Does tennis cause muscle loss?
Emily Sparks
Published Jan 07, 2026
Tennis, in and of itself does NOT cause one to lose muscle mass.
Does tennis affect muscle growth?
Unique among other sports, tennis is truly a workout for the entire body. Your legs, shoulders, arms, hands, upper back, and lower back all get a good workout. You strengthen your core muscles. Playing tennis regularly is an optimal rigorous strength training routine for your whole body.
Will I lose muscle if I play sports?
The short answer is that yes, as long as you lay things out properly during the week and make the correct adjustments, you can still build muscle effectively even if you are playing sports regularly.
Does tennis slim your legs?
In tennis, athletes squat, sprint, jump and turn -- activities that strengthen the glutes, quads and calves. In addition, tennis is a great way to lose overall body fat; a 150-pound adult will burn approximately 570 calories in a 60-minute doubles game.
Does tennis help muscular strength?
Tennis requires the strength to hit or run to the ball numerous times during the course of a point, game, set or match. Muscular endurance will help your body quickly recover from prolonged points and be ready to perform again with minimal "rest."
34 related questions foundIs it OK to play tennis everyday?
So if you're in good health, and under age 30, you can safely play at a high level 3-4 times per week. If you're between 30-50, 2-3 times per week is a good number. After age 50, you might not want to play competitive tennis more than twice a week, and if you must exceed that number, keep the 3rd match friendly.
Is tennis better than gym?
The results revealed that the tennis players enjoyed a more favourable BMI and displayed better upper body and lower extremity function than the gym-goers who are those not used to holding a racket. Jackson explains: “As we age, we lose muscle mass and we lose bone mineral density over time.
How does tennis change your body?
Whole body workout.
You run across the court, working out your leg muscles. Your core is engaged as you keep your balance while chasing the ball. Your arms provide the power to swing your racket and hit the ball You improve your balance, flexibility, coordination, and agility all in one sport
Does tennis make your arms bigger?
How much does playing tennis affect muscle growth though? I would think a tennis racket isn't strong enough but maybe you can make a lot of gains just from playing tennis. It's noticeable, but really not a big deal. Your dominant arm will of course be bigger, if you don't workout your non-dominant arm.
Does tennis tone your arms?
Even if you play tennis for a couple of hours every week, you will be able to tone every inch of your arms, including your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms.
Is it easier to regain muscle?
In the context of working out, muscle memory describes the phenomenon of muscle fibers regaining size and strength faster than gaining them in the first place. In other words, it refers to the fact that it's much easier to regain lost muscle and strength than it is to build muscle and strength from scratch.
How long does it take to regain muscle?
It could be two weeks, or more gradually, over the course of a few months, depending on what kind of shape you were in to begin with. For runners, it is usually a slower process, because their muscles take longer to atrophy than those of weightlifters and bulkier types.
How do I stop losing muscle mass?
Here are five ways to maintain muscle mass as you age:
- Eat protein. The body breaks down protein-rich foods into amino acids, which it uses to build muscle. ...
- Resistance train. A consistent strength training routine builds muscle mass. ...
- Increase Your Omega-3s. ...
- Check your vitamin D levels. ...
- Walk.
Do tennis players use weights?
Although not all tennis players appear overtly muscular, they will all be lifting weights to develop the kind of strength they need. Weightlifting is an essential part of tennis training. Weights can be used to help build an appropriate degree of strength in several key muscle groups.
Does tennis make your legs bigger?
No way to get "muscled" in the upper body from tennis, except mabe your forearm as you are exerting significant force there for the size of the muscle. You can increase the legs because at least you are lifting your body weight on groundstrokes and serves, and in running to the ball.
Do tennis players have broad shoulders?
A lean, muscular physique with strong legs, broad shoulders and back, thanks to the explosive power used to dash around the court, volleying and serving. Tennis is a mostly aerobic activity with short, sharp bouts of anaerobic activity (such as very fast net volleying, which wouldn't be sustainable for long periods).
Does tennis make you skinny?
As per research, women can burn up to 300 to 500 calories per hour by performing cardio tennis, while men can burn twice the calories. Apart from losing weight and toning your body, playing tennis also improves hand-eye coordination, improves bone density and increases flexibility.
How do you fix muscle imbalance in tennis?
Perform each exercise back to back for the prescribed time and reps:
- Static Squat: Hold 30-45 seconds, 5 reps.
- Resistance Bands Sidesteps: 10 steps, each side.
- Bridge: Hold 10 seconds, 8 reps.
- Knees to Chest Stretch: Hold 15 seconds, 3 reps.
- Side Lying Clam Shell: Hold 15-30 seconds, 5 reps per side.
What muscles does tennis exercise?
Due to the swinging of the racket, tennis is often thought of as an upper-body sport, but your leg muscles, including your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves, are doing most of the work out on the court.
What are the disadvantages of tennis?
Disadvantages of Tennis
- Potential for serious injuries.
- Tennis equipment can be costly.
- Not a team sport.
- Tennis cannot be played alone.
- Lack of tennis courts.
- Tennis takes some time to learn.
- Motivation might be a problem.
- Tennis may be time-consuming.
Is tennis the healthiest sport?
After tracking more than 8,500 people for over 25 years, the data showcased that seven sports contributed to increased life expectancy for active participants compared to sedentary peers. Tennis was not only included in the seven sports that contribute to a healthier life, but it came in on top.
Is tennis the best exercise?
Tennis is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that improves muscular strength, endurance, balance, coordination, and agility. Since you need a partner to play a match, it can also increase social interactions. Plus, tennis is a sport you can play at any age.
Is cycling better than tennis?
Cycling's great for aerobic fitness, but almost any form of cycling is classified as an endurance-sport (even a half-hour ride is still very endurance based). Tennis, on the other hand, is very stop-start, very based on short sprints, stops, and direction changes (as you say, agility).
Is tennis hard on your body?
Tennis is a sport that puts a lot of stress on your muscles and joints, particularly if you are playing on hard courts. When you take time off and you are not performing the very specific movements that tennis possesses, it is highly likely that your muscles, and even joints will be sore once you return.
Is running or tennis better?
Calories Burned
According to the Mayo Clinic, a singles tennis match burns 584 calories for a 160-pound person, while high-impact aerobics burns 533 during that same time. Tennis also provides a longer post-workout calorie burn.