If you mean a tennis player swims/bathes in seawater for about 45 minutes, twice a day, there may be some benefits—but the benefits depend heavily on water temperature, activity level, and whether the player is actually swimming or simply soaking.
Potential benefits for a tennis player
| Benefit | Possible contribution to tennis |
|---|---|
| Cooling the body | Helpful after playing in hot weather and may reduce feelings of overheating |
| Reduced muscle soreness | Can make legs, calves, shoulders and back feel less sore after hard sessions |
| Perceived recovery | Player may feel fresher for the next training session |
| Relaxation | Can reduce physical tension and help the player mentally unwind |
| Low-impact movement | Swimming/walking in water provides gentle movement without heavy joint loading |
| Circulation changes | Water pressure and movement can assist fluid redistribution in the limbs |
| Mental refreshment | Ocean exposure can be psychologically relaxing, potentially helping concentration |
| Recovery between matches | If the water is cool, it may help subjective recovery between demanding sessions |
Research on cold-water immersion suggests it can reduce muscle soreness and improve perceived recovery after strenuous exercise, with some evidence for improved muscular power about 24 hours later.
But 45 minutes is quite different from typical cold-water recovery
This is important.
Most sports-recovery research uses much shorter immersion periods, commonly around 10–15 minutes, particularly when the water is cold.
So I would not assume that 45 minutes in seawater is three times better.
In fact, if the seawater is cold, prolonged exposure can cause excessive cooling and potentially reduce immediate muscle power. A recent systematic review found that cold-water immersion can have temperature- and context-dependent effects, including potentially impairing immediate power output.
What could happen to tennis performance?
For a player who trains or competes frequently:
After tennis → seawater recovery
- ↓ perceived muscle soreness
- ↓ feeling of fatigue
- ↑ subjective recovery
- potentially better readiness the following day
Immediately before tennis → 45-minute cold seawater soak
- Not necessarily beneficial
- muscles may become cold/stiff
- explosive power could temporarily decrease
- reaction and movement quality may suffer
For tennis, that's particularly important because first-step acceleration, split-step explosiveness, lateral movement and serving power require the muscles to be warm and neurologically ready.
If the seawater is warm
The situation is different. Warm-water immersion can be relaxing and may help recovery and sleep, but it shouldn't be viewed as a performance-enhancing treatment by itself. Evidence suggests water-immersion effects depend substantially on temperature, timing and the goal of recovery.
My practical recommendation
If the player wants seawater as part of a tennis-conditioning routine, I'd favor:
After tennis:
10–15 minutes of cool/cold water rather than 45 minutes continuously.
Later in the day:
A longer, comfortable seawater session can be used more for relaxation and gentle movement rather than expecting a major physiological recovery benefit.
Before a match:
Avoid prolonged cold-water immersion. Instead, use a proper dynamic warm-up + movement activation + tennis-specific hitting.
So, two 45-minute seawater sessions aren't likely to produce twice the recovery benefit of shorter exposure. The strongest evidence is for appropriately dosed water immersion, particularly after strenuous exercise, rather than simply spending a long time in the ocean.
If you tell me the seawater temperature (e.g., 25°C, 28°C, 30°C) and whether the player is swimming, walking, or just soaking, I can estimate the likely effect on tennis recovery, stamina, leg power, and next-day performance.
Seawater Recovery for Tennis Players: Health Benefits, Conditioning & Performance
For Talisay, Cebu, seawater is relatively warm. During August, Cebu seawater temperatures are typically around 29–30°C (84–86°F). This means the experience is better classified as warm-water recovery and low-impact conditioning, rather than cold-water therapy.
For a Tennis Player: 45 Minutes × 2
If a tennis player spends 45 minutes in seawater twice per day, potential benefits include:
- Muscle relaxation — Warm water may help the legs, hips, back, shoulders, and other muscles feel less tense.
- Low-impact movement — Walking or swimming in the water provides additional physical activity with less joint impact than running.
- Recovery between tennis sessions — Gentle water activity may help the player feel less fatigued after long matches or intensive training.
- Mental relaxation — A relaxed seawater session can help reduce physical and mental tension after competition.
- Circulation and comfort — Water immersion combined with gentle movement can create a feeling of looseness in the limbs.
- Active recovery — Swimming, water walking, and mobility exercises provide more conditioning value than simply sitting in the water.
- Heat relief — Although 29–30°C seawater is not cold, it can still feel refreshing during Cebu's hot and humid conditions.
Contribution to Tennis Performance
| Area | Potential Benefit |
|---|---|
| Muscle relaxation | ★★★★ |
| Recovery feeling | ★★★★ |
| Joint-friendly conditioning | ★★★★ |
| Flexibility and mobility | ★★★ |
| Mental relaxation | ★★★★ |
| Cardiovascular conditioning | ★★★ if swimming |
| Explosive power | ★★ |
| Direct improvement of tennis strokes | ★ |
| Injury prevention | ★★–★★★ |
The biggest advantage isn't necessarily the seawater itself. It is what the tennis player does during the seawater session.
For example:
10 minutes easy swimming → 15 minutes water walking → 10 minutes mobility exercises → 10 minutes relaxed swimming
This provides considerably more conditioning value than simply sitting in the ocean for 45 minutes.
Twice-Daily Seawater Sessions
For a healthy tennis player, 45 minutes twice daily can be reasonable when the intensity remains low. However, it should not be expected to dramatically increase tennis performance by itself.
A practical schedule could be:
Morning: Tennis training or match → seawater recovery session
Evening: 45-minute easy seawater session → relaxation and recovery
Avoid spending 45 minutes in seawater immediately before a competitive match. The player should have enough time afterward to rehydrate, refuel, warm up, and perform tennis-specific activation exercises.
Hydration Is Important in Cebu
Because Talisay seawater is approximately 29–30°C, a long session can still contribute to heat stress and fluid loss, particularly under Cebu's hot and humid conditions.
The water may feel comfortable while the player is still sweating and losing fluids. Drinking water before and after the session is therefore important.
For a tennis player in Talisay, Cebu, two 45-minute seawater sessions per day can be a useful recovery and low-impact conditioning routine, particularly when the sessions include gentle swimming, water walking, and mobility exercises.
However, seawater sessions should complement—not replace—strength training, tennis-specific conditioning, proper warm-ups, hydration, nutrition, and adequate sleep.
The potential contribution to tennis is primarily through recovery, relaxation, mobility, and additional low-impact conditioning, rather than directly improving tennis strokes or explosive power.