Objective To determine the physiological demands as well as the structural characteristics of the competitive practice of paddle tennis. Equipment and methods A total of 12 top level male players (age, mean ± standard deviation: 16.57 ± 1.51 years) participated in the study. Twenty-four hours before paddle tennis competition, subjects performed a graded exercise test on a treadmill to determine maximal oxygen uptake, second ventilatory threshold, and maximal heart rate. Total time of game, in-play-time, and out-of-play-time were registered in 12 simulated paddle tennis matches, recording also the frequency and typology of the strokes performed by the analyzed subjects. In addition, oxygen uptake and heart rate values were continuously obtained during the competitive effort. Results Mean oxygen uptake values measured during paddle tennis competition reached values below 50% of maximal oxygen uptake assessed in treadmill test, whereas the mean value for heart rate during the matches represented approximately a 74% maximal heart rate reached in the same laboratory test. On the other hand, in-play-time:out-of-play-time ratio was 1:1 s, being the direct strokes, and especially the volley, those which showed higher frequency scores.
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