After a tricky couple of years plagued with a career-threatening injury, Andy Murray is full steam ahead with the ATP Asian Swing. The first major Singles tournament since his hip surgery back in January, he is an athlete on a mission to come back fitter and stronger than ever. Below he sheds light on where he’s at physically and mentally, what’s next for his tennis career plus his recovery weapon of choice (that anyone can get their hands on).

You looked very relaxed playing doubles at Wimbledon earlier this year, how do you feel your body held up?
I really enjoyed being back at Wimbledon this year. It was great to be back after the year I’d had last year. My body held up well and I was able to move better on court than I was expecting. Obviously, it’s very different playing doubles to playing singles, but my team and my surgeon were very happy with the progress I’d made by Wimbledon this year. 

Do you have a specific diet to boost performance eg. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks?
Yes, I have a nutritionist and he gives me meal plans to make sure I am optimising my nutrition to help my performance, training and recovery. My eating is pretty healthy – lots of salads, grilled chicken and fruit, and making sure I take in enough fluids is also really important. I do tend to eat a lot of protein as I burn a lot of energy during training and matches and that helps me with my recovery.

What measures do you take to help recovery after a big match?
Immediately after a match I’ll warm down in the gym and then see my physio for a massage and to check in. My team are usually with me when I have physio so we’ll chat a bit about the match (the good and the bad). I often have an ice bath to help my muscles recover quicker so I’m ready to play again the next day or the day after that.  I’ll also eat about an hour after I come off court.  

“After my hip operation, to get back to the highest level of fitness, I knew I would have to train incredibly hard and push my body, I wanted to leave no stone unturned.”

Have you experienced any playing limitations after your recent surgery?
I’ve had to work hard on my movement post-surgery. Mainly I am focussing on my match fitness as I had a long time not playing matches and it’s important to get court time under your belt in order to stand a chance of getting back to a decent level of competition.

Tell us more about your work with TRR Nutrition… why is it so effective for you?
After my hip operation, to get back to the highest level of fitness, I knew I would have to train incredibly hard and push my body, I wanted to leave no stone unturned.  At the beginning of 2018 my nutritionist approached Nutraformis and asked them to develop a pro-athlete liquid collagen supplement with a combination of active nutrients specifically formulated for me.  I was already taking their liquid collagen joint care supplement, but my nutritionist felt I needed an advanced product that would help to support my joints, bone health and immune system. Outside of family life I live an extremely busy lifestyle; I train and work hard which pushes my body to the limit. I now take TRR Advanced Collagen as part of my diet, to support me with on-court preparation, intense workouts and when I’m resting; it’s a product that helps to maintain my health and fitness levels.

Why is it important to care for your muscle/joints if you work out regularly or intensively?
Looking after your body’s health and fitness is crucial and often this can be overlooked when an athlete is starting out. Athletes work and train hard and this puts a heavy strain and load on the muscles and joints.  Overworking muscles can result in damage that can force an athlete to stop training and cause long term damage.

A balance between training and rest is key. Muscles need the opportunity to rest and recover from exercise in order to grow. As well as rest, muscles need nutrients to grow and eating well combined with the correct nutritional supplements is key. I have learnt over my career how important it is to look after your body and this includes balancing training, rest, sleep, hydration and nutrition.

What’s next for Andy Murray?
Well I’m going to keep focussing on singles and that has started with the Asian swing, so I’ll be in Zhuhai, then Beijing and Shanghai for the month of October. I always enjoy going to China so I’m looking forward to that.

For more product information and stockists for TRR Collagen Pro, visit www.trrnutrition.com