health Archives - Tennis on Point

You’re playing tennis regularly and working on your game but still feel like you need extra energy to make it through a match. Sound like you? If so, you may need to take a look at your nutrition.

Healthy, balanced eating consistently could give you the boost of energy and enhance your athletic performance on the tennis courts.

So many people are excited to get out and play tennis in the Mid-Atlantic region, and so we want to help you not only get back to playing but have a few nutrition tips and a healthy recipe that can help you get your nutrition on point, and ready to fuel your tennis game from the inside out.

We caught up with another local business owner featured on the #ServeItForward business list Corey Kuck, Chef, and owner of Catering By Corey for his thoughts on tennis, cooking and a simple, healthy recipe for you to try out.

USTA Mid-Atlantic: Where are you from originally?

Corey Kuck: Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Where do you live now?

Leesburg, VA

How long have you been playing tennis?

A little more than 1 year.

How did you get started playing tennis?

I never really played before but did I try out for my High School team against the number 1 player. I didn’t win. I didn’t pick up a racquet again until I met my girlfriend and last year, she got me involved in playing tennis.

How often do you play and where?

I try to play socially at River Creek Club in Leesburg once or twice a week. If I am not able to hit with someone, then I use the ball machine to improve my skills. I try to take lessons once a week as well.

How does it feel to be back out on the courts?

It feels great to be on the courts. My game is progressing and tennis is one sport that you can safely play during the pandemic. It helps me relieve stress.

Let’s switch gears and talk about food . . .

How long have you been a Chef?

I have been in the industry as a cook and chef for 22 years

Where did you train?

I am a self-taught chef. I started early on by watching my mother at home; my mother is a great cook. I then progressed to learning through hands-on experience from people with all skill levels in the industry. I jumped from restaurant to restaurant every two years to make sure that I learned to cook dishes from all over the world and continuously honed my skills.

What drew you to cooking?

Cooking is artistic, delicious and I get to play with knives and fire.

What’s your favorite dish?

That is an impossible question to answer as it always changes because of my love for food. I always like a good Taco.

What do you want people to know about your business?

I not only cater, but I make homemade meals for busy families or those that want healthy home meals.

What are a few nutrition tips tennis players should keep in mind while returning to the courts? Always hydrate. Watch your sugar intake and make sure you get enough potassium and carbs before a match.

To help fuel your body to get back out on the court, try Corey’s Summer Herb Pesto crusted Pork Tenderloin with Mediterranean Couscous:

Ingredients:

1 or 2 pork tenderloin

2- 3 teaspoons minced (Dried) onion

1 teaspoon granulated garlic per pork tenderloin

¾ of a teaspoon ground ginger

salt and pepper to taste

1 capful apple cider vinegar per pork tenderloin

3 heaping tablespoons summer herb pesto (store brand is fine)

1 ½ cup of plain couscous

1 ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 12oz can of quartered or chopped artichoke hearts

1 med to large fresh tomato

½ to ¾ cup fresh basil

½ cup fresh Italian parsley

4 or 5 cloves of fresh garlic

½ of medium red onion

½ cup feta cheese

⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar

⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ of lemon

½ of lime

Herb pesto crusted Pork Tenderloin:

Clean Pork Tenderloin of all silverskin, pat dry then drizzle about one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar on pork and rub in. Season with dried Onion, granulated garlic, ground ginger, salt, and fresh ground black pepper and rub in.
Sear pork in a medium-high cast iron pan with oil of choice. When all sides of pork are seared and have a rich golden brown color, take off the heat and let cool for 5 min.
Rub the summer herb pesto all over the tenderloin.
Place on a lined cookie sheet and finish in a 350-degree oven for 13 to 17 min depending on the size of tenderloin and preference of the doneness of pork (Medium to well done).

For the Mediterranean Couscous (you can make a day in advance)

Prepare a plain couscous with a vegetable or chicken broth according to the directions. Fork fluff the couscous and put in the fridge.
Mince fresh garlic (4 or 5 cloves) and lightly roast in a small pan with oil at medium-low temperature until toasted, take off the heat, and set aside.
Cut fresh basil and Italian parsley, dice artichoke hearts, fresh tomatoes, and red onion.
In a large bowl toss in the couscous, drizzle white balsamic vinegar over couscous, and extra virgin olive oil about 1/4 cup of each.
Add all of the vegetables and herbs and squeeze one half of a lime and lemon into the couscous and toss all together and refrigerate until you serve.

Now that you have a few quick nutrition tips, don’t forget to check out LaRue Cook’s tips on preparing your body for tennis!

USTA Mid-Atlantic invites everyone to #ServeItForward both on and off-court, and get involved in helping to support tennis in the Mid-Atlantic Section as part of the recovery process we’ll all need. Learn more about how you can #ServeItForward and support the USTA Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization, as we bring the healing power of tennis to our Mid-Atlantic community.

Let us know how you or your tennis friends #ServeItForward by emailing hughes@mas.usta.com.

Sources: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Harvard Medical School

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise-eating-healthy#breakfast

Tennis is a lifelong sport that can be played at any age. The sport keeps your body moving and is great for both physical fitness and overall wellness. By playing tennis all through your life you are doing something good for yourself but aches and pain can creep up on you – especially in the knees. Just as you are keeping your body healthy with tennis it is important to have healthy knees too so you can stay in the game.

The following article is from our friends at Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialist (AOS). AOS is a partner of USTA Mid-Atlantic and provides athletic training services at many of our Regional and Sectional tennis events. In this article, AOS physician Dr. Bradley Butkovich outlines his approach to treating knee pain in tennis players and offers tips for evaluating options for improving knee health.

Don’t let knee pain keep you off the tennis court. Understand options for your knee health.

Is knee arthritis affecting your tennis game? I’m Dr. Bradley Butkovich at Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists in Virginia Beach. My goal as a Sports Medicine Specialist is to keep you active and doing the things that you want to do on the court. I see many patients throughout the day who have been struggling with the aches and pains of knee arthritis. In fact the Center for Disease Control estimates that the prevalence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis may reach 50 percent by age 85¹.

There are many risk factors that can contribute to the degeneration of the articular cartilage in your knee including: age, prior injury, and repetitive use². An analogy that I like to use with my patients is comparing the articular cartilage with the tread of a tire. Over time and miles that tread wears thin in one area or another and eventually that tire may need to be replaced. However, there are many steps in the treatment flow chart that we go through prior to jumping to a knee replacement.

So, as a patient, what are my treatment options?

Well typically my first recommendation to a patient who has just began to feel the symptoms of arthritis is to begin a regiment of NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs)for a short period of time and see if that can take care of it. If taking an NSAID before you play tennis allows you to play without pain then that is a relatively easy treatment option to begin with. If NSAIDs are not working then the next step on the flow chart is to consider a cortisone injection. This puts a strong anti-inflammatory directly to the source and typically gives patients adequate relief for a more extended period of time. In some cases, when working with patients who have more advanced knee arthritis, cortisone injections may become ineffective or only effective for a few days to weeks.

Often times, depending on the severity of the arthritis, we may consider Hyaluronic Acid injections as a treatment option. These are best described as a lubricating shot for the knee. The material lines and coats the degenerative joint and helps the knee to glide better across the articular cartilage. This has also been shown to be an effective treatment option that can provide some patients with 6 months or greater of adequate pain relief³.

Knee Osteoarthritis: Overview - New Mexico Orthopaedic Associates, P.C

Photo by New Mexico Orthopaedics

Other treatment options to consider can be bracing methods such as unloader braces. This can be effective in patients with valgus (knock knee’s) or varus (bowlegged) knee deformities secondary to advanced osteoarthritis. The brace shifts the weight in your knee off of the arthritic area and onto the area of good cartilage. This is not something that necessarily needs to be worn all the time, but may be an option for helping with arthritic pain while on the tennis court or other exercise.

So how do I know when I need a knee replacement?

I always tell my patients that you will tell me when you are ready for surgery. Reasons to move forward with a Total Knee Arthroplasty include:

1.) Nothing is working to control your pain

2.) It is causing you to stumble, trip, or fall

3.) You are unable to do the things in every day life that you want to do

If you are meeting this criteria then the Total Knee Arthroplasty is the definitive treatment option for your knee arthritis. Many patients do very well with this procedure, as it will decrease pain and improve function by replacing the degenerative joint with new metal and plastic implants to restore the alignment of the knee.

I hope that you may find this information helpful in evaluating your knee health as you move forward with your tennis career. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with me at either our Norfolk (DePaul) or Virginia Beach (Kempsville) locations, please call our office at 757-321-3311.

At Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists, Dr. Bradley Butkovich is board certified in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy, as well as general orthopaedics. Dr. Butkovich is one of a few surgeons in Hampton Roads to have completed an accredited Sports Medicine Fellowship and to have received separate Board Certification in Sports Medicine through the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

AOS is a partner of USTA Mid-Atlantic and provides Athletic Trainers for several USTA Mid-Atlantic Regional, Sectional and other tennis events.

References

Murphy L, Schwartz TA, Helmick CG, Renner JB, Tudor G, Koch G, Dragomir A, Kalsbeek WD, Luta G, Jordan JM. Lifetime risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2008;59(9):1207–13.
Losina E, Weinstein AM, Reichmann WM, Burbine SA, Solomon DH, Daigle ME, Rome BN, Chen SP, Hunter DJ, Suter LG. Lifetime risk and age at diagnosis of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in the US. Arthritis Care Res. 2013;65(5):703–11.
Newberry SJ, Fitzgerald JD, Maglione MA, O’Hanlon CE, Booth M, Motala A, Timmer M, Shanman R, Shekelle PG. Systematic Review for Effectiveness of Hyaluronic Acid in the Treatment of Sever Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the Knee.