You are What You Eat: The Secret To Great Padel Performance From The Gut
What we need to make sure of before a padel match is that we have enough glycogen reserve. Carb-loading is the term for this procedure. Glycogen reserves are the body’s carbohydrate reserves, and they will assist us in sustaining our energy levels throughout a padel match.
Athletes who exercise for an extended time generate energy via two processes, both of which are aided by oxygen: fat metabolism and glycogen breakdown, followed by glycolysis.
The amount of energy obtained from each source is determined by the intensity of the activity. During strenuous activity that approaches one’s oxygen max, glycogen provides the majority of the energy.
When you run out of glycogen during a match, you are said to have hit “the wall.” As your body converts fat into energy, it must slow down, which may cause shaky legs and fainting feelings.
That is why we must ensure that our glycogen levels are maintained.
Easy-to-digest breakfast choices are tortillas, oats, toast, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, and juice. Many fruits are rich in carbohydrates and high in fiber, and eating too many may induce stomach upset during a match. Bananas are a low-fiber option, and you can decrease the fiber level of apples, peaches, and pears by peeling them.
The main meal should be had 2-4 hours before the match, and we should have carbohydrate-based foods with a high glycemic index. A high glycemic index indicates that carbohydrates are quickly digested.
Don’t listen to the anti-carb propaganda when it comes to keeping in top shape. Carbohydrates are essential, along with a modest quantity of protein and, if feasible, antioxidants.
Try a pasta/rice meal with lean ground turkey meat sauce or a chicken stir-fry with plenty of rice and vegetables. We should aim for 1 to 4g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight, taken 3-4 hours before a padel match.
If you haven’t yet had your entire carbohydrate intake or just feel hungry in the hour before the match, we may eat 30-60g of carbohydrates. If we ate more than that, we risked arriving with a bloated stomach, which would hinder our performance.
Energy bars and fruit, are typical pre-match snacks
Keep in mind that staying hydrated is critical throughout the day of your competition. On game day, keep an eye on the color of your pee. It may seem strange, but you want it in a light lemonade or even transparent tone. When you get into the apple juice colors, your hydration levels are low.
What to Avoid Before Matches
The way you feed your body before a game or practice may still significantly impact performance. Here are some foods to avoid eating as part of a pregame meal:
Stay clear of fatty foods
It may seem simple, yet athletes often fail to avoid high-fat meals. This includes fried meals like French fries, chicken strips, fried chicken, onion rings, and fatty cuts of meat like hamburgers and bacon.
Avoid high-fat meals, such as creamy sauces, cheese, butter, and oils, as well as excessive protein. Both nutrients fill you up quicker than carbohydrates and take longer to digest.
Choose jam instead of butter on your toast, tomato sauce instead of alfredo sauce on your pasta, and frozen yogurt instead of ice cream for dessert.
Don’t go overboard with protein
Typically, protein sounds lovely, and it does play an essential part in a football player’s overall diet, but not in vast amounts before a game. So avoid protein drinks and protein bars. Other sources of pregame protein are available.
Artificial sweeteners
Be cautious with artificial sweeteners. They may disrupt digestion, and the last thing anybody wants during a game is an upset stomach.
What to Eat Following a Padel Match
Following an intensive activity, such as padel training or a padel match, there is a two to three-hour exercise recovery period during which you must be cautious about the meals you consume.
To be more specific, to stimulate HGH release, you must limit your sugar consumption post-exercise. It’s best to have 25 grams of protein after that 30-minute golden window.
A carbohydrate-to-protein ratio of 4:1 is superior for recovery. This is the most excellent approach if you want to recuperate after a heavy match.
On the other hand, if your objective, like most middle-aged individuals and older people, is to optimize growth hormone and get this important hormone circulating for the entire two hours in the surge window for going after body fat (about equivalent to performing exercise for two hours), you need to incorporate carbs in your post-game diet. This way, the hormone somatostatin is released.
To ensure you receive the maximum HGH advantages, avoid carbohydrates, particularly sugar or fructose-containing meals, in the two hours after your exercise, including sports drinks.
Whey protein, on the other hand, appears to be nearly ideal because it is a protein that assimilates quickly and will reach your muscles within 10-15 minutes of swallowing it, supplying your muscles with the right food at the right time to stop the catabolic process in your muscle and shift the process toward repair and growth.
