Category: Nutrition

Leftover banana peels are almost part of the furniture at courtside in many clubs, with the bendy yellow fruit becoming as familiar a sight as the usual gels, sports drinks, and other nutritional aids found in players’ bags.

In such a physically challenging game as squash, it is vital that players who are serious about training to improve their skills and sport-specific conditioning take the time to consider the importance of their nutrition choices.

Healthy eating is vital for supporting the body’s physiological processes and helping to repair the joints and muscles exposed to such high volumes of physical stress.

An area we get a lot of questions about here at SquashSkills is Nutrition. Specifics of what exactly we should eat, and when we should eat it are very relevant questions for such a physically demanding sport as squash.

A pint or two in the bar is an integral part of the post-match experience for many amateur squash enthusiasts, and the occasional tipple shouldn’t be of great concern to the average healthy individual. But what effect can excess alcohol consumption have on your sports performance and fitness levels?

The dropping temperatures and shorter days marks the incoming heart of Winter, and for those so predisposed it’s unfortunately also the peak of what is often termed as ‘cold season’; that time of year when it seems everyone is starting to go down with various minor illnesses/viruses and having to suffer all of the nasty congestion, coughing, and spluttering that invariably goes with it. These unpleasant viruses that tend to circulate at this time of year bring misery to thousands, often leading to enforced days off of work and – even worse – enforced days off of the squash court!

Whilst New Year’s resolutions revolving around healthy lifestyle goals and new fitness programme pledges are a long established tradition, something related that has become an ever increasing trend in recent years amongst health devotees looking to kick-start their wellness regimes is the ‘Detox’ – a juice/supplement/enema based ‘flushing’ of the body, to cleanse you of ‘toxins’ and set you on the righteous path toward health and happiness.

But does a ‘detox’ actually do what it claims to do, is there any physiological foundation to it, and will it help boost your on-court performance?

After a tough training session or match, our bodies are often left in a state of depletion – replenishing certain nutrients in this post-exercise period can be crucial in optimising our recovery. Particularly for players competing in tournaments who have may have several matches across a day or weekend, or for those working on conditioning programmes that require multiple tough sessions across a typical week, recovering properly after a session is crucial.