TennisIDENTITY

New products for your gym bag:

New products to consider carrying in your gym or tennis bag:

1.) Definitely not something to play tennis with but handy for training, running, treadmills or stationary biking. It's a lightweight pocket for your upper arm that can hold your mobile device and feed headphones to your ears without tangling or worse, phone dropping. The clear touch-screen allows in motion device operation. Multiple interior pockets can fit your phone/iTouch, key, gym pass and inhaler or any small-sized critical needs you carry to the gym or road with you.

Bonus (for me at least), the Armpocket Sport i-20 ($29.95 USD) also fit the mi-coach click-in heart monitor attachment I use on my iPhone. The Armpocket comes in a variety of sizes and colors and is made with moisture wicking materials to keep your skin from getting irritated. Make sure the model you consider fits your device and arm.

2.) Tis the season for dry skin and standard soaps can make things worse.  Kiss My Face makes a new Peace Soap Castille liquid soap that is mild, hydrating and moisturing. Keep it at home and in your gym bag and your skin will thank you,  $2.99 for a 3.40 oz gym size. You can also use it to wash your hair. I love the lavender mandarin scent but there are others. Good for you and the world,10% of all profits from this soap go to the Seeds of Peace organization (develops relationships and leadership skills among young people from regions of conflict).

3.) Still feeling reptillian? Try the company's all-natural moisturizers (not new but I'm a fan) app. $4.99 for a 4 oz tube. Love that these are all natural and never tested on animals. 

4.) Lastly, when you simply must play and run, take a Paper Shower. 

Paper Shower is a new two body wipe combo that'll clean you up and hold you over. Each pack comes with two large-sized towelettes (9" x 12"ea), one wet and one dry. The wet one is saturated with gentle cleaning ingredients with enough power to clean up a light sweat. The dry one is soft and absorbent leaving your skin dry, not sticky or laden with chemicals, $7.50 per pack include 6 wet/dry towelettes (that's $1.25 per pack with free shipping).

And what about your hair you ask? Good question. Dry shampoo solves the hair issue. I like KMS Hair Play Makeover Spray (yes, guys can use it too).

 

Spotted at a Tournament. Cheap massage for tight muscles.

To most of us courtside massages are luxuries, available to touring tennis pros and those at high-level tournaments. Fact is pros require them. Clearly they are important to playing well.

So what to do when you are a weekend warrior or simply don't have the bucks for massage? Do it yourself.

I recently spotted the Foam Roller (top pic), and hand held Roller Massager (below) at a tennis tournament. Both devices work like a real massage would, sinking into soft tissue to elongate muscles, rolling out tightness and increasing blood flow to soft areas. The hard foam roller feels grrrrreat on a tight back.

Ryan Ginley, Senior Director of High Performance and Player Development at Intensity in Norwalk Connecticut is a believer. He travels with the foam roller and has his junior players work with it before and after matches.

"The massage you get from using the roller helps keep you feeling fresh and loose,"says Ginley." "To be honest there is some discomfort associated with it and tight muscles but the benefit of refreshed, pliable muscles is enormous. Some of these kids are playing two or even three tough matches in a day and the 15-20 minutes we take for massage before and after makes a difference. My players stay looser than they would without it." 

Both rollers come with complete instructions on the best ways to use them. The high density Foam Roller is made in a few sizes and will cover larger areas like your back. The  6" diameter x 35" length is versatile and runs $29.95. 

The Roller Massager, $27.95, is for calves, thighs, shoulders and smaller spots. It will pop right into your tennis bag ready for a quick tune up whenever you need it.

Find the rollers at Pro-Tec Athletics.

 

 

Training to the beat of your own drum. adidas adds heart rate based coaching to miCoach. Why you need it.

adidas has announced a new heart rate monitor that works with the miCoach mobile app the company introduced last year.

The monitor snaps onto an adjustable absorbant stretch belt (pictured below) that you wear around your chest. A small, connect device plugs into your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Sync your phone to the monitor once you have it on and off you go. Your heart rate data is transferred to the screen (and to your ears if you choose) in real time as you work out, right alongside miles, time, calories burned etc. The device (and built in personal coach) is excellent for fitness training. 

But, why should a healthy athlete be concerned about heart rate?

According to Dr. Kimberly Parks, Cardiologist, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School:

"Monitoring your heart rate during exercise is important both for safety and to make sure you are achieving maximum effectiveness from your workout.  

It can be easy to get caught up in the positive response your brain has to exercise...[and] It is easy to under or over estimate how much you are exerting yourself. Monitoring your heart rate is important to ensure that you are achieving the desired intensity of your workout."  

Determining your desired heart rate: Subtract your age from the number 220. The result is your maximum predicted heart rate (MPHR).

"For endurance training, your target heart rate should be between 70-80% of your MPHR," says Dr. Parks. "For maximum aerobic benefit, you should aim to maintain your target heart rate for a minimum of 20-30 minutes. It's best to avoid exerting yourself at greater than 85% MPHR [during endurance training]..." 

Dr. Malissa Wood, Co-director of the MGH Heart Center, Corrigan Women's Heart Health Program and Cardiovascular Performance Program comments that "Individuals hoping to increase their fitness can push their heart rate to a slightly higher range (88-90% max of MPHR) for short intervals..The benefits derived from higher intensity short periods are clear. Typical types of short burst activity would include plyometrics (jump training), sprints or interval runs and running the baselines on a tennis court."

A few notes:

The miCoach heart rate monitor is a great tool for those who want to add running or cycling to their training-for-tennis regime and well as for those who already do these activities. The app will run an assessment program that it will use to base your future workouts on. You can also simply use the heart monitor for short interval training.

This is not a time to lie about your age. Yeah, we all wish we were younger but it's important that the heart monitor make its calculations based on your true age.

I did not find the belt uncomfortable at all but I do not run long distances where chafing could be a problem. adidas offers a couple of miCoach heart rate monitor compatible garments, a sports bra (pictured left) and close fitting shirt for men, for those who might be bothered by the belt. Try it without them first. 

You may want to wear an armband style iPhone case if you want to keep your hands free when using the system for high intensity training.

Pretty neat little tool that adds to an already solid fitness app. The adidas miCoachConnect and the Heart Rate Monitor bundle retails for $69.99 and will be available soon at adidas. The miCoach app is free and available for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android. The heart monitor, as noted above, is only available for iPhone and iPod touch.

As always, talk to your doctor before starting a new fitness regime.

Learn more at adidas.com/micoach . Their blog is a good resource for getting familiar with the app. Not available in all countries yet. 

TennisIdentity Profile: Clay Sniteman ATP Trainer on Tour

Clay Sniteman M.S., P.T., ATC, is a Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer for the ATP World Tour. He also runs a private PT business, Sundance PT in Utah. If you watch tennis you've probably caught a glimpse of him on court when a player needs assistance with an injury. Sniteman is one of the ATP's seven staff trainers covering twenty-two tournaments worldwide annually. I caught up with him recently while in New York:

What kinds of injuries do you see the most on the ATP tour?

There are always multiple shoulder issues and back injuries because of the rotational motion but we see and care for everything, knees, hips, elbows. The surface can make a difference in the types of injuries. Clay and grass mean more knee issues. Altitude and temperature changes can cause elbow issues. There are a lot of factors involved. There are also unexpected things from calf strains to waking up with a stiff neck. We are always busy.

How and when do you get involved with a player?

We [the other ATP trainers] are always in touch with each other and if a player is coming from one tournament with an injury we know what they are going to need before they come in. We work with players before, during and after a tournament at the event location, making sure all of their needs are met.

Where do you work at a tournament?

There is a training room at every tournament - a designated spot to work but I'm on court with the backpack too. Some facilities have more amenities than others. If there isn't space at a smaller event, we bring something in.

What types of treatments are you using to keep players comfortable while they play with injuries?

It really depends on what the player wants. Some players travel with their own trainers and I don't get involved. Some have a particular treatment they like and ask for it. Ice, massage, continued rehab...it's all part of it.

I'm seeing more and more tape on the tour players. Is this something you are using a lot more of now?

We still use stiff white athletic tape on ankles, where we want to restrict a motion. Kinesiology tape is diffferent however, and that's what you are seeing. It has become very popular because it is lightweight and can be used on multiple joints, adhering well and staying put through heavy sweating. I like KT Tape Pro as it is 25% stickier than the other brands out there. What we are doing with it is taking pressure off of specific muscle or joint so motion is pain free.

Isn't is bad to mask pain?

Pain meds mask biomechanical issues and the pain caused by them. We're not masking pain, we are preventing it. If you can put a joint into a position where it should be, so it's not grinding on a bone, for example, the player can continue to play at their highest level.

Looking for a New Recovery Drink? Try Milk.

Mom was was onto something when she encouraged you to finish your milk. According to Maria Cheng, AP's medical writer, "researchers are giving scientific support to [the fact that] milk may be just as good or even better than sports drinks for serious athletes recovering from exercise. The health benefits of milk - which has carbohydrates, electrolytes, calcium and vitamin D - have long been established. But for athletes, milk also contains the two proteins best for rebuilding muscles: casein and whey."

Cheng adds, "Muscles get damaged after an intense bout of aerobic exercise like running, playing football, or cycling. The casein and whey proteins in milk are precisely what the body needs to regenerate muscles fast."

Sport drinks not marked as "recovery drinks" are good for replenishing carbs and electrolytes but don't do much for muscles that need to repair after a strenuous workout. Drinking milk immediately after a tough workout means that muscles will reap the benefits when they need them, before they start breaking down.

If you don't like the taste of milk, try mixing in some chocolate or strawberry protein powder for flavor.

Cheng's original story can be read here.

Time to restring? Check it first with this .99 cent app from racquetTune.

If you are wondering if your tennis racquet needs to be restrung and you have an iPhone, here's a solution. raquetTune is a downloadable app that allows you to check racquet string tension any time, anywhere.

The app uses the sound of the racquet strings to analyze the frequency of the strings when hit with a pen or like object. The frequency is then converted to the tension of the stringbed. The accuracy is shown by an indicator light on the display and can be improved by repeating the "test" several times in a row.

Here's how to run a test: Set your app to register pounds or kilograms, click the racquet button to set your string's linear density (you can find some on the racquetTune website) or set your string type. Polyester, nylon, gut and kevlar are all options, and then set your gauge (string thickness). This part feels a little confusing as there are so many different strings and materials on the market. Again you can use the listing on their website for help. There is an option that enables you to input a hybrid combination.  You then set your racquet head size.

Hold the racquet face over your iPhone in a quiet setting and hit the strings a few times with a pen. The results register right away. You can compare the results to the recommended tension printed on the racquet or base it on your particular likes. Here's a video:

The app has gotten great reviews from stringers who are far more concerned about exact measurements than me. I thought it helpful as it indicated that a couple of racquets in this household's arsenal needed a restring despite the face that the strings looked fine.

For .99 cents my first thought is why not? It's just about the cost of one tennis ball but you do need to know detail on the string you have in your racquet to use this. Ask your stringer for the string package if you are not completley sure of what you are using. Unless you change strings, once you've input the data it's there till you change it again.

Learn more at racquetTune or download it from the AppStore.

Metal and magnetic jewelry in sports; are the benefits all in our minds? The Wall Street Journal reports.

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal presented an excellent article on the questionable curative properties of copper and magnets among other metals. I personally know many tennis players, both male and female, who wear magnetic jewelry to allay aches and pains. This site reported on one such product last year.

Referencing results from a British study of copper and magnetic bracelets published in this month's Complementary Therapies in Medicine, WSJ health writer Melinda Beck presents the medical facts in her piece, "Metal: Panacea or Placebo?." Check it out here.

It appears that any positive effects may be all in our minds. Anyone disagree?

Nutritional Supplements that Promote a Healthier Game.

Check out my most recent nutrition related article published today over at On the Baseline. Included are a range of products designed to help your body stay healthy and ready for your tennis game. Included are: Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, Joint Juice, Cherry Flex and Oxylent.

Court of the Rising Sun. Play it Skin-Safe.

Tennis lovers, play it safe with new products designed for athletes looking to protect their skin from the sun.

Products reviewed include: Neutrogena Sport Face Sunblock Lotion, Mission Skincare Sunscreen and Facestick, Eco-lips Face-stick and  Bethesda Sunscreen Soap.

Check it out over at OntheBaseline.

The bend on tennis elbow.

If your elbow hurts, even just a little, read on. Dr. Pete Sallay an orthopedic surgeon with Methodist Sports Medicine/The Orthopedic Specialists in Indiana offers his expertise concerning tennis elbow in "The bend on tennis elbow" published May 13 over at OntheBaseline.

Helpful info for an all too common problem.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball and On Your Sight.

 

OnTheBaseline.com has just published my newest Tape Talk article on the importance of wearing sunglasses on court. Check it out by clicking here. Pictured here Samantha Stosur wears Oakley.

The Best Body Fuel for Your Tennis Game.

Sally Parsonage B.SC, Ph.D., R. Nutr., C.I.S.S.N., Nutrition Division Head at IMG Academies International Performance Institute offers her tips to tennis players looking for the best nutrition for their game. Check out the complete article by Karin Burgess, editor of Tennisidentity.com at OntheBaseline.