In this article, we are going to discuss 8 ways footballers recover from a match or a training session. So, let's get started.
Self-Myofascial Release
First and the most common method used by footballers is self-myofascial release therapy.
It is a self-conducted therapy used to massage the muscles and the surrounding fascia by applying pressure to the area, with muscle tightness and knots, by using common tools like Foam Rollers and Roller Massagers.
The pressure applied helps to improve blood circulation in these areas, which results in:
Faster Repair and Recovery.
Thus, preventing injuries.
It is particularly useful during the season to cope up with the increased frequency and intensity of training and matches.
There are tons of benefits of Self Myofascial Release
It helps to loosen muscle tension, and painful knots by breaking down the scar tissue.
It Reduces Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) that peaks between 24 to 72 hours.
It also helps to increase flexibility and Range of Motion.
It is particularly beneficial for the muscles of the lower extremities used more by footballers, like the Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Adductors, Glutes, Calves & Hip Flexors.
It can be used before a workout for activating muscles, as it does not overstretch the muscle, and in combination with Active Warmup and Dynamic Stretching as shown in some studies.
And after a Workout for Recovering OR during Rest Days.
Post Workout DOMS window between 24-72 hours is the perfect time for Foam Rolling.
The Procedure of Self Myofascial Release
Spend 30-60 seconds on each muscle group for 2-3 sets.
Find the problem area with muscle tension and spend some extra time in that area.
This will lead to improved blood flow in that area.
Roll around the problem area from different angles to change the Intensity of Pressure.
Maintain a Strong Core and Posture during Foam Rolling.
Self Myofascial Release Therapy in Footballer's Routine
Almost all footballers and teams use Self-Myofascial Release Therapy as a part of their warm-up routine or as a part of their recovery routine Post Training Sessions or Matches and also during the rest days.
It is also very popular amongst endurance athletes.
Some Important Points to Remember while performing the Self Myofascial Release:
Avoid these mistakes while foam rolling:
Rolling too fast and aggressively.
Rolling out in only one direction.
Rolling fast in the Problem area.
Rolling in Injured area.
Types of Equipment for Self-Myofascial Release:
Foam Roller
Soft- Suitable for Beginners.
Hard-Suitable for more advanced athletes or progressing to hard foam roller in 2-4 weeks of using soft Foam Roller.
Or you can keep the soft foam roller for warmup or rolling in the Non-problem area and a Massage ball for Deep Tissue Massage in problem areas.
Cold Water Immersion
Cold water immersion therapy post-workout involves keeping the body below the neck in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes at a temperature of 10-15 degrees centigrade or 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit.
The temperature should be constantly examined with the thermometer and maintained between 10 to 15 degrees centigrade for the maximum benefit of this therapy.
And the temperature should be higher for beginners and gradually decrease after a few sessions or they can start with cold showers.
Benefits of Cold Water Immersion Therapy
Speed up the healing process.
Prevents delayed onset muscle soreness.
Cools down the body, which is why it is used post-workout and is beneficial in hot and humid conditions.
Relaxes the body and helps to improve sleep quality.
Reduces inflammation.
Reduces the risk of injuries by minimizing fatigue.
Can be beneficial during increased frequency and intensity of training and matches, particularly during the season and off-season.
There may be psychological benefits as athletes simply feel better after an ice bath.
Cold water immersion therapy stimulates the vagus nerve, thereby reducing heart rate and potential stress. This indeed helps you stay calm and face stressful situations more adequately.
An ice bath improves the capacity and functioning of your central nervous system. Better functioning of the central nervous system helps to sleep better and feel better.
Cold water immersion therapy can have antidepressant effects.
It also helps to boost your immune system.
What do scientific studies suggest?
There are conflicting studies on this technique, but this does not disprove any benefits.
There are some benefits shown in these studies.
It can have the same effect as 10 minutes of active recovery.
Cold Water Immersion Therapy in Footballer’s Routine
Most clubs and academies have the facility of an ice bath or cold water immersion therapy and athletes perform this therapy under expert supervision.
It is also popular amongst many footballers and athletes in other sports as well.
Important points to note
It should be performed under expert supervision for maximum benefit and safety.
Avoid if you have any kind of medical conditions like:
high blood pressure,
cardiovascular diseases,
diabetes, type one or type two, or
Disadvantages of Ice Bath
However, there are some disadvantages of cold water immersion therapy as well.
The shock by cold water can result in athletes passing out, resulting in Arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat.
Risk of hypothermia and frostbite, if done for more than 10 to 15 minutes of an ice bath, and can cause severe damage.
People with Raynaud's disease (a condition brought about by cold temperatures) should avoid Cold water Immersion.
Athletes should avoid it if they are not feeling well.
Chronic use of ice baths should also be prevented.
Heat dissipated by the body increases the water temperature. Therefore, the temperature should be maintained by replenishing ice for maximum benefit.
Contrast Bath Therapy
In Contrast bath therapy the body is immersed in both warm and cold Water Alternatively.
This leads blood vessels to alternate between vasodilation (opening of blood vessels) and vasoconstriction (closing of blood vessels) causing a pumping action which in turn helps in improving circulation and bringing oxygenated blood to various parts of the body at a much faster rate.
Benefits of Contrast Bath Therapy
This helps athletes treat pain or soreness to speed up the recovery process,
Increase range of motion and functional mobility,
Faster restoration of strength and power,
Speeding up the rehabilitation process,
Flushing out waste products thereby reduces inflammation, stiffness and discomfort.
Injuries that benefit from contrast bath therapy are those that cause swelling and pain around soft tissue and joints.
The procedure of Contrast Bath Therapy
The procedure of contrast bath therapy CBT requires two tubs;
The first one is a hot water tub. The temperature of this tub is 38 to 40 degrees centigrade or 100 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
The second one is a cold water tub. The temperature of the cold water is 8 to 10 degrees centigrade or 46 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
So the process starts with 2-3 minutes in hot water, followed by one minute in cold water and the cycle is repeated up to 20 minutes consisting of approximately 6 to 7 cycles.
Important Points to Note
If the temperature is too hot or too cold, it can damage the skin.
The temperature should be maintained to get the maximum benefit of contrast bath therapy.
Always consult your doctor before performing this therapy.
Contrast Bath Therapy can be done daily or multiple times a week and should always be performed under expert supervision.
Some training academies and physical therapy centres have contrast bath therapy facilities.
One important point to note here is the gentle motion of the injured areas can be beneficial while performing contrast bath therapy.
What do Scientific studies suggest?
Research supports the use of contrast therapy in decreasing muscle fatigue and in decreasing pain, swelling and lactic acid buildup following intense exercise.
Who should avoid this therapy?
Individuals with any medical condition should avoid it particularly if they are having any of the following conditions;
High blood pressure,
Diabetes,
Cardiovascular diseases and
Open untreated or infected wounds
Stretching
The next method most commonly used by footballers is stretching.
There are three major types of stretching intervention:
Static Stretching
It consists of active and passive stretching.
Active stretching is the process when you actively participate yourself whereas passive stretching is performed using the help of a partner.
Static stretching is usually done after a training session on rest days as a part of a cooldown or recovery routine
Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching is also categorized into two that are active and ballistic.
Dynamic stretching is performed before a training session or a match as a part of a warm-up routine.
Here we are talking about active dynamic stretching and not ballistic dynamic stretching.
As ballistic dynamic stretching requires larger force production which can cause injury to an area during the warm-up routine.
Pre contraction stretching
Pre-contraction stretching is characterized by PNF and other techniques like PIR (Post Isometric Relaxation), PFS (Post Facilitation Stretching) and MET (Muscle Energy Technique).
We will discuss these techniques in some other articles in detail.
Static Stretching
Now we will further study static stretching.
Process of Static Stretching
The process involves the elongation of muscles with the application of low force and long duration usually 30 seconds repeated multiple times.
The greatest change in range of motion occurs between 15 to 30 seconds for two to four sets.
How to maximize the benefits of Stretching?
Stretching intervention should be combined with strengthening, balance and cardiovascular activity for maximum benefits.
Benefits of Stretching
Relaxation and elongation of muscles result in;
Increased Range of Motion (ROM),
Decreased Musculotendinous Stiffness and
Reduced Muscle Strain and Injuries.
Regular stretching over a long run
Induces muscle hypertrophy
Improves force production and performance in athletes
Increases the length of muscular tenderness i.e. increasing the distance between muscle origin and insertion. Example: Hip and knee range of motion determines hamstring length.
What do Scientific studies suggest?
Studies have shown that stretching can help improve flexibility and range of motion in your joints.
Study studies have suggested individualized stretching programs, and
Studies also support stretching in pain management and intervention during stretching intervention during rehabilitation.
Disadvantages of Stretching
There are only a few disadvantages of stretching as static stretching before a workout can lead to detrimental effects on muscle performance. Therefore, it should be avoided before matches as it can result in Stretch Induced Strength Loss. This leads to decreased force production and thereby performance is also decreased, which indeed causes an increased risk of injury.
Active Recovery
The next recovery method we are going to study about is active recovery.
It refers to doing a low-intensity workout to increase the blood flow to the muscles.
More oxygen and more nutrients are delivered to the muscles.
This indeed helps an athlete to recover faster and perform better.
Procedure
It can be done for 5-15 minutes right after a match.
This includes Low-Intensity Exercises within 1 hour after intense activity.
The rate of perceived exertion is 5 or low and is performed usually during the cooldown phase.
And an RPE 5 or low is 50% or less than your maximum effort and it can also be performed for 20 to 40 minutes during rest days.
It gives maximum benefits if followed by static stretching and foam rolling.
It should involve the same muscle that you worked out during the activity.
It should be shorter than 30 minutes to prevent substantial interference with glycogen resynthesis as the goal of this recovery method.
The low-intensity movements that have been performed as a part of an active recovery routine is swimming, cycling, light jogging and walking.
Finding balance is important. Move enough to stimulate blood flow to the problem areas but do it gently enough to allow the muscles to recover.
Periodized training programs include recovery days and even recovery weeks.
It is considered to be a better approach than passive recovery and it is greatly beneficial in improving recovery over a longer period.
If you are the type of guy that does not want to break the habit or chain of working out, it might help to maintain consistency during rest days.
Important Note
But if the player pushes through the limits on rest days and converts low-intensity workouts into high-intensity, resulting in overtraining and thereby nullifying the effects of recovery and making themselves prone to injury.
Overtraining syndrome is seen in 60% of elite athletes and 30% of non-elite athletes.
Avoid if you are injured and instead prefer passive recovery.
Active recovery can be greatly beneficial during the rehabilitation process.
What does the scientific study suggest?
Studies have proved the benefit of active recovery time and again.
Footballer’s Active Recovery Routine
Footballers usually perform low-intensity sessions on a stationary bike or treadmill during an active recovery session.
The heart rate is maintained between 120 to 140 beats per minute.
Or a walk around the neighbourhood during rest days for 20 to 40 minutes can be greatly beneficial.
Active recovery is also beneficial in other endurance sports and athletes like to perform these on rest days.
Many Tour de France athletes do an active recovery session during the rest day and perform a light bike spin for nearly 2 hours.
The Fundamentals of Recovery (Top 3)
The top three in no particular order are:
Nutrition,
Hydration, and
Nutrition
First, we'll discuss nutrition and its importance in recovery.
Benefits of a Structured Nutrition Plan
A structured nutrition plan is important that is personalized to an athlete as it helps the athlete to receive the right amount of energy, macronutrients and micronutrients to support intense training to maintain the highest level of fitness throughout the session that is playing 2-3 matches a week with multiple training sessions in between, to speed up the process of recovery, to improve immunity and to perform consistently at a higher level.
Calorie expenditure during a match
The total energy expenditure during a game is 1800 kilocalories at the highest levels.
At a lower level, it can be less, so, this statement alone can define the importance of nutrition for footballers.
Individualized Nutrition Plan
An individualized nutrition program based on;
The height,
Body fat percentage, and
Position on the field is recommended.
While selecting a diet, keep the following points in your mind.
Choose high-quality food items,
Be consistent with a diet air around the year, and
Have a solid nutritional foundation.
Athletes' energy requirements depend on periodized training and the time of the season they are in and vary from day to day.
A Mediterranean diet or a rainbow diet is recommended.
Variation of Nutritional Requirements for an athlete:
Nutrient requirements for footballers vary according to season or season.
It usually increases during the preseason and is moderate during the season and can be altered by travel fatigue or stress.
Macronutrient Recommendations
The carbohydrate recommendation for an athlete particularly a footballer is 5-8 grams per kilogram of body weight for moderate to intense training intensity and volume and it increases to 8-10 grams per kilogram for high intensity and volume.
The protein requirement for an athlete is 1.2-2 grams per kilogram for moderate intensity and volume of training and matches.
It increases to 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram. For higher intensity and volume of training sessions and matches.
The fat requirement for a footballer is 20 to 30% of the total calorie intake (20% During match days and 30% during days or rest days).
Athletes should consider monitoring their macronutrient requirements along with Hydration. You can use a manual food blog or you can do it digitally using an app called My Fitness Pal.
Hydration
The next important point is hydration.
What is Adequate Hydration?
Adequate hydration means getting the right amount of water before, during and after training sessions exercises or matches.
Adequate hydration helps in thermoregulation, which is the process in which the body sweats to dissipate excess heat so it doesn't overheat.
Hydration Recommendations for Athletes
Hydration requirements increase with training and intensity.
A mere 2% dehydration can reduce almost all the measures of performance, like;
Aerobic Capacity,
Strength and Power,
Speed Agility, and
Reaction Time.
A high-stress environment can lead to stress-induced dehydration.
An individualized hydration strategy is needed due to the variable sweat rate.
It has been observed that most footballers often start practice matches, training sessions or matches in an already dehydrated state.
During the match, the opportunity for hydration is rare.
Therefore, an effective rehydration strategy is required.
FIFA has also passed an advisory for two additional water breaks or cooling breaks when matches are held in a high-stress environment. Preferably after 30 minutes of the first half and 30 minutes of the second out there this 75th minute
You can usually check your dehydration level by looking at the colour of your urine. It's too dark, so you are probably dehydrated.
The benefits of adequate hydration are;
It regulates your body temperature.
It helps to keep you healthy as there is 60% average water present in an adult human male body.
Improves muscle functioning as hydrated muscle performs better than dehydrated once.
It regulates blood pressure, and
Improves circulation which then helps to better transport oxygenated blood and nutrients.
It removes metabolic byproducts and waste from muscles while replacing the water that is lost through sweat.
To maintain adequate hydration drink half to one ounce of water per pound of body weight daily.
I'm inserting a chart below to see your hydration requirements there.
Drink plenty of water leading up to practice which is 17 to 20 ounces.
That is 500 to 600 ML, two to three eyes before you start exercising.
Eight ounces that are 240 ML just before your training starts just before your training or match starts.
Continue taking seven to 10 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes during the chem or training session.
That is equivalent to 200 to 300 ml.
The post-match strategy includes drinking 1.5 litres of fluid for every 1 kilogram of body mass differences.
There are other detailed points about hydration strategy that we will cover in a detailed video regarding hydration for footballers.
Sleep
The next and the most important and also last one is sleep.
Sleep impacts physical health, emotional regulation, cognitive delivery and quality of life.
It is extremely beneficial for athletes.
It assists with rest, recovery and growth.
Adequate sleep helps you to reach new performance goals.
During sleep, the body rejuvenates hormones, like human growth hormone and testosterone.
The muscle and tendons and ligaments repair and regrow the neurotransmitter are replenished.
Sleep Recommendations
8 to 10 hours is recommended. The higher it is the better.
LeBron James once famously said there is no recovery better than sleep
Adequate sleep reduces stress, which indeed reduces cortisol levels that help to improve sleep quality.
Individualized Sleep Strategy
Individualized sleep strategies are implied by clubs which involve;
Diagnosis of athletes sleeping patterns and problems and
Fixing it.
Sleep Optimization for Athletes
Players are recommended to optimize their sleeping environment which involves;
Using blinds or curtains to black out the rooms.
Make it cool and quiet.
Stick to a schedule.
Avoid caffeine six hours before your typical bedtime.
Avoid electronics one to two hours before bedtime as the electronic screen emits blue light which can disturb your circadian rhythm and sleep cycle.
You can also install a yellow light filter and activate it as the sun goes down.
The last point is having a relaxation routine before you go to sleep. That can involve the following points;
Deep breathing techniques,
Warm Bath,
Massage,
Reading and
Journaling.
The Consequences of Inadequate Sleep
Inadequate sleep can result in a constant buzzing brain that is constantly overthinking and stress that is the result of increased cortisol levels.
A study has suggested that players who sleep less than 8 hours a night over 24 months have a 1.7 times greater risk of developing an injury.
For Young Athletes
Sleep becomes extremely important for young athletes since they have to balance school training, diet and social activities.
Sleep Optimization during Traveling
During the competition, travel can interfere with the quality and quantity of your sleep. Getting high-quality sleep becomes ever so important.
Sleep Tracking
Various sleep-tracking devices are also available on the market nowadays like Oura rings, smart bands or smart watches etc., that can provide you with the details of your sleep.
Sleep Summary
Athletes should maintain sleep hygiene that involves recommendation strategies, behaviour and conditions developed to promote quality and duration of sleep and also should optimize sleep during travel.
Summary
In summary, small daily actions can lead to massive results for athletes. consistent daily efforts can lead to a chain reaction.
Try to become at least 1% better every day and by the end of the year, you will be 37 times better. This is a quote from atomic habits by James Clear,
Have a Structured Training, Diet and Recovery Plan and commit to it.
Set attainable SMART goals and increase your range of knowledge.
And if you have any questions or queries, then comment down below.
Thank you very much and make sure to visit the YouTube channel to watch the video.
Comments