Tennis Season Is Here! How can vitamins help with physical and mental preparation?

The Three Pillars of Progress

If you want to see results in any sport, the formula is quite simple:

1. You need to apply proper training techniques
2. You need to eat optimally and sport-specifically
3. You need to pay attention to injury prevention with corrective exercises.

All three factors can be positively influenced by dietary supplements, and they strongly affect each other. For example, proper nutrition and good training technique help prevent injuries. Corrective exercises improve movement quality.

Proper Training Technique

Tennis is a dynamic, high-intensity sport that uses the whole body. Explosiveness, endurance, and mental focus are all key for a tennis player to perform well.

Although this article is not a tennis coaching guide, it is important to highlight the role of strength training. The focus should be on plyometric (explosive exercises) and movements that cover all three planes—that is, during execution, you move forward, sideways, and diagonally. Grip strength and forearm endurance also matter. When stretching, pay special attention to the hip, shoulder, and elbow joints. Cross-training like reformer pilates or yoga can be particularly beneficial.

Sport-Specific Nutrition

All world-famous tennis players have a lean muscular build. They have more muscle mass than marathon runners but less than strength athletes. This should be taken into account when planning a tennis diet. The main points are as follows:

Carbs are not the enemy! Explosive movements rely on sugar as a primary energy source, so tennis players don’t need to follow an extremely low-carb diet—unless they’re significantly overweight and weight loss is the primary goal. Of course, don’t overdo carbs either!

As carbohydrate sources, choose high-fiber options like:

• Whole grain bakery products
• Oatmeal, oat bran
• Chia seeds
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Pasta made from vegetables
• Fruits

Eat 1.5 grams of protein per kg of body weight daily! Many still underestimate the importance of proper protein intake. During intense training, microscopic muscle fiber tears occur—this is when proteins are damaged. Recovery requires replenishing what was lost. Also, all enzymes in the body belong to the protein family.

With the right protein intake, you can optimize performance, strengthen the immune system, and support injury prevention.

Protein-rich foods include:

• Dairy: cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, skyr
• Lean meats, fish
• Eggs
• Chia seeds
• Protein bars, shakes, desserts

To give you a sense of proportion: an 80 kg man needs 120 g of protein per day. That’s roughly the protein content of half a kilo of chicken breast—of course, don’t rely solely on chicken! This example simply shows how reaching the necessary protein intake can be a challenge. That’s when protein powders or protein-enriched desserts can be helpful. For example, 2 scoops of Amix Whey-Pro Fusion contain nearly 50 grams of protein!

Don’t skip a single meal without eating vegetables! Vegetables naturally provide the vitamins and minerals your body needs. For this reason (and to slow down digestion), add veggies to every meal. Aim for variety.

Top 10 micronutrient-rich vegetables you should include in your diet:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Carrot
• Sweet potato
• Red cabbage
• Green peas
• Bell peppers
• Beetroot
• Brussels sprouts

Pro tip: the Vitamin360 protein- and vitamin-rich post-workout smoothie (just mix the ingredients):

• 150 g spinach
• 150 g berries
• 1 handful kale
• 1 scoop of Amix Whey-Pro Fusion
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Honey or Now Foods Organic Monk Fruit Sweetener to taste

The Importance of Multivitamins

Why would I need vitamins if I eat vegetables with every meal? It’s a valid question, and there’s never a fully satisfying answer. It partly comes down to trust. Do you believe that fruits and vegetables today contain as many vitamins as they did 100–200 years ago?

While I can't cite specific studies here, it's generally known in the scientific community that with the rise of industrial agriculture and modern farming practices, the micronutrient content of fruits and vegetables has declined. This is partly due to soil depletion and poor farming methods.

Why leave it to chance? Especially when we can’t track exactly how many vitamins and minerals we’re getting from food alone.

This is why I think it’s important to choose a multivitamin that doesn’t go overboard with dosages. There’s no need for extremely high doses of vitamins or minerals (if your goal is general health maintenance and recovery between workouts). What you do need is for the active ingredients to be bioactive and/or naturally occurring.

When it comes to multivitamins, three supplements immediately come to mind. Each has its own strengths. Let’s take a closer look at them:

Natur Tanya Multi 55 – Fermented Multivitamin (30 Tablets)

Unbeatable in terms of value for money. Contains all active ingredients in high-quality, bioavailable forms. Moderate dosages, providing recommended amounts of each nutrient (except for iron, which is lower due to growing agreement that high-iron supplements are only necessary for those with iron deficiency, and it’s better to stimulate internal production with targeted supplements). Downside: may be low in vitamin D during the winter months.

GAL Multivitamin (60.2 g)

Much higher dosages. If you choose this, you won’t need any other vitamin or mineral supplement. It provides all active ingredients in bioavailable forms. It also contains black pepper extract to enhance absorption!

Life Extension Mix – Full Spectrum Multivitamin Capsules (360 Capsules)

The big advantage of this supplement is that it literally contains everything needed for overall health. Like the GAL Multivitamin, it includes higher doses of vitamins and minerals along with herbal extracts, Omega-3s, and potent antioxidants such as lutein, apigenin, and lycopene. A true all-in-one supplement. If you choose this one, all you’ll need in addition is creatine.

Creatine

In tennis, you often need to exert quick, explosive power. When a muscle exerts high force over a short time, its energy is supplied exclusively by ATP. Quick explainer: ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate, which serves as the body’s basic energy currency—everything we consume is eventually converted to ATP to fuel movement. However, ATP reserves are only sufficient for a few seconds of muscle contraction, after which the body relies on creatine-bound ATP to continue producing energy.

This is where creatine comes into play. If your body is loaded with creatine (and 3–5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily is sufficient), it will be able to optimize performance.¹ You’ll feel the effects of creatine most during movements such as:

• Strokes
• Sprints
• Jumps
• Sudden, reaction-based moves

Creatine use is widespread among professional tennis players. French tennis player Mary Pierce also confirmed the beneficial effects of creatine.²

Universal Nutrition Animal Creatine – Creatine Monohydrate Powder can be taken long-term in daily doses of 3–5 grams.¹²

Mental Preparation

Mental preparation is just as important as physical. Vitamins play a role not only in physical recovery but also in maintaining alertness, concentration, and mood. The nervous system works intensively during tennis, and vitamins, especially B vitamins, help reduce stress, manage anxiety, and improve focus.

In addition to multivitamins (except for the Life Extension Mix) and creatine, you may want to consider Omega-3 and taurine to boost concentration. But why exactly can these two ingredients enhance mental readiness?

Omega-3 (Fish Oil):

These super healthy unsaturated fatty acids are important components of cell membranes and play a key role in neuron communication. The two best-known (and most effective) omega-3 fatty acids are: EPA and DHA.³

The human brain is about 60% fat, and DHA is a major component of that fat. DHA is essential for stabilizing and maintaining the flexibility of neuron membranes, which improves signal transmission between neurons—the foundation of focus and attention.

EPA has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which is important because chronic, low-grade inflammation in the brain can contribute to attention disorders and cognitive decline. Omega-3s help reduce this inflammation, promoting clearer thinking and focus.

Omega-3s can also influence dopamine and serotonin levels, which are key to motivation, mood, and concentration. As a result, they support longer-lasting attention and mental endurance.

Numerous studies have strongly confirmed these effects.^4–8

Taurine:

Taurine (a unique amino acid) affects GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and glutamate function, the brain’s primary inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters. This balancing effect may help reduce mental overload and anxiety while improving focused attention.⁹

Taurine also plays a role in regulating the body’s ionic balance, especially with calcium, sodium, and potassium.¹⁰ This is crucial for proper neuron function and nerve impulse transmission—in other words, healthy brain communication. Thanks to its effect on electrolyte balance, taurine also has blood pressure-lowering properties.¹¹

What to Replenish During Training?

In most cases, if dietary guidelines are followed, intra-workout supplementation is not necessary. However, during longer sessions—or for professionals training twice a day for 1.5–2 hours—it may be justified.

Vitamin360's recommended intra-workout combo:

• 1 serving of L-glutamine (instead of sugar): when in deficit, our body can convert glutamine into glucose. This response is slower than direct sugar intake but allows for more balanced replenishment of the carbs burned during dynamic activity.¹³
• 1 serving of electrolyte solution: physical activity uses up minerals (such as sodium, magnesium, potassium, and chloride). A deficiency can disrupt the body’s ionic balance, causing fatigue—or in severe cases, even serious consequences.¹⁵
• 1 serving of BCAA: serotonin and BCAA breakdown require the same enzyme. Serotonin boosts happiness but also increases fatigue if overproduced. So, the post-workout “happy fatigue” feeling is mostly due to serotonin. BCAA competes with serotonin for the same receptors, delaying its release.¹⁴

We’ve recommended unflavored options where possible. Feel free to mix and match flavors as you like.

Drink this mix 60–90 minutes into your workout. If the session is very long, repeat every hour.

Takeaway

Tennis is a more complex and demanding sport than many people realize. Following the right diet and supplementing appropriately is just as important as using optimal training techniques and respecting rest periods.

When it comes to supplements, always use a multivitamin and Omega-3. If possible, also take creatine and taurine. Additionally, pay attention to nutrient replenishment during long training sessions or between matches.

Wishing you a great tennis season and outstanding results,
The Vitamin360 Team