PERFORMANCE players from the full-time and elite squads at Totally Tennis, and their parents, have been learning about nutrition.

What you eat can influence sporting excellence, and fitness instructor and nutrition expert Mark Adams delivered a two-hour presentation at the indoor centre last Wednesday evening.

In his talk, entitled fuelling athletes, he explained in depth how children need to be taught about the importance of sustainable health through what they put into their bodies.

Adams said that, ideally, children's diets - especially those who train and compete in an endurance sport - should only include fresh and additive-free produce, avoiding processed foods that have a long shelf life.

He stressed the importance of a large daily intake of water - preferably mineral water as tap water has been exposed to water treatments - to keep the body hydrated.

He went on to highlight many of the pre-conceived ideas we have as consumers, believing we are eating a healthy diet when, unknown to most of us, many products cancel out the benefits of another.

He wants athletes and their parents to focus on preventing ill health and injury before it arises by maintaining a healthy diet to give the body's defence system the opportunity to fight off illness, instead of having to regulate the day-to-day effects of a Westernised diet.

Some of his thinking refers to the diets that our ancestors ate and how much healthier they were.

Then - long before the time of the supermarket and the mass media that accompanies the food industry today - food was sourced from the countryside and eaten fresh.

Although this way of living is harder to follow today, as shopping habits have evolved alongside busier and more hectic lives with families to feed, we can still try to buy a range of fresh and organic products within our budget to improve our diets.

Adams explained the effects of refined sugar in our diets and how different food groups need to be combined to maximise their benefits.

Athletes who strive for sporting performance and competitive advantage need regular essential fats, such as omega three, six and nine, and proteins are the powerhouses for the best individual nutrition.

He concluded that, as tennis is essentially a strength, endurance sport, players need to give themselves every possible advantage to achieve their individual goals.

Nutrition and diet will give players an advantage in longer, tougher training sessions and matches, as their bodies will have the necessary fuel needed to go that extra mile.

Adams is a staff member of the Queen Mary's Sports Centre Gym that sponsors the full-time programme at Totally Tennis.

He has designed a circuit training programme, for both the squad and the elite players, which focuses on working on core stability, posture and the importance of nutritional intake.

Adams said of his presentation: "Consumers need to be educated about what they are buying and what their children are eating.

"It's about your life, not shelf life!"