September 19, 2006 - 9:57pm

Organic Valley Chocolate Tennis Recovery Milk

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Here's one you should enjoy, and it's completely serious: good-quality, lowfat chocolate milk as a recovery drink after tennis! Yes, it may be true. In the February issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, well, I'll let the good doctor tell ya: "Our study indicates that chocolate milk is a strong alternative to other commercial sports drinks in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise," coauthor Joel M. Stager, PhD, from Indiana University in Bloomington, said in a news release. "Chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise." I've tried it between singles matches in a tournament several times, and I think it really works. And with single serve, 8 oz. Organic Valley Lowfat Chocolate Milk you can bring it on court. This is shelf-stable, so it doesn't need refrigeration and comes with a little straw.

September 13, 2006 - 11:49pm

Glaceau Smartwater

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Dehydration really affects your performance on the court, both physically and mentally. Most sports drinks combat this with some combination of water, sugar, sodium and electrolytes. The H2O, sodium and electrolytes are there to replace what you lose in perspiration, but the sugar is there primarily to give your muscles a quick meal for energy. But there's a downside: all the sugar is a lot of calories. And that can really counter the exercise effect of a few hours of singles. Glaceau Smartwater is different. This is pure, vapor-distilled water, with added electrolytes like magnesium, calcium and potassium, and nothing else. No salt, no sugar, no weird chemicals. So, when you're in training and need to get maximum evercise benefit, this is the drink for you.

September 8, 2006 - 1:23am

What Andre Agassi had in his water bottle

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There have been amazing matches at the US Open this year, and the weekend is looking great for some high-quality tennis. Before we move on though, Upabreak would like to solve a true mystery: what were all those concoctions that Andre Agassi drank on the changeovers? The sharp viewers among you have surely noticed that Agassi usually brought three different liquids on to the court: water, a yellow, transparent beverage, and an opaque, pink liquid that looked like watery Pepto-Bismal. We've done extensive research on this and here's our best guess: the pink stuff is CytoSport Cytomax Sport Energy Drink, Pink Lemonade flavor. This stuff is kind of a souped-up Gatorade containing electrolytes to replace what you lose, complex carbs to give your muscles something good to burn, and something called L-PolyLactate that decreases lactic acid buildup. In short, it's suppose to make you go longer and recover faster. When you mix it up, it's opaque and it gives off gas when shook up like Agassi's bottle. As for the yellow bottle, our guess is Lemonade-flavored Accelerade, which is unique in that it contains 1 part protein to 4 parts carbohydrates which is also suppose to aid in muscle recover. We're not sure about all these claims, but we do believe in careful hydration, and obviously so did Agassi and his team. If you want to last on the court as long as Double A, find yourself a favorite sports drink and use it.

June 7, 2006 - 11:01pm

Camelbak .75 Liter Water Bottle

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Camelbak has your back when it comes to hydration. They're famous for producing products that provide hydration on the run (and on the back), but the key to the whole venture is their Big Bite Valve. This is a a rubber thing that you gently bite, which releases water into your mouth. Now Camelbak has mounted this innovation onto a nearly indestructible Lexan water bottle and called it the CamelBak .75 Liter Water Bottle. The result is an easy-to-use, spill-proof bottle to add to your hydration aresenal. This is a 25 oz. bottle, so you'll need two for a three-setter under the summer heat.

April 17, 2006 - 8:00am

Nalgene Lexan Narrow Mouth Water Bottle

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Proper hydration is the difference between winning and losing once the mercury climbs over 80 degrees. Nalgene Bottles are the standard by which water bottles are judged, but my one complaint was the wide mouth. The act of concentration required to keep from pouring water or sports drink down the front of my shirt is the last thing I need when I'm hot and tired. But Nalgene now has a 32 oz. bottle with a narrow mouth perfect for sipping. These beauties are made of transparent Lexan, which imparts no taste, won't stain and is almost indestructible. Dishwasher safe in the top rack, the bottle has the top attached and is guaranteed not to leak. If you play a lot, you should buy three.