Which energy bars & gels do top 10 players use?

I read once in an article that many professional tennis players take an energy bar usually one hour before their match, and that this bar is usually high in carbs and low in proteins. During the match you see them take energy gels that mainly contain electrolytes and carbs that are especially easy to digest, because bars are too intense for the stomach. Apparently there are also energy beans and chews in the form of candy that have the same effect as the energy gel. And lastly there is the good old banana (high in carbs), no question about that ;).

But which energy bars, gels and candy do the top 10 players use?

So I would like to know which brand and maybe a link where I can buy them.
Anyone knows what Djokovic, Federer, Nadal or Serena use?
 
whichever pays them the most Money. energy bars are usually just some cereals with sugar so there is not much difference between them except from the taste.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Has been a lot of speculation on which energy gels, drinks and bars the pros use. They are often secretive about these things -- supposedly in order to maintain an edge. Rumor has it that Rafa has endorsed Herbalife products and has used the company’s LiftOff energy drink (tablets). Has alos supposedly used their ShapeWorks Nutritional shake as a recovery drink after matches. A few years back it was reported that Rafa was drinking Recuperat-ion Hydrasport. More recently it appears that Nadal has endorsed a Babolat Pure Energy Drink.

http://www.recuperat-ion.com/en/sports-drink-recuperation-sport.php
http://fourtylove.com/portfolio-item/babolat-pure-energy/
http://tennisandhealth.com/?page_id=714

Perhaps you can figure out Rafa's energy gel from these 2 images:

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movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
You might look at gels that top runners (distance) use. I've heard from marathoner friends that they use Gu on the run. I've also heard that Pop Tarts are very popular before a race as they are portable and non-perishable. Things are a little easier in tennis with respect to what you can bring in a big bag. In a race, you really carry as little as you can beforehand as you want to minimize your weight through your run unless you have a tent or team that will be at the start and finish that can hold stuff for you.

Tennis is more anaerobic compared to distance running but they seem to use similar things for nutrition. I would go with a gel myself as they would probably be easiest to digest but I more often go with energy bars as they're easy to buy in large quantities.

Another approach would be to just add sugar to your water bottle. I don't like to do that because it can spoil the water bottle. Some of my water bottles have narrow openings so they're hard to clean.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
^ While tennis is more anaerobic than long distance running, the contribution by aerobic system is still very significant for competitive tennis. If the heart stay in the aerobic range for a good part of the match, it is possible that the aerobic system will provide 40% or more of the energy needs at a given moment.

... And lastly there is the good old banana (high in carbs), no question about that ;) ...

Note that the ripeness of the banana can be a significant factor for the energy & nutrition needs of a tennis player. Pro tennis players will often consume bananas during the match that are fully ripe = stage 7 (some brown specks). At this stage, the sugar content is very high and is very quickly digested. However, the banana has lost some of its vitamin and mineral content at this stage but is very high in antioxidants (anti-cancer?). Note that bananas that are too (over) ripe might, possibly, result in large, undesirable, insulin spike.

I have also seen pro tennis players consume bananas during a match that are at stage 5 (slightly green) or stage 6 (generally, best taste & texture). I do not know if they do this purposely or not. It may depend on their energy/nutrition needs or it may be because that is what happens to be available. The stage 5 banana will have a lower glycemic index since it has less sugar and more starch. This banana will take longer to digest and have much less of an insulin response. It will have more fiber, more vitamins, a higher mineral content than a fully ripe banana but will have a lower antioxidant content.

The-Best-Time-To-Eat-A-Banana.jpg

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