SPORT SCIENCE - Professional Tennis Registry

Protein Consumption for Tennis PlayersBecause athletes are more active, resulting in more muscle changes (i.e., breakdown andrepair) than the average person, the muscles need extra protein for repair. Proteins are themost abundant molecule types in the body and are found in all cells including muscles.Protein is utilized in cell membranes, body organs, hair and skin. Protein is also needed toform blood cells. When broken down into amino acids, proteins serve as precursors tonucleic acids, hormones, and are used by the immune system and for cellular repair.Major sources of proteins include meats, eggs and dairy. Vegans and vegetarians shouldeat a combination of legumes, grains, seeds and nuts, since proteins in these substancesare lower quality and need to be combined to supply essential amino acids for the body.Chicken is usually 30-33% protein, a hamburger can be 25-35% depending on fat or leancontent, and fish is in the range of 21-30% protein by weight typically. Yellowfin tuna hasone of the highest protein contents among fish. 17Much higher than meats, however, are some cheeses and beans. Parmesan cheese andmature roasted soybeans are around 40% protein. Hard cheese, and some softervarieties, such as Swiss, mozzarella and Romano, have 30% protein by weight. Soybeansrank the highest in protein among beans, and less mature, smaller beans drop in proteincontent. Soybeans are the only vegetable with high quality proteins like meats. Cheesealso has high quality protein.In addition to protein content, to find the nutritional value of many foods, visit the USDANational Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 24 online.http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/listKanko*PTR Practical On Court Applications for Sport Science 22