TENNIS health
Why
You and Other Tennis Players Should Be Taking Nutritional Supplements
By Paul
Gold
All
the recent stories around the World in the press and other forms of
media about contaminated
vitamin and mineral supplements leading to positive drugs tests have
led a number of players
and indeed other athletes to abstain from using them, in particular,
our tennis playing elite.
You
might assume that this should not be a problem as we are constantly
being told again
and again: a varied diet eaten in the right amounts that meet the
energy requirements of an athlete
or player should provide him or her with all the necessary nutrients
required by the body.
This
concept is quite naïve and will actually result in giving our players'
opponents
(who do take supplements) an unfair advantage.
Why?
Read on!
Let's
for a minute assume, however unlikely, that you as a tennis player do
eat a varied diet
in the necessary quantities (whatever that is???)
The food that you eat you will certainly not be as nutritious as stated
by the dietary analysis
programs used by many to ascertain an individual's nutrient intake -
and here is why!
Our
soil has far, far fewer minerals than it once did and the nutrients in
our foods diminish with
time, temperature, light and processing (all of which play a big part
in the modern manufacturing process).
Forget professional players and athletes (whose bodies place large
demands on their food
and drink intake), with the best will in the world, even a so-called
'couch potato' would find it very,
very difficult get optimal levels of nutrients eating the food we
produce today.
Add
to all of that environmental factors such as the stress of exercise,
the stress of everyday
life and the added effect of our polluted environment, all of which are
factors that require even
more nutrients for our bodies to function properly and pretty soon you
are left with players and
athletes who visibly get tired more quickly, get injured more often,
recover more slowly, have
mood swings, lose mental clarity and alertness and leave the courts and
pitches of the World
feeling both battered and frustrated.
Recently
a large number of studies have shown that antioxidant supplementation
protects
against free radicals, exercise and pollution-induced damage and those
taking vitamin C have
shown a lower incidence of upper respiratory tract infections.
Remember
- Excessive exercise often results in a weakened immune system.
A 4-year study on probiotics (the 'good' bacteria) recently completed
might be of help, as it
showed a definitive link between probiotics and immunity and as such,
the use of probiotics
immediately after each tennis match you play, or practise/fitness
session you take part in may
well prove beneficial.
CONCLUSION
The
problem of contamination can therefore be overcome by only using
supplements from
the supplement manufacturers who definitely do not produce hormones or
banned substances
on their premises.
However,
the proper supplementation geared to each player's individual needs is
best handled
by a qualified sport nutritionist.
Isn't it about time YOU went on court properly fuelled to win?
Go To http://www.nutritionfortennis.com for a FREE Report "Tennis Nutrition Secrets"
Before starting any exercise or dietary program, always be sure to first consult your physician
Article
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