Padel, a new passion or a dangerous addiction?

Le paddle, this racket sport, a hybrid between tennis and squash, is experiencing a meteoric rise in France and around the world. With its simple rules, its accessibility and its friendly atmosphere, it attracts an ever-widening audience, from amateurs to fierce competitors. But behind this growing popularity looms a worrying shadow: the risk ofaddiction, or bigorexia, a well-known phenomenon in the world of sport, but still little addressed in the context of the paddle. From medical observations reported in a journal article Le Monde, player testimonials, as well as data from the field of health needs, let's explore the dangers potential of this new passion.

Padel, a sport with high addictive potential

Le paddle, by its playful and intense nature, can quickly become a obsession. As a newspaper article points out Le Monde on'addiction au sport, the phenomenon of bigorexia - or addiction withphysical exercise – is increasing, particularly among younger people, under the combined effect of pressure from Social Media and the growing supply ofsports. The paddle, with its short but intense matches, stimulates the release of neurotransmitters such as Dopamine and endorphin, hormones of pleasure and well-being, which can quickly create a addiction psychological and physical. This mechanism is similar to that observed in other disciplines, notably sports endurance, where the search for thrills and immediate rewards can turn a healthy practice into compulsive behavior.

"The paddle, it's a sport which can quickly become obsessive ", confides Julien, 32, a regular player in a Parisian club. "At the beginning, I played once a week for fun, with friends. Today, I am on the padel courts every day, sometimes twice a day. If I miss a session, I feel irritable, anxious, and deprived. I've even canceled family dinners so as not to miss a padel tournament local." This kind of testimony illustrates well how the paddle, initially practiced for leisure, can become an imperative necessity, to the detriment of other aspects of life. If the paddle does not involve the same distances or endurance efforts as cycling or running, its frenetic pace, its competitive aspect and its accessibility – with padel courts available at all hours – can lead to similar behaviors. We are even told that approximately 10% regular practitioners of sports racket show signs of addiction, a figure that reflects the potential scale of the problem in the paddle.

The dangers of padel addiction

Dr. Michaël Bisch, head of the department ofaddiction at the psychotherapeutic center in Nancy, details in a newspaper article Le Monde the criteria of the bigorexia : "the need to continually increase duration, frequency or intensity to obtain satisfaction", "the pursuit ofphysical activity despite consequences – injuries, illnesses, psychological suffering » and « the reduction of other activities and interests ». These criteria apply perfectly to the paddle, where the quest for performance can quickly take over from the initial pleasure. Social Media, where players share their exploits, rankings and statistics, exacerbate this pressure. Sophie, 28, a player of paddle in a Lyon club, says: "I started posting my matches on Instagram, and every time I lost, I felt obliged to train even more to prove that I could do better. I ended up playing six days a week, even after a sprained wrist." Like Sophie, some players, obsessed with the idea of climbing the padel rankings or to beat their personal records, come to neglect their professional, social and family life.

The physical risks are also very real. The paddle, although accessible, is a sport demanding activity that places intense stress on the joints, especially the elbows, wrists and knees. Excessive exercise without adequate rest can lead to injury chronic, such as tendinitis, lower back pain or stress fractures. "I saw players from paddle arrive in consultation with injury serious, but who refused to stop, sometimes under painkillers to mask the pain,” reports a doctor from sport questioned about this phenomenon. Furthermore, official data indicates that sports racket, due to their intensity and repetitive nature, are responsible for 20% opportunities, injury musculoskeletal problems in amateur athletes, a figure which increases among compulsive practitioners.

On a psychological level, theaddiction au paddle can have equally dramatic consequences. The pressure of the performance, exacerbated by the culture of “always more” conveyed by the Social Media, can generate stress, anxiety and weakened self-esteem. Some players develop a real obsession for their physical appearance or level of play, which can be aggravated by eating disorders, a common phenomenon in cases of bigorexia. About a third people suffering fromaddiction withphysical exercise also show signs of eating disorders, a comorbidity of particular concern among young players of paddle, sensitive to the injunctions of thinness and performanceMarc, 19, a competitive player in a Bordeaux club, confides: “I started to control my diet in a obsessive to be lighter and faster on the padel courtAt one point, I hardly ate at all, and I felt guilty if I missed a workout.

Support still in its infancy

As for all addiction, the care of the bigorexia linked to paddle requires a multidisciplinary approach. Dr. Michaël Bisch, quoted in the newspaper article Le Monde, explains that "the treatment, a clever cocktail of somatic, psychiatric and physical work, consists of taking charge of the trough, pain and emotion management." As part of the paddle, this could include detraining programs, aimed at relearning moderation and putting pleasure back at the center of the practice, rather than the performance. Of cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBT) can also be used to help players identify and change their thoughts obsessive related to sport. Clara, 35 years old, former compulsive gambler of paddle in Toulouse, shares his experience: "Thanks to psychological support, I learned to reduce my sessions from five to two per week, and to integrate other activities, such as yoga, to regain balance. Today, I play for pleasure, not for performance »

However, as Dr. Bisch points out in the article in Monde, bigorexia is not yet recognized as a disease by theWorld Health Organization (WHO), which limits the structuring of care pathways and a change.. In the meantime, initiatives are emerging, such as those led by the Federal Institute of Addictions behavioral, which works to establish self-assessment questionnaires in medical waiting rooms sport, as reported by the newspaper Le Monde. These tools could be particularly useful in the paddle club, where players, often young, are vulnerable to the messages conveyed by the Social Media and sometimes under pressure from rankingsIn France, associations of a change. opportunities, Addictions behavioral also begins to include the sport (and maybe one day the paddle), in their awareness campaigns, highlighting the risks of excessive practice. According to official recommendations from the WHO and the Ministry of Healthcare, adults should not exceed 150 to 300 minutes byphysical activity moderate per week, or 75 to 150 minutes byactivity intense, to avoid risks of overtraining and exhaustion.

Prevent rather than heal

Faced with the rise of paddle and risks byaddiction that it generates, the a change. is crucial. Dr. Stéphane Prétagut, head of the department ofaddiction from the Nantes University Hospital, underlines in the newspaper article Le Monde that "it is during adolescence that everything is tied up." paddle club, coaches and sports federations have a key role to play in raising awareness among players, especially the youngest, about dangers of excessive practice. Training programs for coaches could be put in place to spot the warning signs of bigorexia : excessive increase in playing hours, social isolation, or even obsession for results. Furthermore, awareness campaigns could encourage players to diversify their physical activity and to integrate rest periods into their schedule, in order to prevent physical and mental exhaustion. In France, the French Tennis Federation, which oversees the development of paddle, has recently integrated awareness modules into well-being players in its coaching training courses, an initiative welcomed by professionals health needs.

In fact in the Professional Purpose Title (TFP) For padel teachers, there are aspects related to the security, public protection and adapted pedagogy, which indirectly contribute to the well-being practitioners by ensuring healthy and safe practice. For example, teachers are trained to supervise players in order to prevent risks physical and psychological, such as overtraining or pressures related to performance.

Finally, it is essential to deconstruct the idea that "the sport, it's necessarily good." As Dr. Prétagut notes in the article in Monde, "it's a bit taboo to say that the sport can do harm." The paddle, despite its many benefits – improved physical condition, strengthening social ties, managing stress – should be practiced in moderation, listening to your body and respecting your limits. Those who practice in a moderate manner (2 to 3 sessions per week) appear to report better life balance and higher overall satisfaction than those who gamble compulsively (more than 5 sessions per week). These data underline the importance of finding a happy medium, particularly in a sport as addictive as the paddle.

A critical reflection on the phenomenon

Beyond the facts, it is appropriate to question the societal factors that fuel this phenomenon. The rise of paddle is part of a broader culture of performance and self-optimization, where the sport becomes a marker of social success. Social Media, by valuing sporting achievements and perfect bodies, play a key role in this dynamic, creating constant pressure to “be better”. This injunction to performance, often internalized from adolescence, can transform a activity healthy in a quest obsessive, where the initial pleasure gives way to constraint. It is therefore crucial to promote a vision of the sport which emphasizes the well-being and conviviality, rather than on the competition at all costs.

Furthermore, it is important not to demonize the paddle or sport in general. The cases ofaddiction, although worrying, remain in the minority. The majority of players paddle practice this sport for pleasure and derive undeniable benefits from it, both physically and mentally. The challenge lies in the early identification of behaviors to risk, in order to prevent passion from turning into addiction. A balanced approach, which values the sport while raising awareness of risks, is therefore essential.

Padel, a pleasure to preserve

Le paddle is a sport formidable, which has won the hearts of millions of players thanks to its accessibility and its playful spirit. But like any physical activity, it can, in some cases, become a prison, transforming pleasure into constraint and passion into obsession. Drawing on the medical observations reported in the newspaper article Le Monde, as well as data from research in health needs, it is possible to prevent these drifts and to guarantee that the paddle remains what it should be: a source of well-being and joy, and not a addiction destructive. So, before you book your next slot on the padel court, ask yourself: are you playing for fun, or to fill a void? The answer could make all the difference.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.