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© Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate (CHO) in the form of glycogen is the body's main fuel for athletic activity. CHO is stored in the muscles in form of glycogen and also in the liver. The amount of glycogen in the liver varies according to blood glucose levels. Muscle and liver glycogen levels are reduced during training and competition. During exercise energy is created by mobilizing glucose from the liver and muscle. Fat metabolism also provides some energy supply at lower exercise intensities.
By consuming an adequate amount of carbohydrate the amount of CHO available to the working muscles for exercise increases. If an inadequate amount of CHO is consumed then exercise intensity and duration decreases, and fatigue increases.
What is adequate CHO before and during exercise?
It is important to eat a carbohydrate rich meal before playing to ensure there is adequate blood glucose and muscle/liver glycogen store to optimize performance. A CHO rich meal can be consumed 2-3 hours before exercise to refuel energy stores and allow for gastrointestinal digestion. During competition CHO needs to continued to be consumed. This can easily be achieved by drinking a sports drink. You should aim for a sports drink with 30-60g CHO/ litre. The CHO should be in the form of Sucrose, Glucose or a glucose polymer such as malodextrin. Gatorade the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour approved meets these criteria. Some Sports drinks will contain more than 70-80g CHO/litre or contain fructose which are both undesirable as they can leave you feeling bloated.
CHO after exercise
* After exercise CHO stores are often depleted and athletes need to replace glycogen, by having most of their foods from complex carbohydrates
* Athletes need to pick at least 60% (nearly 2/3) of their food from the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group
* Athletes need to eat carbohydrate within 30 minutes after exercise to fuel their muscles for the next day. Muscles do not start refueling at a high rate after practice/competition until carbohydrate is eaten. Effective recovery only starts after you have had a carbohydrate rich meal. You need to supply your body with 5-7g/kg/day gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body mass to gain optimal fuel recovery. E.g. a player who weighs 70kg needs to eat 350-490 grams of carbohydrate per day
* Pick 2-3 choices from the Carbohydrate group to eat after exercise
* You can also use a sport drink or sport bar. (Gatorade is the only Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
Approved sports drink product)
Good Food Choices in the Carbohydrate Group include: whole-wheat bread, steamed rice,
Iron-enriched cereals, baked potato, pasta, pizza, bagels, English muffins, bread sticks, rice cakes and crackers
Also try to choose low fat options:
Steamed rice instead of fried rice
Baked not fried potato
Pasta with tomato sauce not cheese or cream sauce
Thanks to Susie Parker Simmons
Nutrition Consult
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
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Calcium
Pumping Iron
Sports Drinks
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