Guides  ·  2026-04-26  ·  8 min read

Nutrition for Padel Players: What to Eat Before and After

Why Nutrition Matters in Padel

Padel is an intermittent-effort sport: it alternates explosive bursts of speed and power (sprints, smashes, overhead shots) with lower-intensity periods between points. One hour of recreational padel can burn 400-600 kcal, and a two-hour doubles match can exceed 800 kcal for intermediate-level players.

The most common nutritional mistake sports dietitians see in recreational padel players isn't bad eating in general — it's eating at the wrong time. Arriving at the court with a full stomach, or conversely skipping the pre-match meal, are the most frequent errors and the ones that cost the most in terms of performance.

Three nutritional pillars impact your game:

1. Available energy: Circulating glucose and muscle glycogen determine your explosiveness and endurance. If you arrive with empty energy stores, match quality drops sharply in the second set.
2. Hydration: A mere 2% body-weight dehydration reduces motor coordination, attention, and reaction speed. On outdoor courts in summer, this can happen in under 45 minutes.
3. Muscle recovery: Muscle tissue sustains minor damage during exercise. The protein and micronutrients you take in during the hours after play determine how quickly it repairs and how ready you are to play again in 24-48 hours.

To understand how padel affects your body more broadly — including cardiovascular and muscular benefits — read our article on the health benefits of padel.

What to Eat Before the Match

The pre-match meal has one clear goal: arrive at the court with available energy without feeling bloated. Timing and composition matter more than quantity.

The main meal: 2-3 hours before

If you have time, the best strategy is a complete meal 2-3 hours before the match. This allows enough time for digestion and ensures nutrients are available when you need them.

What it should include:

• Low-to-medium glycemic index carbohydrates (60-70% of the plate): White or brown rice, pasta, potato, sweet potato, wholegrain bread. These are your muscles' fuel.
• Moderate protein (20-30%): Chicken, turkey, tuna, eggs, legumes. Provides satiety and protects muscle during effort, but in excess it slows digestion.
• Low fat and low fiber: Avoid large amounts of oil, heavy sauces, bulky salads, or whole legumes. They slow gastric emptying and can cause discomfort during the match.

Ideal pre-match meal examples:

• Rice with grilled chicken and sautéed vegetables.
• Pasta with tuna and tomato sauce (not too much oil).
• Boiled potato with turkey breast and carrots.
• Spanish omelette with toasted bread.

The last-minute snack: 30-60 minutes before

If you're playing in the afternoon and your last main meal was more than 4 hours ago, or if you simply didn't eat well, a small snack 30-60 minutes before the match can make a real difference.

Recommended options:

• A piece of fruit (banana, orange, apple). Bananas are the athlete's favourite because of their combination of fast-absorbing sugars and potassium.
• A handful of dates or raisins (fast-absorbing sugars).
• A low-fat yogurt.
• A thin slice of toast with honey or jam.

Avoid at this point: protein bars (too much fat and fiber), large amounts of nuts, dark chocolate (caffeine + fat), sandwiches with too much filling.

Morning matches: the breakfast protocol

Early matches present a special challenge: you've been fasting for hours and your stomach may be sensitive. The classic mistake is skipping breakfast "to avoid feeling full" and arriving at the court with empty energy stores.

Functional breakfast for a morning match (1-1.5 hours before):

• Oats with skimmed milk or plant-based milk, plus banana or honey.
• Toast with turkey and tomato (minimal oil).
• Yogurt with granola and fruit.

If the match is very early and there's no time to digest properly, at minimum eat a banana and drink a glass of water with some glucose (juice or diluted sports drink) 30 minutes before.

Golden rule: no new foods on match day. Everything you eat before playing should be something you've had before. It's not the time to experiment with superfoods, new supplements, or unfamiliar restaurants.

Hydration: Before, During, and After

Hydration doesn't start on the court — it starts hours earlier. If you arrive already dehydrated (which happens easily if you've drunk little during the day) no amount of water during play will fully compensate.

Before the match

In the 2 hours before play, drink 400-600 ml of water or diluted sports drink (1:1 with water). Your urine should be pale yellow. If it's dark, you're dehydrated and need to drink more before starting.

During the match

For matches up to 60-75 minutes, plain water is sufficient. Beyond 90 minutes or in intense heat (above 25°C), an isotonic drink with electrolytes and some glucose helps maintain performance.

General guideline: 150-250 ml every 15-20 minutes. Don't wait until you feel thirsty — by the time thirst kicks in, you're already 1-1.5% dehydrated. Side changes (in formal matches) and ball changes are perfect hydration moments.

Signs of dehydration during a match:

• Muscle cramps (especially calves and quads).
• Heavy or slow-feeling legs.
• Difficulty concentrating or making tactical decisions.
• Headache during or after the match.

Sports drinks: when are they worth it?

Isotonic drinks replenish sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes lost through sweat, plus provide glucose. They're useful in these situations:

• Matches lasting more than 90 minutes.
• Intense heat (summer, outdoor courts).
• Players who sweat heavily or notice a salty taste in their sweat.
• Tournament doubles play with multiple matches in a day.

For a 60-minute recreational match indoors or in mild conditions, plain water is perfectly adequate. You don't need a sports drink for every session.

What to Eat After the Match: The Recovery Window

Nutritional recovery starts in the first 30-60 minutes after finishing. During this period — sometimes called the "anabolic window" — muscles are particularly receptive to nutrients and glycogen replenishment is fastest.

The two pillars of recovery

1. Carbohydrates to replenish glycogen: Your muscles burned through their glycogen stores during the match. Replenishing them with medium-to-high GI carbohydrates in the first few hours accelerates recovery and prevents next-day fatigue.

2. Protein to repair muscle: Exercise causes micro-tears in muscle fibers. 20-30 grams of quality protein within an hour of finishing stimulates protein synthesis and speeds up repair.

The immediate recovery snack (0-30 minutes post-match)

If your main meal is more than an hour away, have a quick recovery snack:

• Greek yogurt with fruit and honey (protein + carbohydrates + fast sugars).
• Protein shake with milk or plant milk and a banana.
• A glass of milk with oat biscuits.
• Fruit plus a small handful of nuts.

The main recovery meal (1-2 hours post-match)

The post-match meal should be more complete than the pre-match one. Fat and fiber restrictions no longer apply:

• Quality protein (25-35%): Oily fish (salmon, sardines), lean meat, eggs, legumes. Oily fish adds omega-3s, which have anti-inflammatory properties and accelerate muscle recovery.
• Quality carbohydrates (50-60%): Same as before the match — rice, potato, pasta, wholegrain bread.
• Healthy fats (10-15%): Avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts. These are welcome now since there's no digestive urgency.
• Varied vegetables: Provide micronutrients, antioxidants, and fiber that support recovery.

Good recovery nutrition also reduces the risk of overuse injuries. For more on preventing the most common padel injuries, see our article on common padel injuries and how to prevent them.

Supplements: What Works and What Doesn't

The sports supplement market is full of products with more marketing than evidence. For recreational or semi-competitive padel players, these are the only supplements with solid scientific support:

With strong evidence

• Creatine monohydrate: The most studied supplement in sports history. Improves explosive power, performance in short intense efforts (exactly what padel demands), and speeds up recovery. Dose: 3-5 g daily, no loading phase needed. Effective for most players.
• Protein powder (whey, casein, plant-based): Doesn't improve performance on its own, but is a practical and economical way to hit protein targets if your regular diet falls short. Not necessary if you get enough protein from food.
• Caffeine: Improves attention, endurance, and perceived effort. 3-6 mg/kg of body weight 30-60 minutes before the match. One cup of coffee (80-120 mg) is enough for most people. Be mindful of tolerance and the effect on sleep if you play in the evenings.
• Beta-alanine: Delays onset of muscle fatigue in efforts lasting 1-4 minutes. Can be useful in long matches or tournament days. Produces a harmless tingling sensation (paresthesia) during the first weeks of use.
• Vitamin D: Not a performance supplement per se, but deficiency (very common in winter) affects muscle strength and the immune system. A blood test will tell you if you need it.

Limited or irrelevant evidence for padel

• BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids): If you eat enough protein in your diet, BCAAs add no extra benefit. Expensive supplement with marginal returns for anyone already eating well.
• Glutamine: Useful for elite athletes with very high training volumes. For recreational padel players, the immune system doesn't benefit from supplementation.
• Generic multivitamins: If you eat a varied and balanced diet, you don't need them. If you have specific deficiencies, it's better to correct them with targeted foods or specific supplements.

No supplement compensates for a poor diet or inadequate hydration. If your general nutrition is good, the margin of improvement from supplements is small. If your nutrition is poor, fixing it will give you more benefit than any pill or powder.

Match Day Nutritional Routine: Hour-by-Hour Guide

To make everything above practical, here's an hour-by-hour guide for a 7:00 PM match:

• 8:00-9:00 AM: Normal breakfast. Oats or toast. Good hydration with breakfast.
• 1:00-2:00 PM: Pre-match meal. Rice/pasta/potato + lean protein + minimal fat and fiber. 500-700 ml of water.
• 3:00-5:00 PM: Drink steadily throughout the afternoon. 1-1.5 L of water spread out.
• 5:00-6:00 PM: Light snack if hungry: banana, yogurt, or toast with honey. 300-400 ml of water or diluted sports drink.
• 6:30 PM: Arrive at the court. Drink 200 ml before starting your warm-up.
• 7:00-9:00 PM (match): 150-250 ml of water every 15-20 minutes. Sports drink if it's hot or the match runs long.
• 9:00-9:30 PM (post-match): Immediate recovery snack: Greek yogurt with fruit or a protein shake.
• 10:00-10:30 PM: Full recovery dinner. Quality protein + carbohydrates + vegetables. Hydrate with dinner.

What to Avoid on Match Day

• Heavy or fatty meals in the 3 hours before: Fried food, heavy sauces, stews, deep-fried dishes. Slow gastric emptying causes sluggishness and can trigger abdominal discomfort mid-match.
• Alcohol: Alcohol is diuretic (increases dehydration), impairs motor coordination, and damages muscle recovery. Avoid it for 24 hours before any important match.
• Excess caffeine: One or two cups of coffee is fine. More than 400 mg of caffeine can cause anxiety, heart palpitations, and difficulty concentrating.
• High-fiber foods in the 2 hours before: Whole legumes, bulky salads, large amounts of wholegrain bread. Fiber slows digestion and can cause gas or gastrointestinal discomfort.
• New or exotic foods: Match day is not the time to try a new restaurant or an unfamiliar food. Digestive stress on an unusual day can be disastrous.
• Skipping the pre-match meal: Arriving fasted or with low glycogen stores is one of the most common mistakes. Performance noticeably drops in the second set and mental fatigue comes earlier.

Good nutrition is one part of a complete approach to improving your game. To also work on your technique and tactics, check out our guide on how to improve your padel level.