Diet right. “The fi rst thing I ask my players is, ‘Are you playing at your optimal weight?’” says Kristine Clark, Ph.D., R.D., the director of sports nutrition for the Penn State Athletics Department. Be-ing overweight will drag you down, but if you’re not strong enough you might want to put on muscle. “Knowing how many calories you need to consume each day will help you set your priori-ties and fi gure out where to add or cut calories,” Clark says. Determine the calories you need each day by multiply-ing your body weight on a scale from 16 to 20 (16 if you’re relatively inactive, 20 if you’re very active). By this method, a highly active 140-pound player needs about 2,800 calories a day to maintain his or her weight.
Make carbs count in your diet. Repeat after us: Bread and pas-ta are not my enemy. In fact, if you’re on the court several times a week or active in other ways, carbs are your muscles’ best friend. “Carbs in the form of starch or fl our are the pri-mary fuel for muscles,” says Page Love, R.D., L.D., president of Atlanta-based Nutrifi t Sport Therapy and a member of the USTA Sports Science Commit-tee. “Without enough carbohydrates, you’ll feel lethargic and lack power on the court.” But all carbs are not equal. Refi ned carbohydrates like white bread and pasta provide less fi ber than their more nutritious whole-wheat cousins. Depending on your activity level, aim to have six to eight servings (one portion is equal to one-half cup cooked pasta or one slice of bread) of foods like whole-wheat bread and pasta each day.
