Playing padel during a heatwave: our advice

Understand the risks associated with heat

Padel fans, we’re starting to know you: nothing can keep you off the court or away from your favourite sport. However, some conditions are more demanding than others and can make playing a little harder. To play padel in winter, no problem — you can put on a jumper.  But prolonged hot spells and heatwaves often spark debate: stay at home or play anyway? Plenty of padel players still hit the ball during these periods, but it’s important to know the risks and how to minimise your exposure to the heat. 

First of all, what are the risks of prolonged heat exposure? The body is designed to maintain its temperature at 37°C; if the ambient temperature, outside humidity, and physical effort cause this temperature to rise, the body releases water to keep it at 37°C. If fluid loss through sweating is too high, various symptoms can appear:

• Dehydration: with all this sweat loss, fluid depletion in the body can lead to severe dehydration. Dark spots may appear in your field of vision, potentially leading to dizziness, fainting, and serious consequences for the body. 
• Sunstroke: when exposed to direct sunlight for too long, sunstroke can occur. Headaches, dizziness, and vomiting are common symptoms, and they must be addressed quickly to prevent harm to your body. 
• Heatstroke: even more serious than sunstroke, heatstroke occurs when the brain is no longer properly oxygenated. The body loses control, leading to loss of consciousness and impaired cognition (such as irrational decisions). 

Schedule your sessions

To avoid intense heat and the potential heat exhaustion explained above, it is advisable to play outside peak sun hours. Avoid playing padel between 11 am and 5 pm and favour playing in the evening or early morning to avoid extreme temperatures and the midday sun. This will help you avoid all the risks mentioned above and allow you to enjoy padel in a whole new light!

Physical and mental preparation

When it comes to physical preparation for padel, there’s not much to do on the muscular side beyond drinking plenty of water before, during and after exercise. Mentally, it’s best to prepare to sweat a lot — and therefore drink a lot. While you might play several games without stopping in a normal match, in high temperatures you need to stop regularly to rehydrate. Wherever possible, try to play indoors somewhere with at least some air conditioning. 

Adequate hydration

 As you well know, when playing sports in extreme temperatures, it is essential to stay thoroughly hydrated before, during, and after your matches. When it comes to drinks, water is the best choice, but high-hydration sports drinks can also be very effective. In any case, sugary drinks should be avoided. Beyond providing a quick boost of energy, they dehydrate and dry out the body. 

In case of dehydration, it is essential to know the key actions to take to minimise the effects of the heat. If one of your partners experiences these types of symptoms, a few important steps should always be kept in mind: 

• Lay the person down in the shade to avoid worsening heatstroke. 
• Apply a damp cloth to the forehead and do not hesitate to spray water on the person's head. 
• Do not hesitate to provide drinks rich in sugar or salt, as a lack of minerals can take its toll.