Pickleball Nutrition, A $10M Team Valuation, and Insights From Pickleball's Best

Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic newsletter!

Pickleball going toe-to-toe with tennis and golf, nutrition tips to up your health on and off the court, pickleball team valuations, and more.

Let’s dive in 👇

Nutrition is important if you want to maximize your pickleball game.

The Food Network had an incredible segment on how to accomplish this so we took the time to summarize it for you.

What To Eat Before:

If you have three to four hours before being active, have a balanced meal such as a vegetable omelet with whole grain toast, or salmon with stir-fried vegetables and brown rice.

When you have less time to digest before playing – such as before an early morning match – make sure to drink fluids and easily digestible calories like a banana, rice cakes with a light spread of peanut butter, or a small bowl of oatmeal.

What To Eat During:

If pickleball play lasts less than 60 minutes, you likely only need to sip on some water in between sets.

For longer playing time, or on hot and humid days, players may benefit from a sports drink to provide additional fuel, fluid, and electrolytes.

If a tournament is in your future, take in some quick digesting calories in between games like pretzels, an applesauce pouch, or a few handfuls of a lower-fiber cereal.

What to Eat After:

The goal of post-exercise fueling is to replenish what the body expended during exercise and to provide the required nutrients to support tired muscles and depleted energy stores. Seek out protein and healthy carbohydrates.

Fill your plate with approximately 35 percent healthy carbohydrates such as bread, rice or potatoes; 25 percent lean protein from chicken, fish, eggs, or tofu; and the remaining 50 percent with fruits and/or vegetables for a complete and balanced recovery meal.

Nutrition Tips from the No. 1 player in the world. ⤵

A weekly thought from pickleball’s GOAT Ben Johns 🐐

“Hey bulletin readers! This week we’re talking nutrition. What to eat, what not to, and other things.

First off, I believe nutrition is definitely somewhat unique to the person. Things that work for one person might not work for you, so be sure to know your own body. I can tell you what I like to do, but I am not a nutrition expert, I just know what works for me.

I distinguish between training time, pre-tournament days, and tournament days.

During training time I am often trying to build muscle and strength. To do that I consume a lot of meat, fish, and things with high protein. But I am not too cognizant of avoiding specific foods during this time.

Leading up to a tournament (call it 2-3 days before), I’ll be eating protein and carbs still, but not quite as heavy. Think salmon, sushi, Thai dishes, things with pasta or rice, and not quite as heavy as steak for instance. Things I avoid are fried foods and sugars.

During a tournament, I like a light breakfast like eggs or avocado toast. And during the day I mostly rely on bananas and protein bars. These keep me going but are also light.

And although maybe not strictly considered nutrition, I can’t emphasize enough how much being hydrated helps me. I use electrolyte supplements during training, leading up to tournaments, and during tournament days (personally I use Jigsaw’s electrolyte supreme).

Once again, feel free to try what I do, but it’s important to learn for yourself what works for you.

See you all for my next bulletin!

- Ben

For more from Ben, follow his Instagram here: @BenJohns_PB

Pickleball World…Meet Pickleball Apes

Tired of the carbon fiber paddle craze? This fresh company challenges the trend with a Kevlar surface.

The Pro Line Energy paddle features a Dynamic Kevlar Surface, a hybrid blend of Kevlar and Carbon Fiber, offering durability and performance. Preliminary testing resulted in over 2000 RPMs, matching top-tier carbon fiber paddles. Pro players have given positive feedback, and some might use it in upcoming tournaments.

Pro Line Energy pioneers by introducing this new surface material and offers a unique shape with an elongated handle measuring 6 1/4 inches. The handle is perfect for the double-handed backhand technique, providing a competitive edge with its enhanced grip, versatility, and agility to outmaneuver opponents.

Get the Pro Line Energy paddle now and stay ahead of the curve. Partnered with Pickleball Apes, we have an exclusive offer. Use code PBLCLINIC10 at checkout to grab your fresh paddle.

Remember to run to the kitchen line after every return of serve in doubles!

Beginners commonly forget to move up to the kitchen after returning. This is something that all levels should be doing no matter what.

Positioning yourself at the net after hitting the return puts you and your partner in an offensive position so that it’s harder for your opponent to score a point. 

There really aren’t any situations where in which it’s advantageous to stay back after the return, so make sure you move up no matter what!

How long will it be until we stop hearing this question? 😂

Splish Naturals Topical Products

Since 2019, Splish Naturals Sport has been keeping athletes in their game with all-natural, safe, and effective topical products that contain a host of high-quality, therapeutic essential oils, food-grade terpene blends, and CBD that contains no measurable amount of THC. It has always remained the goal to put people first as our tagline states: “Everyone Deserves Wellness”.

If you suffer from joint pain then Formula #3 will be your go-to for fast and lasting pain relief. If you suffer from muscle pain then Formula #6 will be your go-to as you will use less product using a spray versus a balm. And if muscle cramping is keeping you from getting out on the court, Formula M, Game Day Spray will rid you of those nasty muscle cramps within minutes and provide you long-lasting relief, therefore, helping you to “Stay in YOUR Game”!!

Check out Splish Naturals Today!

$10M Pickleball Valuation?

Major League Pickleball (MLP) recently announced a new CEO to run their team-style professional league.

And the new CEO, Julio DePietro, made a bold claim:

“MLP teams are now valued at $10M”

While we agree pickleball has a lot more growth to come, we’re not so sure pro teams are worth that much.

What are your thoughts…?

Interview

Check out Aaron’s awesome discussion with top pro and pickleball legend Riley Newman.

A handful of topics were discussed including:

• His new partner changes

• Advice for 3.0+ players

• His practice routine

Drop serves are great for beginners…

Matt breaks down the proper technique in this video 👇

Drop serves give you more time to serve the ball (and are easier for most players compared to volley serves).

Pickleball’s growth is bonkers!

According to this graphic by Pickle Juice, pickleball has now surpassed tennis and golf in total number of active players. Do you guys think this is true?

Thanks for reading!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

Join the conversation below! ⬇️