Eat like a Wimbledon athlete

Ever wondered what the Wimbledon tennis players eat to keep them in tip-top shape? Here is a rundown of the most important elements of their diet, which coupled with daily exercise, could have you looking the best you ever have!

Carbohydrates

This is probably the single most important element of an athlete’s diet, whether their sport is tennis, football or training for the Olympics. Carbs such as bread and pasta offer the body enough fuel to compete at a high intensity level for long periods of time. Fruits and grains such as oatmeal, rice and cereal are also a great choice while training. However, be careful not to overdo the carbs if you are not training intensely as they will just be converted into fat — which is not what you want!

Fat

Although fat is avoided by many people who wrongly think it will literally make them fat, it is actually an essential part of our diet. Fat contains important vitamins A, D and E as well as preventing heart disease, cancers, immune system deficiencies, arthritis, skin complaints, PMS and menopausal symptoms. However, you need to be careful your intake is of mainly good fats such as Omega 3 and 6 and avoid trans fats, normally found in heart-clogging processed foods.

Protein

Since you are training you need to feed your muscles by eating a large amount of lean protein. Fish, chicken and eggs should form the basis of your protein intake, however lean cuts of red meat can also be beneficial as long as they are in accordance with government guidelines.

Snacks

Although we were always told three meals a day with no snacking was the healthy way to eat, this goes out of the window when you are going to the gym regularly and training. Eating small, healthy meals five or even six times a day will help keep your energy up and your metabolism working as it should. You should always keep some fruit or grain-based snacks with you, such as granola or cereal bars, to eat if you feel a slump coming on, as these will be broken down quickly and provide glucose to the muscles.

Hydration

Everyone knows that when you are exercising you should always have a bottle of water to hand and this is even more important when you are training at high intensity. When you are dehydrated the body has to work much harder to carry oxygen to the cells. You will get tired far quicker and your workout will not be as effective as it could have been otherwise. You will also sweat a large amount of fluid while exercising and this needs to be replaced.

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