Sports nutrition for padel: improve your performance with the right diet

Padel, the king sport in Spain, where it has dethroned tennis in just a few years, is a mix of tennis, squash and racquetball. It is played by 4 players on a court half the size of a tennis court. This new sport, which is booming in France, is rapidly gaining in popularity, as it's fairly easy to get into, even for beginners, and great fun to play. There's already a professional circuit, dominated by the Spanish, and over 300 padel centers in France organize countless tournaments.
To excel in this highly dynamic, even explosive game, nutrition plays a crucial role, not only in maintaining energy levels but also in ensuring rapid recovery. Let's take a look at the best sports nutrition for padel and how to eat right to improve padel players' performance.

A very demanding sport for human body

Padel, like other racket sports, is a predominantly aerobic discipline, excellent for sculpting the body and strengthening muscles, making it one of the best activities for burning maximum calories. From a metabolic point of view, padel is distinguished by its hybrid nature, alternately calling on the athlete's aerobic and anaerobic capacities. Accelerations, powerful strokes, sudden stops and changes of direction characterize a padel match, testing both the players' stamina and muscular endurance. The average padel player can burn 600 to 700 kcal in an hour of play. Professional players can consume up to 1000 kcal during a 90-minute match. So it's vital to eat and drink well before and during the match.

Padel-specific nutritional requirements

Energy and endurance

Padel is a demanding sport, requiring a combination of fast energy and endurance. Our energy bars, gels, compotes and drinks are specially formulated to provide a fast but long-lasting release of energy, ideal for keeping players moving throughout the match. Rich in nutrients and easy to digest, they're the perfect fuel for the padel player.

Hydration

Hydration is just as crucial, especially in a fast-paced sport like padel, often played indoors, where perspiration is abundant. Our hydration drinks are designed to quickly replenish lost mineral salts and electrolytes, ensuring that players stay hydrated and performing from start to finish.

Mineral salts are vital chemical elements for the body, involved in many functions such as building bones and regulating metabolism. Electrolytes are a specific category of mineral salts. They are converted into ions in the body and play a key role in electrical conduction and water balance. Although all electrolytes are mineral salts, the reverse is not true. The main difference between them lies in electrolytes' ability to dissolve and form ions, essential for many physiological functions.

The key to hydration is to drink regularly, without waiting until you're thirsty. Professional athletes systematically drink during breaks to rehydrate, replenish electrolytes and provide energy. They often use three types of drink: an electrolyte drink, an energy drink and water to wash out their mouths and prevent sugar cavities. Good hydration is crucial for all padel players, with the recommendation to consume fluids before, during and after play, and to check urine color to assess hydration levels.

What to eat right before a padel game ?

For an optimal breakfast before an early-morning match, opt for oatmeal or wholemeal bread, accompanied by dairy products and a banana, while starting to hydrate. It's advisable to eat this meal 2 to 3 hours before the game for optimal digestion. Before an afternoon match, opt for a meal rich in complex carbohydrates, such as pasta or brown rice, with a moderate amount of protein and little fat.

A good meal choice might be wholemeal pasta with a light tomato sauce and grilled chicken, accompanied by a green salad for vitamins and minerals without excessive fat. Wholemeal pasta, offering long-lasting energy thanks to its low glycemic index, and chicken, for its lean protein, are particularly recommended. Round off with wholemeal bread and a piece of fruit for dessert, for fiber and antioxidants, not forgetting to keep well hydrated with water or a hydration drink.

How to integrate Mulebar products into your padel routine

At Mulebar, we understand the importance of sports nutrition for padel, offering a range of 100% natural products (no preservatives, synthetic flavors or colorants) designed to meet the specific needs of this new discipline.

Before the game

Starting with a Mulebar energy bar 30 to 60 minutes before the match can give you the boost you need to get off to a strong start. That's how long it takes to digest. It offers a balanced mix of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats, ensuring a gradual release of energy.

 

During the game

A Mulebar energy gels or energy compotes provide an instant boost, quickly replenishing your energy reserves to maintain your playing intensity. They're easy to consume, even in the heat of the action, thanks to their small, re-sealable tubes.

Of course, as mentioned above, we recommend carrying 3 water bottles with our hydration drink, our energy drink and water.

 

 

After the game

Recovery begins as soon as the match ends. A Mulebar vegan protein bar will help repair muscle fibers and replenish energy reserves, while our hydration drink will help rebalance fluids and electrolytes.

 

 

Beyond the use of Mulebar products, a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains will help optimize your padel performance.

Mulebar, the benchmark in padel sports nutrition

As this is a relatively new sport, few sports nutrition brands are interested in it. They are all still focused on endurance sports, in particular running and cycling, where, it has to be said, there is a real culture of nutrition. Mulebar has a great opportunity to become the benchmark nutrition brand for padel.

That's why we're partners with several tournament organizers throughout France :

• Padel Business League: Mulebar is a partner of the PBL Masters at 4padel Toulouse on March 15, 16 and 17, 2024. These are the finals after the various stages in which over 1,000 employees from 200 companies have been competing since the beginning of September in the 4 corners of France.
• Mulebar is a partner of Twenty by ten's padel training courses in 2024.
• We love padel entrusted us with its "padel mon amour cup" event on March 14 at Esprit Padel in Lyon. This competition brought together 36 corporate teams from the padel industry in France (brands, equipment manufacturers, piste installers, etc.).
• Mulebar also lent its energy to Odentik, the tournament for dentists held in Bordeaux in April.

Testimonials and examples of Mulebar products used by padel players

We began testing Mulebar in June 2022 at the 4padel center in Colomiers, France, and very quickly both feedback and sales were excellent. Top-level players shared their experiences with us, noting a marked improvement in their performance and recovery since integrating our Mulebar products into their training and match routines. These testimonials underline not only the effectiveness of our products but also their pleasant taste, a significant plus during exercise.

It remains to be deplored that most padel center managers have no training or experience in sports nutrition, and don't offer quality products to their customers. Like most tennis clubhouses, they sell industrial chocolate bars, which are a real disaster from a nutritional point of view. We're going to need to train and support them in padel nutrition, as they'll be the best people to recommend it to players. So the market is wide open.

Conclusion

Eating healthily won't immediately guarantee an improvement in your game, but it will contribute to better overall health. This will translate into faster recovery, sharper vision, better perception of the game, sharper reflexes on the piste and stronger muscles. Over time, these benefits will lead to progress in your sporting practice and a reduction in injuries.

Incorporating adapted sports nutrition, such as that offered by Mulebar, is fundamental for any padel player seeking to improve performance and recovery. Our products, developed with passion since 2008, offer a 100% natural and delicious solution to these needs. We invite you to discover our range and experience the difference good nutritional choices can make to your game. Ready to transform your padel performance with Mulebar?