Glycogen Stores
Glycogen is the storage form of glucose (which is a carbohydrate) in your muscles.
Your aim is to ensure you eat well enough to completely fill your muscles with as much glycogen as possible for use in the match the following day.
You also need enough protein, vitamins, minerals and fats, as they are all used by the body to make energy.
The mistake most players make is to increase their carbohydrate intake at the expense of other nutrients. Yes, you must increase the starchy carb content of every meal 24 hours prior to your match, but only by a small amount.
The Day Before the Match
Normally, your plate should be one-third starch, one-third protein and one-third color, i.e. raw and cooked vegetables excluding root vegetables (as they would fall under the starch category).
The day before your match, increase the starches to half of your plate, protein one-fourth and colour one-fourth.
The starchy carbohydrates can include any of the following (either singularly or in combination): pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, couscous, bananas, corn, etc.
Protein
Once you have the starchy content of your plate, make sure your protein is from a lean source so that you really limit the amount of saturated fats.
You can have:
- Chicken without the skin
- Lean beef
- Lamb (preferably grilled or slow cooked with all fat cut off or melted off)
- Duck (ensuring that all fat has melted off and is not consumed)
- Any other type of red meat such as bison, ostrich, kangaroo, etc.
- Eggs
- Any fish and/or seafood
- Any game
Make sure that you vary your protein, so don't eat the same thing twice in a day. The amount should fit in one-fourth of your plate, or should easily fit in the palm of your hand.
Vegetables
It is very important to now add some colour to your plate which will come from both raw and cooked vegetables. Quanities don't have to be huge, but you may eat as much as you like.
Fats
Keep your fats as unsaturated as you can, but there's no need to avoid them completely.
If you are eating eggs, duck or lamb, you will naturally be eating a certain amount of saturated fats. Avoid processed foods, which may be high in unhealthy fats, especially biscuits and cakes.
Limit the use of dairy products, although skim milk is fine and a small amount of grated cheese to add flavour is acceptable.
On the other hand, do use healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, unsalted nuts and seeds and avocado.
Fruit
Fruits should be varied so it is highly inadvisable to have four bananas a day (a common tennis occurrence!).
Every fruit, just like every vegetable, has certain nutrients that may not be found either in a high enough quantity or at all in another fruit. So rather than trying to work out what nutrients you are getting from which foods, if you vary what you are eating at every single meal, you are more likely to get as many nutrients as possible.
One important note: eating more fruit and ignoring your vegetables is NOT as good as eating less fruit and a variety of cooked and raw vegetables!