Keep Fitness at Level Best!

[afham07]

Hi Guys,

My partner and I will play in a tournament in about 10 days. I need advice on how to keep my fitness at level best? I normally feel good a few days before the tournament but a bit sluggish on the match day. .

What do you do/eat a few days before tournament as well as on tournament day?

Thanks in advance!

 

[gingerphil79]

Play at the very most the 2nd day before the match but keep it light. Never play day before!!! Get good nights sleep for couple nights. Few early nits.

Eat plenty of carbs and protein few days before. Plenty rice, pasta, meat etc etc.

Have nice big meal about 3hrs before play if possible. Also have a energy drink about 45 mins before start off to get the sugar into the system. Keep drinking energy drink throughout keeping gulps small esp right before play. Bring banana with you if the tourny is long!!

Also have a good stretch before you play, about 1 hr or so on everywhere (takes 5 - 10 mins) - this will help you waken up a bit also and feel good

 

[darlolad]

EAT EAT and EAT!! If you are training and playing a lot you need to be eating a lot. Make sure you're eating the right stuff and plenty of it!! When playing in a tournament, take food with you also things like bananas to help increase energy levels etc!

 

[Andy05]

In the days approaching a tournament gently decrease your training load. The day before you can train, but don't push yourself, just do some serves or net play fine tune your shots rather than focus on movement.

For food, only eat what you feel you need to. Don't eat too much rice/pasta if you aren't doing enough exercise to burn off the extra calories. The day of the tournament have a breakfast at least 3 hours before play, cereal/toast nothing fatty like a full english breakfast.
During the tournament, take water on and keep yourself hydrated, have 1/3 of a banana 10 minutes before you play. But you don't need to eat bananas all day to keep your energy up, your body has systems to do that for you, but if you feel sluggish have some more banana or a glucose drink.

And stretching is key, stretch before and after training and before you play.

 

[gingerphil79]

The day before you can train, but don't push yourself, just do some serves or net play fine tune your shots rather than focus on movement.

I disagree. I have always been told and found this out through trial and error that its best to do nothing at all training wise. the reason is 2 fold -

1. your telling ur brain u need to play the day before an event. 1 days training will not make any difference at all so essentially ur telling urself ur not good enough for the comp!! If you have faith in ur game, ul make the smart choice and rest cause u know ur ready.

2. If u play good or bad on this day can have bad effects on your game. If you play well (serve well), u may build up expectation to continue this and add the pressure or the worse case senario is you play badly on this day and ur constantly thinking at the comp, i played bad last nit which is not what you want fresh on ur mind. U want positive thoughts.

3. also as a third 1, U want to be 100% fresh completely. Even though serves and net play arent too draining, they can be draining on the mind. It needs a break also. too much of a good thing is bad.