part 3

In Parts 1 & 2 I looked at Andy Murray’s new eating plan and gave him some ideas for breakfast, the meal he was having most difficulty with.

The main point I was trying to make is that variety is of outmost importance in a tennis player’s diet. To eat as many different foods as possible each day means you have to re-thing everything you have been taught about portion sizes, especially for vegetables.

So, why is quantity such a problem?

Well, you know how we’re always told about having a portion size of this and a portion size of that? Have an apple or a banana? How many times have you declined the ‘nutritious’ foods as eating a whole portion size did not appeal but you would have said yes to a bite or two?

The fact is, as an athlete, it’s extremely difficult to get into you all the nutrients you need if you’re not super diligent. The easiest way is to eat as many different foods as possible in any given day. So don’t repeat foods you’ve eaten earlier in the day; cut an apple in quarters, have only 2 slices of red pepper, etc.  Eating the recommended portion sizes will always limit your nutrient intake because the sizes are simply too large. You will either decline eating that particular food or eat it but not have the appetite to eat a larger variety of foods.

So,

·         Eat less of one food,

·         Eat more different foods,

·         Have at least 6 foods per meal,

·         3 or more per snack (any part of a fruit and 2 different types of nuts or hummus and 4 different raw vegetables, etc.),

·         Aim for 25 different foods a day (hey, it’s doable! 3 meals with 6 different foods is already 18 foods. 3 snacks with 3 different foods is another 9…see?!)

So you see, Mr Murray, breakfast need not be boring nor troublesome. But it must be as nutritious as all of your other meals. Should you need more breakfast ideas, please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Wishing you the best of health,

Kathryn Bistany

Sports Nutritionist & Co-founder

      of PlanetTennis.Net

An Open Letter To Andy Murray – Part 2

Yesterday’s blog was Part 1 of An Open Letter To Andy Murray. Click HERE if you’ve missed it. Below is Part 2.

The most difficult thing to get across to adults (junior players LOVE this concept) is that breakfast should not be any different to any other meal. That is to say, breakfast is not about cereal, oats or a fry up.

Breakfast, like lunch, dinner (and all of your snacks for that matter) is about giving your body a mix of different types of energy (from protein, starchy carbs, colourful carbs and fats), a mix of nutrients that help in converting starches to energy as well as helping in the repair of tissue, helping in making new tissue and helping in limiting tissue breakdown.

A bowl of cereal is simply not capable of providing all of the above. In certain instances, as has been seen in Mr Djokovic’s case, the gluten in the cereal is capable of reducing one’s energy and causing tissue damage. It is even possible, as I’ve mentioned in the article Can a Gluten-Free Diet Help Your Game of Tennis that gluten may have a negative impact on mood, co-ordination and balance.

However, it is important to note that gluten does not have a negative impact on everyone. The point that must be emphasised is not the possible deleterious effect of gluten but the inadequacy of a meal consisting of cereal and milk for an athlete (or for any human serious about their health).

So, you may ask, what should an athlete have for breakfast?

Assuming you are not training or competing within 3 hours of eating, breakfast should be no different to lunch or dinner (if you are training within 3 hours then reduce the quantity of the whole meal and slightly increase the starch content). You mentioned that you are eating more fish and vegetables. Well, that’s an excellent breakfast. If your palate cannot tolerate strong flavours in the morning then make it a white fish rather than an oily fish. ‘What about chicken?’ I hear you ask incredulously with a hint of sarcasm in your voice. Sure chicken is superb; but no skin please.

Of course I’m a big fan of eggs so if you like them, boiled, poached, scrambled or even fried, have an egg or two for breakfast. If you want to avoid toast, then try some mixed beans (try the tinned variety for ease), mix with olive oil, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and any herbs or spices that take your fancy. If you feel particularly mischievous, you can chop some raw carrots and green beans (or any other crunchy veg) and mix into the bean salad.

What if porridge actually does make you feel energetic and mentally focused? If it works for you, go for it but make sure that you have more than oats and milk. Add a few unsalted nuts and seeds, a few slices of fresh fruit, a couple dried fruits…can you count six different foods on your plate?

To ensure your meal is as nutritious, energy building, muscle building and tissue building as possible, make sure you have six or more different foods on your plate (ignore quantity – this is the cause of the majority of nutritional blunders) and make sure the plate is colourful.

Why is quantity such a problem? Check out tomorrow’s blog!!

An Open Letter To Andy Murray

 

Dear Mr Murray,

I understand that the change in Mr Djokovic’s diet has enticed you to make a few dietary changes of your own.  I quote:

“I’m having a lot more fish and vegetables and trying to have a more balanced diet rather than just the typical pasta before matches and steaks and chicken.”

“Breakfast is quite difficult because normally I could have bagels and any spreads. And then snacks during the day. Rather than having a chocolate bar, I’m having an apple or a banana.”

“It’s something that, now I know how I feel, I wish I had been doing it longer. I feel way better. I wake up at 7am now and feel great. Before I would wake up at 9.30 and feel terrible.”

Why do I feel like every mother who has banged her head against a brick wall, trying, in vain, to get her son to change his eating habits only to find that he only finally does it when he meets a new best friend and copies his more nutritious eating regime?

It’s been a good three years that I’ve been writing to your coaches and friends trying to explain to you that the cheapest and most adaptable tool for improving your game is within arm’s reach…but to no avail. The replies that kept coming back to me were, ‘he knows’, ‘he’s changing coaches’ or ‘now’s not the time’.                                                                                                         

Well, my dear Mr Murray, I am so happy for you that you have finally found the time to take a more serious look at your nutrition. Since the days when you used to have a morning cup of coffee with your then coach, Brad Gilbert, I winced at the thought of what that mistimed cup of anti-nutrient was doing to your energy levels, mental focus and mineral status.

Nevertheless, I commend you on having finally seen the light and would like to provide you with a little help where breakfast is concerned…to be continued.

Need more help with breakfast? Check out tomorrow’s blog.

Can a Gluten-Free Diet Help Your Game of Tennis? Part 2

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In Part 1 we looked at gluten sensitivity, symptoms and its affect on health. We also discovered a link between gluten and problems in the brain. To read Part 1 click HERE.

A paper published in Annals of Neurology in 2008 describes a ‘new to science’ brain aggravating enzyme, which is triggered by reactivity to gluten, but acts independently of other coeliac symptoms. These substances may alter mood as well as co-ordination and a loss of balance!

So, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in most grain like rye, wheat and barley. It’s the substance that helps make bread elastic. Oats in general do not contain gluten (although some studies are now looking at different varieties of oats which may cause problems for individuals with gluten sensitivity) however due to farming techniques there is a significant risk of cross contamination with other gluten-containing grains so oats are often eliminated in a gluten-free diet.

This means that breads, pasta, cakes, biscuits, couscous and many ready-made foods need to be avoided as they may well contain small amounts of wheat flour.

Should all tennis players avoid gluten products? Most definitely not!

Should all tennis players cut down on gluten products? Absolutely!

Why? Simply, because we eat too many of these products. Quite often a tennis player’s lack of energy and low immunity can be due to something as simple as not eating a large enough variety of foods.

I’m sure you’ve all heard it said that ‘we get all the nutrients we need from food if eaten in the correct quantities’. Let’s assume that this is correct (even though it’s not!), you definitely will not get all the nutrients your body needs in any given day if you eat gluten containing foods 3-5 times a day – something that I’ve often seen.

Ultimately, the only way to maximise your intake of all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you need for your sport is to eat as many different foods as possible each day. Eating a cereal based food just once a day and then finding other starches such as beans, rice, root vegetables, quinoa or the like will ensure a much more varied intake of nutrients on a daily basis.

For those of you who are sensitive to gluten, a number of gluten-free products are now available in supermarkets, although not all are as tasty as the real thing.

Now back to Djokovic. Did gluten have a negative impact on his brain? Who knows but certainly the removal of gluten from his diet coupled with his mental training turned him into a real champion.

Can a Gluten-Free Diet Help Your Game of Tennis? Part 1

After Novak Djokovic’s amazing win at Wimbledon and talk of his gluten-free diet, a number of you have asked if tennis players should be considering a diet free of gluten.

It is important to note at the outset that we don’t know exactly what Djokovic’s problem with gluten was or is.

Traditionally, only individuals diagnosed with coeliac disease were put on a gluten-free diet. Since then we often hear of actors, models and people in the public eye (usually females but not always) going on a wheat or gluten-free diet resulting in weight loss and an increase in energy.

A large number of doctors and dieticians have simply put this down to a fad and placebo effect but of late scientific literature and hospitals are beginning the look at this subject in more detail with a more sympathetic view to the existence of gluten generated problems in patients that do not diagnostically qualify as being coeliac (referred to as ‘gluten sensitivity’).

Certainly I have seen a number of clients myself who find a significant reduction, if not complete elimination, of gastrointestinal distress (bloating, pain and/or flatulence), joint pains, headaches and ‘brain fog’ by following a gluten-free diet.

Brain fog is often described as mental lethargy, an inability to analyse or understand anything quickly and feeling mentally ‘out of it’; similar to feeling jetlagged.

Quite often patients with these kinds of symptoms and medical tests that come back ‘normal’ are just told to live with it as that’s ‘what aging is all about’.

Unfortunately the impact of certain foods on overall health, immunity and general well-being is not understood by many in the medical community but it is important for you to note that feeling GREAT the majority of the time, physically and mentally is achievable at any age.

Back to tennis and Djokovic’s amazing run of wins. You may have noted that Novak’s mental focus has been phenomenal. There is no doubt that mental training was and is a huge part of his coaching program but I have come across something very interesting linking gluten to problems in the brain!

Part 2 coming soon!!

Is coffee recommended for tennis players?

Coffee is often used as an ergogenic aid in sport which means the use of a product (or any external influence) to improve performance. In this case it would be caffeine.

Caffeine can be very useful as it makes you extremely alert, allows you to react quickly, increases your stamina and improves your coordination while decreasing your sensitivity to pain. This is all part of the flight or flight response associated with the release of stress hormones. Caffeine will cause the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and this puts your body ready for serious action.

So, can this be useful for you?

Possibly but if your matches run over 3 hours you may find that caffeine has a negative impact on performance.

The use of caffeine first requires a body that has been caffeine free for a couple of weeks or so to feel its full impact. Then, all testing must be done only during training sessions and only when its use has been finely tuned can it be used during competition.

However, I would first recommend you take a look at your nutrition. Nutrition for tennis is extremely powerful and only when you’ve optimised on your tennis nutrition will caffeine really afford you that extra oomph you’re looking for.

Tennis wonder food: carrots

I remember telling my nephew, aged 4 1/2, to keep on eating carrots so as to improve his eyesight.

He had to wear specs at the time and although he was usually good about eating most of his veg, he’d gone on strike where carrots were concerned. “Look at how rabbits love their carrots”, I told him. “They can even hop around in the dark without bumping into things!”

Well, that got him thinking and when his mother came home he explained that he was eating carrots again to improve his sight in the dark……then he started to think (he always gazes up to the left when he’s in ‘think’ mode)”oh, I’m so silly” he said “I don’t need carrots!! All I need is a torch (flashlight)!!!

The moral of the story is, we all need good reasons for eating a healthy diet (and although the beta-carotene in carrots do help to keep your eyes healthy, my nephew didn’t much care for hopping around in the dark like a rabbit!) and you in particular want to know how a little carrot can boost your performance. So here goes:

1. raw carrot juice gives a great energy kick so a great drink before a training session (it can be slightly diuretic so do drink some water as well)
2. carrot juice is a good source of potassium which is needed for electrolyte balance and keeping fluidity in the cells
3. to keep your bowels regular, juice carrots with spinach for a delicious drink (you really think that being constipated doesn’t affect your performance??)
4. juice carrots and broccoli for a vegetable calcium drink which is great for your bones (don’t underestimate how a little stress fracture can upset your game!)
5. beta-carotene is an antioxidant which will boost your immune system (so less coughing and sniffing and more hitting)

So here you have just a few reasons why you, as a tennis player, need to include those underated vegetables in your tennis nutrition menu every single day to keep yourself at your peak.

Tennis wonder food: broccoli

I’m avoiding the word ‘super food’ as it gives the incorrect impression that such a food is more important than all others.

Remember that variety is king but I would like to analyse a bit more some of the foods we eat.

Broccoli belongs to a group called cruciferous vegetables which include cabbage, Brussels sprout, horseradish, kale, collard greens, cauliflower, kohlrabi, bok choy, watercress, radish and more. Cruciferous vegetables have been singled out as foods that must be eaten several times a week as they have been linked to lower rates of cancer.

From a tennis point of view, broccoli is a must have food as it contains:

• fibre to keep your bowels moving,
• vitamin C which is an important antioxidant to help keep your immune system strong and also helps in the absorption of iron,
• calcium which is used by your bones to keep them strong,
• magnesium and potassium to help prevent cramps,
• and more

Broccoli can be eaten raw – on it’s own, in a salad or with dips – or cooked. Remember you don’t need to eat big quantities if you don’t particularly like it. If you can eat 1 or 2 florets every other day, that’s an excellent start and a sure fire way of getting those extra important nutrients into your body. The aim of all of this is to improve your performance and the only way to do that is to ingest the best fuel you can find.

Tennis wonder food: potato

Potatoes have had a good and bad press depending on who is planning to eat it.

For weight loss the potato is the enemy due to it’s high rating on the glycaemic index. It turns into sugar too quickly, increases insulin and this can result in an increased storage of fat.

For athletes, high glycaemic foods are very useful for quick energy as long as you eat them at the right time.

Putting that to one side, the potato – and in particular the skin – is very nutritious.

The skin:

• consists of a concentrated source of fibre and has about 3 times more than the flesh
• contains 4 times as much calcium as the flesh
• loads more iron (4mg vs 0.35mg)

The flesh has nearly twice as much vitamin C as the skin.

Both the skin and flesh are a good source of potassium and, to a lesser extent, magnesium.

Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, as well as unique tuber storage proteins, such as patatin, which exhibit activity against free radicals (these are atoms in the body which break down tissue and their activity increases with exercise).

As an extra bonus, UK scientists at the Institute for Food Research have identified blood pressure-lowering compounds in potatoes called kukoamines .

So it’s official, potatoes are good for you but don’t peel the skin!!

Breakfast: coffee is all I need

Are you one of those people who can have a cup of coffee in the morning and feel energised enough to start your day? Or do you actually need that coffee to feel awake and get your brain going?

Either way, you are working against your body rather than with it.

After an overnight sleep your body wakes up in a fasting state. Your liver would dearly welcome some nutrients i.e. vitamins and minerals, so that it can do it’s job. It needs fuel to work and it needs it the minute you wake up and start to become active.

By drinking coffee you make it very difficult for the liver to detoxify the chemicals in coffee. The coffee cause the release of adrenalin which increases your heart rate, releases sugar from the liver into the bloodstream and puts your body in a state of ‘fight or flight’.

But you’re neither fighting nor running away from anything! You’re just trying to wake up. Talk about a jolt to the system!

If you’re desperate for that cup of coffee in the morning, do yourself a HUGE favour and only have it AFTER you’ve had something to eat.

How will this affect your game? Coffee depletes you of many nutrients and even the slightest nutrient inefficiency will affect your energy levels, immunity and mental focus.

Making one simple change to the timing of your morning coffee and the addition of a morning meal, however small, could make all the difference on court.