Abstract

The aim of the present work is to determine the physiological exigencies as well as the structural characteristics of the practice of paddle. A total of 12 top level male players (age, mean ± sd: 16.57 ± 1,51 years) participated in the study. Twenty-four hours before competition, the subjects carried out an incremental test on a treadmill, determining different cardiorespiratory parameters, as the oxygen uptake (VO2) and the heart rate (HR). In competition the total time of game (TT), the real time (TR), and the time of pause (TP) were registered, entering all the shots performed by the analyzed subjects. In addition, the VO2 and HR values were obtained during the competitive effort. The VO2 in competition reached values below 50% of the maximum that those reached in treadmill test, whereas the mean HR represented, approximately, 74% of the maximum HR reached in the same test. On the other hand, ratio TP:TR was  1:0.79 s, existing a predominance of the direct shots being volley the main shot. After the definition of the structural and functional characteristics of paddle competition, these last very similar ones to those of individual tennis. A better design of the training programs of the players is made possible, recommending itself its practice, in addition, to a wide spectrum of the population.