Start your day off right. Translation: Don’t skip breakfast—even if you’re playing fi rst thing in the morning. If you don’t “break the fast” when you wake up, you risk not having the energy you need to perform at your best. “Within one hour of waking up in the morning, you should get some-thing into your stomach—preferably a small meal that combines some protein and carbohydrates,” Bonci says. Easy ex-amples: a bowl of cereal and low-fat milk or peanut butter on whole-wheat toast. How much you eat depends on how long you have before you play. If you’re on the court in an hour, keep it to less than 200 calories; if you have two or three hours, you can bump it up to 300 or 400.
Hit the court ready to run. An hour before a practice or match, drink 16–20 ounces of fl uid and eat a small snack of about 200 calories, such as peanut butter crack-ers or a handful of trail mix, Bonci says. When you’re on court, drink another 20–40 ounces each hour. If you’re play-ing in a tournament, fi ll your bag with cereal bars, cut-up fruit, or trail mix so you have a nutritious snack within reach.
