Tennis takes a lot out of you, both mentally and physically. Therefore, it is important that you load your body up with the right nutrients. These are nutrients that will only boost your game in the immediate future, but for a long time to come.
On this page, we’re going to discuss the best supplements for supporting your tennis performance. We’ll also highlight a method that you can use to get most of these nutrients into your diet with the minimum amount of effort.
Protein
Protein should be at the center of all supplement regimes. Protein is needed for almost every process in your body, especially muscle building.
We won’t go too deep into the whole science part here, but when you play tennis (or do any other type of working out, for that matter), your muscles will start to break down a little bit. Your body will then work to quickly repair them. As your muscles get repaired, they’ll build up stronger.
So, you’ll end up with bigger, more powerful muscles. Obviously, these are both essential for playing tennis. Powerful muscles lead to bigger leaps, faster & harder hits of the ball, etc.
So, protein should be at the heart of your diet when you want to boost tennis performance. Most supplements will contain protein, so this part shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Carbohydrates
Unless you are playing a particularly slow game of tennis, you’re going to need boundless amounts of energy. There’ll barely be a time where you aren’t leaping around the court, hitting the ball, or going for a power serve. You need lots and lots of energy to keep all this going. The mark of a good tennis player (and probably how you will win most of your games), is making sure that you get through to the end of the game. As soon as you start to tire, your chances of losing go up.
Carbohydrates are fuel for your muscles (there is another type of fuel, but we’ll discuss that one shortly). As soon as your carb supply dwindles (and it will happen quite quickly), your game will suffer. Dose yourself with some carbs (either through food or a supplement) before you play tennis.
Creatine
Carbs are great for the slow and steady powering of your muscles, but they aren’t always fantastic for the more explosive power behind a game of tennis. This is where creatine comes in. Creatine is more fuel for your muscles (we told you there was another one!), and it is essential for the quick boosts of power that tennis demands.
Not only will creatine help to boost the power in your muscles, but it will aid other aspects too. For example – creatine can help to recover muscles after a game. This can help you to get back to training quicker. There is also some evidence that it can help with mental focus, which is also essential when it comes to working out!
Caffeine
Caffeine will boost your focus and endurance on the court. You don’t need to be downing a cup of coffee before you play, though. Oh no. Many of the best pre workouts for men nowadays will come loaded with caffeine. It is one of the ‘secret weapons’ for playing tennis.
Remember – tennis isn’t just about raw power. It is about the strategy of the game. You need to anticipate proper positioning. You need to know the right shots to take, etc. Caffeine will help get you to that place. It could give you a slight edge over your opponent.
Essential Amino Acids
Essential amino acids are amino acids that your body needs but is unable to produce itself. There are 9 of them. For playing tennis (or doing any other form of exercise), 3 of them are important. These are known as branch-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, for short. These are:
- Leucine
- Isoleucine
- Valine
These help in several ways. They can help to increase endurance while playing tennis (they will relieve muscle fatigue and soreness), boost recovery after exercise, and keep you focused mentally while playing.
Electrolytes
You already know that you need water to play tennis. You need to be hydrated, after all. However, water isn’t enough. You need electrolytes too. Much of the time, you will get electrolytes in your food e.g. sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. However, this is often not enough for high-intensity sport, so electrolyte supplements really help. Getting in electrolytes can help improve anaerobic power and recovery time.
Pre-Workout Supplements are Key
Supplements can really help to boost your tennis game. This is why we highly recommend people look into pre-workout supplements. Pre-workout supplements are loaded with all the nutrients that you need to not only retain focus while playing but have as much energy as you need to see a game through to the end. They’ll also contain ingredients that will boost muscle growth and recovery after.
There are plenty of supplements on the market. If you find a pre-workout that contains a few of the supplements listed on this page, you’ll be off to a flying start.
