Padel Cardio TrainingBuild the Engine Your Game Demands

The Padel Energy System Profile

Understanding the 70/30 aerobic-anaerobic split is the single most important thing you can know about padel fitness.

Why padel is mostly aerobic

A match of padel typically lasts 60 to 90 minutes. Even though individual points are explosive and short, the total work — including all the time between points, changeovers, and longer rallies — is predominantly aerobic. Research on racket sports consistently shows that 65 to 75% of the total energy expenditure in a match comes from the aerobic pathway. This means your heart rate stays elevated throughout the match, your muscles continuously oxidise fuel between bursts, and your capacity to recover between points is dictated almost entirely by aerobic fitness. A well-developed aerobic base is what keeps you mentally sharp and physically responsive in the third set when your opponent is wilting.

The practical implication is significant: if you skip aerobic training and only focus on explosive drills, you are neglecting the system that determines your overall match endurance. A poor aerobic base means slow recovery between points, elevated heart rate during what should be rest periods, and accelerated fatigue from the second set onwards.

The anaerobic contribution: explosive rallies and first-step bursts

The remaining 25 to 30% of energy comes from anaerobic pathways — specifically the phosphocreatine (PCr) system for very short explosive actions (under 6 seconds) and the glycolytic system for sustained high-intensity efforts lasting 10 to 30 seconds. In padel, this covers the first-step acceleration to reach a ball, the explosive overhead smash, the defensive sprint into the corner, and the sustained high-intensity rally that exceeds 10 shots. These are the moments where matches are won and lost. The player with better anaerobic capacity can produce maximal force and speed even when already fatigued from the aerobic demands of a long match.

Training the anaerobic system in isolation — doing only sprints and nothing else — misses the point entirely. The anaerobic system works on top of the aerobic base. If your aerobic base is weak, you will be in an anaerobic state for actions that should be aerobically manageable, depleting your explosive reserves prematurely. The goal is a dominant aerobic base with a sharp anaerobic peak layered on top.

VO2max and Why It Matters for Padel

What VO2max actually represents

VO2max is the maximum volume of oxygen your body can use per minute per kilogram of bodyweight. It is the ceiling of your aerobic engine. The higher your VO2max, the faster and more efficiently your muscles can produce energy aerobically. For padel players, a higher VO2max directly translates to faster recovery between points, a lower steady-state heart rate during play, and the ability to sustain high-intensity effort for longer without crossing into unsustainable anaerobic territory.

Elite padel players have estimated VO2max values comparable to other racket sport athletes — typically in the 50 to 60 ml/kg/min range for competitive players. Recreational players often sit significantly lower. The good news is that VO2max is highly trainable, particularly in players who have not previously done structured cardio work. Consistent aerobic training over 8 to 12 weeks can produce meaningful improvements in even moderately fit recreational players.

How to improve VO2max for padel

The most effective method for improving VO2max is working at intensities close to your current aerobic ceiling — roughly 85 to 95% of your maximum heart rate. This is where long intervals and HIIT protocols come in. Short, intensive efforts with controlled recovery stress the aerobic system enough to stimulate adaptation without creating excessive fatigue that prevents recovery between padel sessions. Two dedicated sessions per week targeting this intensity zone are sufficient to drive meaningful VO2max improvement in most recreational to intermediate players.

Off-Court Cardio: Cycling, Rowing, and Sprints

Cycling: the best low-impact aerobic base builder

Cycling — whether stationary or on the road — is the single best off-court cardio tool for padel players because it loads the cardiovascular system heavily while creating essentially zero impact stress on the ankles, knees, and hips. Padel itself is high-impact, so adding more running-based cardio risks accumulating joint stress that slows recovery. Cycling allows you to do two to three cardio sessions per week without adding meaningful impact volume to your joints. For aerobic base building, steady-state cycling at 65 to 75% of max heart rate for 30 to 45 minutes two to three times per week is highly effective and easy to fit around a padel schedule.

Rowing: full-body aerobic power with a padel bonus

Rowing is the most comprehensive aerobic training tool available: it loads the legs, core, and upper body simultaneously, and the pulling motion engages the posterior chain in a way that cycling does not. For padel players, this has an additional benefit — the rotational core and pulling mechanics of rowing directly support the muscular patterns used in defensive shots and overhead plays. Use rowing for moderate-intensity aerobic work (20 to 30 minutes at 70 to 80% max heart rate) or for HIIT intervals (500m sprint, 90 seconds rest, repeat 6 to 8 times).

Sprints: the anaerobic sharpener

Short flat sprints of 20 to 40 metres specifically train the phosphocreatine system — the energy pathway for your explosive first step in padel. Sprint training is best done on a track or grass to minimise injury risk. Use resisted sprints with a resistance band for additional first-step training stimulus. Keep sprint sessions short: 8 to 10 efforts of 20 to 30 metres, full recovery (60 to 90 seconds) between each effort, no more than once per week. Sprint training is high-intensity and should be done early in a session when the nervous system is fresh.