Paddle tennis, an incredibly simple and useful sport, which offers many advantages to those who practice it. What is the recommended diet before and after a game? What are the health benefits of padel? Here are all the things to know before playing it.
– Joshua Leone
The advantages of Padel Tennis
The game of paddle tennis is an advantageous discipline for all sportsmen; in fact it can be a reason for fun and sport or it can also be simply a meeting occasion.
The padel can become a valid motor activity without aggressive movements, suitable for keeping fit and which can be practiced by the whole family.
Basically the rules of the paddle are those of tennis, although there are some substantial differences:
- The walls delimiting the end area are part of the playing area so if the ball bounces off these walls it can be rejected with the racket.
- Smaller rackets and a plate full of holes are used and without ropes.
- The ball used can be much softer than that of tennis, or the same: it depends on the categories of players.
- The size of the playing field is less than half of a tennis court.
A sport of meeting and fun
Paddle is a sport practiced by men and women of all ages, thanks to a not too much physical effort.
It is much easier then to group 4 people to play a game of padel, compared to other team sports. Moreover, being practicable since the first match, you avoid those moments of difficulty and embarrassment that characterize the first matches of the amateur players.
Children
The padel is a sport similar to tennis, but much more active and dynamic, which makes it more fun and enjoyable for the little ones. So then the paddle becomes part of their free time, and it will not be considered as an imposed obligation. The padel contributes to a good physical development, which is fundamental in the growth phases, since the activity carried out today will determine the future physical form. Furthermore, the habitual practice of the padel will avoid obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, among the most serious childhood problems of the XXI century.
But the padel not only produces physical, but also emotional and psychological benefits, which are fundamental in these early stages of growth and development. In this sense, the dynamics of the padel allows children to collaborate with each other and to create the motivation to improve game after game.
The 12 guaranteed benefits of playing paddle tennis
- Improves coordination, agility and responsiveness.
- It is one of the remedies to prevent the onset of depression.
- Helps avoid muscle atrophy or body disorders by optimizing elasticity.
- It requires 4 players and is perfect for spending time socializing with new friends or having fun with your own.
- Increase self-esteem and desire for improvement.
- The player acquires self-discipline which is also very useful in other areas of life such as school and work.
- It improves the cardiovascular system, reducing the risk of heart attacks or heart failure.
- Increases strength, muscle tone and lowers the cholesterol levelallowing you to burn up to 400 calories per game.
- It allows the release of endorphins.
- It is an outlet for the problems of everyday life.
- It improves the quality of rest and sleep by reducing headache attacks.
- Prevents premature aging of the body.
What is the correct diet?
We need to better balance our daily nutrition and optimize calories before padel tennis training.
First, however, we need to make a distinction between the daily diet and proper nutrition before a workout or a match.
It is important to know when to take certain substances depending on the sporting performance: it is generally recommended to eat three hours before the race and an hour before taking energy bars to recharge the glucose muscles. Within the following two hours of the race, proteins with a high biological value must be taken.
The daily diet suitable for paddle tennis
The beneficial effects of the padel are amplified if the training is accompanied by a correct diet plan. Here is a series of nutrients, which should never be missing on your tables during the week:
Glucose: it is stored in the form of glycogen and is the primary source of energy for muscles and daily activities. It is a primary reserve of energy.
Proteins: they are the sources to which the muscle assimilates in case of prolonged and intense effort.
Water: hydrating is essential because water helps get rid of toxins and regulates body temperature with sweating.
Fats: they are second level energy. During prolonged efforts or in the morning on an empty stomach, in the absence of carbohydrates, the muscle draws to lipid reserves. They are therefore important even if they are consumed in small quantities even if you have to prefer unsaturated fats. Go-ahead for polyunsaturated fats contained in dried fruit and fish, to which a protective and anti-inflammatory role has been attributed.
What to eat before a workout / padel match
Another aspect to consider is the correct diet to do, before making a physical effort like a Paddle match, in order not to compromise sports performance.
Suitable foods
Carbohydrates: irreplaceable because they are the first energy source, whole grains should be preferred: pasta, bread, rice, spelled, buckwheat. In this way we will have slow and long release energy, without the fear of running out of breath and power and we will keep the glycemic level stable.
Desserts: especially tarts that include fruit, cereals and simple sugars are an excellent resource to draw on during physical exertion, because the mix of simple and complex sugars will provide an energy mix that can last for the whole performance.
Banana: excellent for the presence of potassium and magnesium, it can be consumed in small quantities even during and after physical activity. Provides those micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that a sportsman should never miss.
Unsuitable food
Protein: Foods rich in protein are necessary for the reconstruction and regeneration of tendons: they should therefore be consumed preferably after a game.
Vegetables: Physical activity exposes the body to the action of free radicals, so the intake of fruit and vegetables is essential for their content of vitamins and minerals with antioxidant action. However fibers can slow down digestion so they are not ideal to consume near the time of play.
Fats: Fats are not suited to the metabolic type required of a padel player due to the high intensity of energy consumed.
Here is a menu suitable for each time slot in which you will play padel
Morning
If the match or training takes place in the morning, breakfast should be made 1-2 hours earlier. Preferable foods are those easily digestible and rich in simple and complex sugars such as bread / rusks and jam, fruit or fruit juice with toast. Furthermore it is better to avoid dairy products if it is ascertained that they cause digestion problems, as they can easily replaced by up tea, herbal tea, barley or coffee.
Lunch time
If the game is played at lunch time it is recommended to have a large breakfast, followed in the morning by a good snack that can cover 20-25% and 15% of the daily caloric intake respectively. For breakfast, the recommendations indicated in the previous time slot apply; the snack instead could be made up of fruit accompanied by rice or corn cakes, or honey or jam with rice or corn cakes.
Early afternoon
If the competition takes place, instead, in the early hours of the afternoon, it is recommended to have a rich and abundant breakfast (20-25% of the daily calorie requirement), between 7 and 8 am, to have lunch at 11.30-12.00 with a good first course of pasta seasoned with a little tomato accompanied at the end of the meal by a fruit.
Late afternoon
If the race is scheduled for late afternoon, then in the lunch it will be possible to add a second dish of meat or fish and a small portion of vegetables, always preferring the first course if necessary.
While waiting for the race, a small snack may be appropriate as long as it is in small quantities and easily digestible; we can use rusks, biscuits, fruit, honey or energy drinks according to preference.
Evening time
If, on the other hand, the race takes place in the evening, at lunch you can also associate a second course (meat or fish) and vegetables. The snack in this case must be consumed 2 hours before the race and can be composed for example of bread and ham / bresaola / turkey / salmon or yogurt and fruit. While dinner may be lighter.
Hydration: a fundamental point even during a game
Many consider that drinking fluids before physical exertion compromises performance in the field, through the senses of swelling and heaviness. Hydration instead plays an important role in the state of well-being during physical activity. Many studies show that there are numerous risks for the body in the event of prolonged efforts, not accompanied by adequate hydration. Water supplies should not be skipped, even during training. The advice is to drink 400/700 milliliters of water two / three hours before the performance, and 200/300 milliliters of liquids at least every twenty minutes during the effort.
At the end of the game, especially in summer, a cold beer with half a lemon are the best way to end a beautiful evening with friends! Sport is fun and health.
Paddle and health
It has been shown that dynamic-aerobic exercise such as padel, if carried out in moderate amounts but constant over time, is able to reduce cardiovascular risk. This sport in fact on one hand helps to lose weight, on the other hand to lower the values of blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attack and heart disease.
Aerobic activity increases the body’s demand for oxygen, resulting in increased work for the heart and lungs, making circulation much more efficient. The result is a reduction in heart rate and arterial pressure, in addition, the myocardium also requires less oxygen both during rest and stress.
The arm is the part of the body most involved during the Padel game, as the speed of the game shots requires its continuous use, with exchanges of blows on both sides. The benefit for the upper limbs is that of improving coordination and musculature. The muscular development of the arms is complete, as the movements that take place to hit with the racket are many and always different. This allows you to constantly train not only your arms, but also your shoulders and forearms.
The other parts of the body that are well trained are the legs, where the calves work very quickly due to sudden movements. The buttocks and abdominals are also optimally involved. This type of exercise also allows you to burn fat and eliminate excess fat, especially that located on your stomach, legs and hips.
To these benefits we can add some others: physical activity in the padel burns fat and lowers the rate of cholesterol in the blood; helps prevent and control diabetes; it is an excellent antistress and seems to help reduce the urge to smoke.
Precisely because we talk about a sport at 360 °, it is important that those who carry out high level physical activity undergo the appropriate checkups, paying attention to warning signs such as chest pains, shortness of breath or feeling of excessive tiredness.
Attention to the joints
Anyone who suffers from back or spine problems, such as scoliosis, should discuss with the doctor before playing paddle. Like tennis in fact, this sport engages the muscles of arms and shoulders in an asymmetrical way, and could create overloads in the joints and muscles, furthermore, as with most sports, after each game it is advisable to do stretching exercises to avoid pains in the hours / days following sporting activity.
Italian Padel: Professionals at your service.
Italian Padel is a group of professionals specialized in the production of structures for Padel courts. Italian Padel deals with the design, construction and turnkey installation of certified Padel fields, designed and manufactured entirely in Italy.
We have built over 300 padel fields in Italy and abroad.
We would be happy to give you the information you need about our Padel Courts and help you take your business opportunity forward.
You can take a look at our portfolio in the “Our fields” session and do not hesitate to contact us by email at (info@italianpadel.it) or phone (+39 0309686073).
Did you like this article? Let us know!