Nutrition and Pickleball
Having the proper nutrition can mean the difference
between winning and losing in pickleball.
I
f you don’t have the right kind of food, or
not enough food before or during a pickleball
match, you could fatigue too quickly and end
up making unnecessary errors. According to the
USAPA, in a 30-minute pickleball match a player
can burn between 300 and 400 calories and even
more if they are playing aggressively. That’s a
lot of calories if you think of how many games
you might play in an all-day tournament. Good
nutrition is very important to keep the body
fueled during these times.
Good nutrition includes good-quality,
healthy foods that are made
up of proteins, fats and
carbohydrates, water
and electrolytes.
Proteins include
chicken, fish
turkey, beef,
eggs, dairy and soy.
Fats include oils such as
olive, safflower, fish, and flax seed,
and butter. Carbohydrates include fruit,
vegetables and grains. These are only examples
and are not an all-inclusive list.
Also, proper hydration with water and
electrolytes is also essential to keep the body
working well through your pickleball matches.
Our bodies can sweat up to 20 ounces of water
per match, so drinking 8-10 eight-ounce glasses
of water throughout the day is very important
to avoid cramping up during a match. On top
of the recommended amount of water to drink,
it is important to get some electrolytes in your
body as well. This usually comes in some liquid
form like Gatorade or PowerAde. These will
replenish your electrolytes and minerals, which
are depleted during a match when we sweat.
I am sure you have heard the saying,
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the
day.” Eating a good well-balanced breakfast is
essential to starting your day off with enough
nutrients to sustain you until your next meal.
A well-balanced breakfast could include, but is
not limited to, whole-grain breads and English
muffins, such as Ezekiel bread or Udi bread, and
eggs, fruit or a whole-grain cereal.
Since everyone is different as far as the
amount of food and calories they need normally
for a given day, on days you are playing pickleball
it would be good to try eating different kinds of
foods to see what works for you. One time eat
more protein and see how your body feels during
and after playing. The next time try increasing
only your carbohydrates. If you do this while
practicing or playing for
fun, you will get to
know what foods
work best for you
when it gets to
tournament time.
When playing
in a tournament make
sure you bring enough
food and drink to sustain you for the
whole time. In between matches drink
lots of fluids. Besides electrolyte drinks, people
also eat bananas, which have sugar and more
importantly potassium to prevent cramping of
muscles during and after playing. There are also
foods that would be good to avoid on pickleball
days such as alcohol, spicy foods and, of course,
overeating. Then when it is time to play in a
tournament, you will have your recipe for at
least your nutritional success. Your pickleball
success comes from hours of drills and playing
time. •
Reference: USA Pickleball Association Facebook page
September 10, 2014
Dr. Sean Diamond is a
chiropractor and nutritionist
who practices in Monroe,
CT. He and his wife, Dee, are
pickleball ambassadors for the
city of Milford, CT, where they
have run an indoor/outdoor
pickleball program for the last
three years. If you would like to
know more about Dr. Diamond,
you can go to his website
Diamondchiropracticct.com.
JUNE 2016 |
MAGAZINE
49