Dr. Joel Fuhrman on Tennis, Nutrition, and Injury-Proofing Your Game

At the Art of Living Retreat Center in North Carolina, Florida Tennis Editor Matt Pressman sat down with Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a world-renowned physician and bestselling author known for his popular Nutritarian approach to eating. A lifelong athlete and avid tennis player, Fuhrman connected the dots between evidence-based nutrition, immunity, and longevity—sprinkling in practical nutrition and fitness tips tennis players can use today.

Before medicine, Fuhrman was an top-ranked figure skater. “I was second in the United States in pairs skating with my sister in 1973,” he recalled. “By 1976 we were second or third in the world at the World Professional Figure Skating Championships… I missed the Olympic Games because I got hurt right before 1976.”

That background shapes his athlete-first lens. “I trained and coached athletes to compete at the international level,” he said. “We were always thinking about injury prevention and keeping [athletes] well while peaking for events.”

Fuhrman discussed the benefits of a Nutritarian diet: “It doesn’t just improve stamina—the main thing it helps is cardiorespiratory conditioning… and immunity. When athletes don’t get sick, their training isn’t interrupted, and they can peak for events.”

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/people/khurt/, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fuhrman has witnessed pro athletes extend their careers with this approach. “I’ve spoken to many Olympic and professional athletes… A lot of them are doing this so they don’t get ill and catch viral infections,” he said. “When I travel and shake hands, I don’t get sick anymore… I’m not out of training for a week.”

Fuhrman also highlighted the nutritional excellence of some of the top tennis greats: “Djokovic switched his diet to have better stamina… Venus [Williams] had an autoimmune disease and switched to a diet like I’m recommending to play again.” In addition, he explained, “Murray, Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal [also] watched their diets. They didn’t eat fried foods or go to fast-food restaurants.”

Fuhrman’s easy memory tool for must-have foods: G-BOMBS—“Greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds.” He explained, “These foods have the most scientific evidence to extend human lifespan and prevent cancer, and they also prevent injuries and heart disease… They protect against almost all diseases when you eat them regularly.”

Photo credit: Joel Fuhrman

For a pre-match meal, he explains: “You can’t go out and play a tennis match after a big meal… your body is too slow digesting it. Eat earlier or eat lighter.”

“Your longevity as a tennis player is linked to the micronutrient content of your cells,” Fuhrman said. “More phytonutrients help the body remove toxins and reactive oxygen species that age us. Eat right and do [your] exercises right—and you’ll play better, longer.”

Fuhrman is also adamant about Achilles care: “If you’re a tennis player, you’ve got to work on your Achilles tendon off the court… daily slant-board stretching and one-legged toe raises. If you can’t do 20 reps on one leg, don’t be running on the tennis court—you’re looking for trouble.”

On tech and recovery, he favors less-traumatic shockwave options and emerging bone-strength diagnostics that he currently uses with patients: “SoftWave TRT goes wider and deeper without irritating the joint… and REMS (EchoLight) measures bone strength without radiation.”

Dr. Fuhrman’s quick hitters

• Daily salad architecture: “Half lettuces; half arugula and spinach; onions, tomatoes; a nut-and-seed dressing (almonds, hemp, cashews) blended with soy milk, tomato, roasted garlic, mustard. Even the dressing is high-protein.”

• Travel fuel: “Athletes carry high-powered blenders to make smoothies with greens, flax/chia, almonds, even black lentils for a high-protein, high-nutrient drink.”

• Play any time: “When you’re in good health, you should feel sustained energy from morning to night—you don’t need to ‘eat before you play.’”

In the end, Fuhrman concludes, “Protect yourself, heal yourself—don’t rush to drugs or surgery. We have natural, new therapies that can keep you well and get you well faster.”

For more on Dr. Fuhrman’s programs and clinical services, he directs readers to DrFuhrman.com. 

Exclusive Interview

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Written by Associate Editor Osvaldo Godoy. Video edits done by Assistant Editor Alex Binstok. Interview with Dr. Fuhrman conducted by Florida Tennis Editor Matt Pressman. Top photo credit:  Joel Fuhrman.