(Elliotet al. 1985; Therminarias et al. 1991) and
squash (Blanksby et al. 1980; Noakes et al. 1982) in
moderate conditions and greater increases are
reported during exercise in the heat (Dawson et
al.1985). Losses of body mass have been reported
in the range of 0.9–2 kg (Therminarias et al. 1991;
Bergeron et al. 1995), a relatively large fluid loss
which is determined by the balance between
sweat fluid losses and fluid replacement. The
opportunities for fluid replacement tend to be
greater in tennis, where there is a change of ends
every two games and a 90-s rest period. In con-
trast, during squash and badminton, fluid intake
is usually limited to the end of a game. Another
concern for the tournament tennis player is the
need to sometimes play more than one match per
day and to play a number of matches on succes-
sive days. During the course of several days of
tournament play, it is possible that the fluid
and electrolyte status of players is challenged
(Bergeron et al. 1995).
Nutrition for racquet sports
In general, the nutritional strategies adopted by
racquet sport competitors should adhere to the
guidelines suggested for most athletes. Total
energy intake should be sufficient to cover the
energy requirements of competition and train-
ing, which in the case of players at the elite level
can be large. For the recreational racquet sports
participant, where total energy expenditure is
less and the need to maintain an optimal body
weight by energy restriction may be greater,
there should be a greater emphasis on carbohy-
drate intake. Particular attention should be paid
to carbohydrate and fluid requirements for the
reasons that have been well described in previ-
ous chapters. Tournament play will create certain
difficulties in achieving nutritional goals. The
need for international travel will cause disrup-
tion to normal cycles and eating patterns and
provide food choices that differ from those
usually consumed. Adequate preparation prior
to an international trip is essential and this may
be as simple as becoming familiar with food
634 sport-specific nutrition
choices available at a tournament venue or as
involved as taking certain foods and/or supple-
ments as part of the luggage. Most international
tournaments have excellent catering services;
however, delays due to bad weather, prolonged
matches and/or alterations in playing schedules
can interfere with eating plans. Under such
circumstances, it is advisable to have a range
of light, easily digested, high carbohydrate-
containing meals available. Liquid meals/
supplements are often appropriate. The other
nutritional challenge for the tournament player
is the need for rapid recovery, since matches are
scheduled on a daily basis and if a successful
competitor is also involved in doubles, there can
be many matches over a relatively short period.
Towards the end of a tournament, it is not
uncommon for successful competitors to play
multiple games on successive days. To facilitate
rapid recovery and optimize liver and muscle
glycogen reserves and whole body hydration,
carbohydrate and fluid replacement should
be emphasized early in the recovery period.
The principles underlying this practice have
been well described in Chapters 7 and 19,
respectively.
Another aspect of nutritional practice related
to the racquet sports is the need for carbohydrate
and fluid replacement during activity. The ben-
eficial effects of carbohydrate and fluid supple-
mentation on performance during exercise, and
the underlying mechanisms, have been well
described in the literature (see Chapters 8, 16 and
17). It could be argued that any nutritional inter-
vention that minimizes the risk of fatigue during
prolonged, strenuous racquet sport activity
would contribute to at least maintained, if not
improved, performance. Furthermore, given the
heavy reliance on perceptual and motor skills
in the racquet sports, attenuation of the effects
of carbohydrate depletion and dehydration on
central nervous system function is likely to
enhance performance. Relatively few studies
have directly tested such hypotheses. Mitchell et
al.(1992) observed no benefit of carbohydrate
supplementation on indices of tennis perfor-