J
ust as there are many pickleball
styles, there are a variety of ways
to eat and drink at a tournament.
Age and geography matter—the
younger the player, the stricter
the regimen, and the farther
west you travel, the more you
hear about foods such as kale, tofu and
almonds.
Here’s a sampling of some great pickleball
players—and what foods keep them in the
game.
Wes Gabrielsen of McMinnville, OR,
stresses preparation. Unlike tennis, where
your match begins at a fixed time, in
pickleball you may play two matches back-
to-back and then wait two-and-a-half hours
before your next one. So Wes prepares by
bringing a cooler filled with food. But before
he plays, he eats the same breakfast each
morning—Greek yogurt with nut butter, and
granola and bran with honey. He believes
routines are very important.
As a vegetarian, Wes makes sure he
gets sufficient protein, so he adds a garden
burger or eggplant to his pasta the night
before a tournament. He drinks “tons of
water” and adds NUUN electrolyte tabs.
Wes coaches a high school tennis team and
emphasizes nutrition and preparation to
his players. “The worst thing is not being
prepared for your final match,” he says.
Marcin Rozpedski still hydrates like his
UCLA coach, Billy Martin, taught him. “If
we didn't have a water bottle in our hands,
we had to run a lap,” Marcin recalls. To add
electrolytes, he drinks a mix of Pedialyte and
water. Marcin has steak once a month, no
hamburgers, and eats chicken, rice, pasta,
fish, grapes and veggies. His son eats well,
too, because they don’t have junk food in the
house. When I asked him about pierogies, he
laughed and explained there aren’t authentic
pierogies in Palm Springs, but admits, “They
are the best thing in the world!”
Carolyn Bagley lived in Alaska, so salmon
and halibut bring back memories. But she
doesn’t just rely on memories. When she
hunts in Alaska, she ships the meat to her
homes in Arizona and Florida. She prefers
meat to pasta and bread or potatoes. Carolyn
eats green vegetables and salads and
drinks lots of water. Carolyn says she has an
“agreeable digestive system,” so she’ll eat
a hamburger from the vendors. She says
she’d “rather be full than operate on low
energy.”
Buzz Summers of Eugene, OR, has
always been disciplined. In his 80s, he
works out with weights three times a
week, rides a bike, stretches, and eats
sensibly. The night before a tournament,
he might have spaghetti, then he’ll munch
all day on fruit bars, granola and bananas.
He eats the Italian combo at Subway and
advocates “doing your own thing.”
Barb Wintroub, from Palm Desert, CA,
was a triathlete for 22 years and takes
nutrition seriously. She drinks electrolytes
using NUUN and mixes V8 juice with water
for sodium and potassium. “Water doesn’t
replace salts,” she explains. She’s read
numerous books on nutrition and says,
“tomato juice is supposed to be good for
the skin, but I’m still waiting.” The night
before a tournament, her training meal
contains no sugar or alcohol. She eats
gluten-free bread, makes two sandwiches
of peanut butter and jelly and chicken or
turkey with avocado to take to the courts.
Scott Moore of Colorado Springs, CO,
takes his preparation seriously and has
a high carb load, often Italian, the night
before he plays. His breakfast is high in
protein—an omelet and a protein shake.
He hydrates “a ton” the day before and the
day of play on energy drinks that are low
in sugar. He drinks Alert from B3 Sciences
along with plenty of electrolytes in water
and coconut water.
Farther east, there doesn’t seem to be
as much intensity and strict adherence
to health trends. There’s a greater
tendency toward fun and camaraderie
while still maintaining a healthy regimen.
Tournaments in Louisiana come to mind!
Nashville's Stephanie Lane and her
daughter, LeEllen, eat a protein bar for
breakfast and snack during the day on
crackers and more protein bars. Steph
eats “like a rabbit” during the day, with
trail mix, peanut butter and jelly, oranges
and granola. She takes no supplements or
vitamins, drinks Gatorade and Powerade,
and adds electrolyte powders. Before or
after a match she has a protein shake with
almond milk. Steph and LeEllen travel
Marcin Rozpedski drinks a mix of
water and Pedialyte like his UCLA
coach taught him to do.
Stephanie and LeEllen Lane.
Scott Moore drinks his B3 Science
Alert en route to his matches.
Continued on next page >
MAY/JUNE 2019 |
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