How to recover after playing Padel and avoid injuries
Do you suffer muscle discomfort when you play Padel or do you feel very exhausted after a game? You're not alone! There are a number of factors that affect our performance and recovery after playing this racket sport.
In this article, we will analyze what are the 7 most effective techniques according to science to recover muscles faster. Let's start!
Why do so many people play Padel?
Before knowing what to do to feel like a truck has run over us after exercising, there is something you should know.
Much of the worldwide success and growth that this sport is having is due to various components, such as social, ease of learning and accessibility.
The physical effort required to play it at an amateur level may be less than that of other racket sports such as Padel, squash or fronton.
For this reason, many people tend to see this sport as a way to have fun with friends and family and not as a demanding physical exercise.
This is why the vast majority of people who play Padel hardly warm up or stretch before or after playing. As a consequence, this causes pain or accelerated fatigue that often takes days to disappear.
And it is that, regardless of the level at which you practice this sport, it requires a minimum physical condition.
But don't worry, because we are going to share with you 7 simple guidelines that you can follow to speed up your recovery, avoid injuries, even improve your sports performance.
Sounds good right? Read on because it gets interesting!
Drink enough amount of water
Try not to replace the mineral water in its entirety with energy drinks or soft drinks.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 500 milliliters of fluid 2 hours before playing sports and continuing to drink water frequently while exercising.
Try to drink water from time, instead of very cold. Drinking ice water can put your health at risk.
Watch what you eat before and after each workout
In general, eat as varied and balanced as possible. Avoid processed food , prioritize the consumption of fruit and vegetables rich in fiber and water, and healthy fats .
On the other hand, to repair the damage and accelerate muscle growth, after training, eat 20 to 40 grams of protein and 1.2 g of carbohydrates for every kilogram of body weight per hour of physical training.
Complement your diet
Unfortunately, the food we eat today barely provides us with the necessary nutrients to give our best in every match.
Hence, sports supplements are a great way to complement (not replace) our healthy diet.
For example, protein powder , whether whey or vegan , speeds up muscle growth and shortens post-workout recovery.
How good the shower after training feels!
Studies show that contrast baths—alternating the water temperature from warm to very cold—can help reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
This is because the temperature changes of the contrast shower stimulate the contraction and dilation of the blood vessels, modifying the heart rate.
sleep like a groundhog
It is an open secret that we usually sleep poorly and little and this delays our muscle recovery, according to research .
This is even more important in those people who play at high intensity or very continuously, for example in a tournament.
It is especially these players who should sleep more, even more than 9 hours a day , in order to have enough time for their muscles to recover.
Give yourself a therapeutic massage
Putting yourself in the hands of a physiotherapist will improve flexibility and relieve tension and pain accumulated in your muscles.
If you don't have the chance to go to a physical therapy center, try foam rollers .
You can take the foam roller with you to the Padel center and massage the desired area as soon as you finish your game.
Wear compression stockings
In general, compression clothing helps improve blood circulation and reduces the risk of fatigue, swelling and clotting.
They are a great way to reduce muscle recovery time. This is supported by a study carried out in 2019 on German handball players.
Conclusion
We would like to conclude by indicating that these guidelines should be understood as the starting point to improve the way of recovering.
Logically, we do not know your current physical state or what goals you want to achieve. Therefore, it is possible that in your case some ideas should be adapted, replaced or supervised by a qualified professional.
Finally, you must understand that there is no miracle remedy that works in the long term, but the adaptation of a healthy lifestyle . No routine will have the desired effect if you neglect your diet or deprive yourself of a good night's sleep.
About the Author
This article has been created by the wellness team at the School of Anti-Aging .
At the Anti-Aging School, all they do is help people, like you, look and feel young every day.
They achieve this by fighting the signs of premature aging, to improve your lifestyle in a healthy, conscious and sustainable way.
