The player's nutrition must be balanced. In other words, it must contain the nutritional substances and in the right proportions that are necessary to cope with the increased energy requirements. It is important for the player to know the amount and the kind of food he must have and when he must consume it.Especially for the table tennis player food intake must consist of 60-70% carbohydrates, 10-15% proteins and 20% fat. In this way, the glycogen supplies will be replenished and the body will be supplied with the necessary proteins, vitamins, trace elements and electrolytes*. The meal times and their composition must be in accordance with the training and the timetables for the games.

The breakfast composition depends on the time of the morning training session. So when the workout is early in the morning (8 a.m.) breakfast is light and consists mainly of carbohydrate foods while after the training a morning snack is consumed. When the training is late in the morning (10-12 a.m.) breakfast is normal and can include a glass of orange juice, tea, coffee or skim milk, two slices of whole meal bread and honey.

For the afternoon training session, breakfast is the same and a complete lunch must be consumed. Attention must be paid to the consumption of fatty and difficult to digest foods and the mealtime, which must be at least three hours before the training session.

What is right for the workouts is right for the games too. If, however, the player engages in multiple games during the day he should be fed with small meals, which will ensure a continuous energy supply without overloading him. In addition, 45 min before the game and immediately thereafter, the player must consume a ripe fruit e.g. a banana, which besides being extremely easy to digest, contributes to the equilibrium of energy. Never forget liquid intake before, during, and after the game. The quantity and the quality of the consumed liquid must be such that will not overload the functioning of the stomach**.

*It must be stressed that even the most balanced nutrition will not completely cover the increased nutritional requirements of a table tennis player. The combination of a careful diet and some nutritional supplements is the best possible solution for professional players.

**The quickest possible absorption of water and different hypotonic solutions by the stomach ranges from 1-1.2lt (2.1-2.5pt) per hour.

The following article has taken from Table Tennis: From A to Z book

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