Is Tennis An Aerobic Or Anaerobic Sport?

There is no denying that tennis is one of the most physically demanding sports out there. Not only do players need to move all around the court for hours at a time, but they need to execute shots of different varieties to succeed.

Due to how the game is set up, people have a hard time figuring out if tennis should be labeled as an aerobic or anaerobic sport. Cases can be made for both, but does it fall in one category or the other? 

Is tennis an aerobic or anaerobic sport? Tennis is considered an aerobic sport. The points might be short, but the recovery time between points (and overall length of the match) makes it an aerobic sport. The aerobic system of the body produces the energy a player needs to get through long matches.

Why Tennis Is An Aerobic Sport

Tennis is one of the few sports that has no set time. Professional matches can sometimes be over in around an hour, but a close battle can last five hours or more. Simply put, players must be prepared for various lengths, and that relates directly to aerobics.

Oxygen intake is huge in the game of tennis. Watch a match, and players are constantly sucking for wind. Players will take fast, deep breathes in between points and sets to recover. This is all to recover properly, and continue playing at a high level. If a player has neglected endurance training, they are going to be worthless during the later stages of the match.

Players aren’t in constant motion, but many compare tennis to running a long-distance race. That’s because players can end up not only running miles around the court during a match, but their breathing and oxygen intake will be somewhat similar as well. It’s about being able to maintain the body during the match so a player can have a level of consistency.

When tennis players tire, it’s usually in their legs. Tennis players need to specifically do a lot of training to build up the endurance in their legs. This is the base of their entire game. If a player can’t move properly, they can’t get to shots to try them.

It should be noted that tennis players don’t physically need to have the ability to run miles and miles at once. The breathing is where everything is similar. Players are in somewhat constant movement during play, but they speed up significantly when the ball is in play.

Anaerobic Training Is Still Important

For those people who label tennis as an anaerobic sport, they are not entirely wrong. In fact, some people actually believe that anaerobic training is more important than aerobic. The reason why it isn’t is that, for tennis players to properly work on their anaerobic training, they must have their aerobic training squared away.

Playing actual points is very focused on short bursts of energy, which falls under anaerobic training. This is why it’s perfectly normal to see tennis players train at high intensity for short bursts. On the training courts, it’s common to see tennis players work on specific drills, sprints, lifting, and more.

The anaerobic system must be strong to compete at a high level. Every point is like a short burst of energy, or a rep if compared to a gym workout. The only difference is, tennis players could be doing hundreds of reps in a match.

What Would Happen If Players Would Neglect Their Aerobic System?

Consistency would take a huge hit for any tennis player who doesn’t focus on training and developing their aerobic system. They might be able to play well in short spurts, but that’s not going to win a long match.

It would mostly be felt during the breaks between points. Players would have a hard time replacing phosphocreatine stores. That’s why tennis players need a very developed aerobic system before they begin focusing on and aerobics. Having a strong base in aerobics, it will make anaerobic training much more targeted.

At the professional level, the lack of aerobic training becomes apparent in the best-of-five matches. All too often, one player jumps out to an early lead in a match. They seemingly can’t miss, but then they hit a wall. It might not seem like a huge deal, but once the aerobic system starts to break down, players are at the mercy of their opponent. No one wants to be the player who is not in good enough shape to finish out a match strongly.

How To Improve Aerobic Endurance (Outside Of Tennis)

Tennis players end up spending hours and hours on the court every single week. With all that wear and tear on the body, a lot of players, from the recreational level to the pro level, will look to find other ways to work on aerobic endurance.

Alternative training methods can help in a variety of ways. For starters, it helps prevent burnout. Playing too much tennis and only tennis can end up leaving players frustrated. It’s fine to step away from the court and work out in other ways.

It also helps with being a better all-around athlete. By working on other muscles, the body won’t fall into a rut of working out the same way every day. The body starts to become used to a certain activity, and that could leave other body parts underdeveloped.

Running

Running is the easiest, most straightforward way to improve aerobic endurance. It can be done anywhere, and it can be varied up to keep it interesting. Long, steady runs build up aerobic endurance, but shorter interval training works too.

For a more diverse workout to focus on, consider a heavy bag workout or rope skipping. These both give them arms a bit more of a workout, which could be great cross-training for tennis players. It’s easy to get these workouts in at just about any gym as well.

Swimming/Cycling

Finally, some tennis players want to give their feet and legs a rest after playing so much tennis. One of the best ways to do that is to either hop on a bike and cycle or swim. These low-impact exercises work different muscles of the body, and the legs can recover from all that pounding on hard surfaces.

It’s perfectly normal to do any of these activities three times a week or more. It breaks up tennis training a bit, but it helps the tennis game in the long run. For some people, it not only helps physically, but it gives the mind a mental break from solely focusing on tennis as well.

Aerobic or Anaerobic: Training Is a Must

Training is more important than ever before in tennis. Rallies are longer,  balls are hit harder and opponents have better court coverage than ever before. It is truly survival of the fittest on the court, and no one wants to play a match and lose because of fitness.

Remember, great aerobic training can lead to great anaerobic training. Tennis players must be well-rounded athletes, but the aerobic aspect of things is most important to have down first.

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