The pectoral muscles of your chest propel your arm forward as you swing your tennis racket. Dehydration or overexertion can cause you to strain a pec while playing tennis. A strained muscle is painful and will prevent you from playing tennis at your highest level. A muscle strain requires time to heal, although timely healing can be encouraged by rest, nutrition and controlling inflammation.
Pectoral Muscles
Your pectoral muscles are located at either side of your chest, attaching to your sternum, or breastbone, at the center and the edge of your chest near your shoulder. The shoulder is rotated forward and towards the center of your chest by your pectoral muscle. This movement generates force when swinging a tennis racket.
Muscle Strains
A strain is an injury to a muscle where the muscle tears as a result of stretching too far. Often, in tennis, this is due to an uncontrolled swing or reaching too far to try to hit a ball. Use the strength of your legs and torso to add strength and mobility to your tennis swing, rather than swinging your arm as a separate part of your body. This places a great deal of strain on your pectoral muscle and may cause a strain.
Recovery
When recovering from a pectoral muscle strain, avoid using the pectoral muscle when possible. Avoid tennis, weightlifting and carrying heavy objects. Place a cold pack on the muscle to help control inflammation within the first few days following a strain. Be sure to eat a healthy diet containing plenty of protein -- a nutrient muscles need to repair themselves. If the strain is severe, worsens or does not improve, see your doctor. A resistant or repeated strain can be a sign of a more severe chest injury.
Prevention
Warm up before an exercise to increase blood flow to your muscles and increase the range of motion of your joints. Maintain hydration throughout physical activity to prevent muscle cramps that can raise the risk of injuries such as strains. Weight training, especially the bench press, can increase the strength of your pectoral muscles, potentially reducing the risk of strains.
