It is commonly accepted that warm up activities in soccer are essential for minimizing injuries and improving performance on the field. However, the typical warm up activities used by most soccer coaches are not ideal for achieving these essential goals. This warm up usually includes an initial jog around the soccer field, followed by 10-15 minutes of static stretching, and ending with some skill activity before the training session or game. However, This method of preparing a soccer player for a dynamic sport activity such as training or participating in a match appears to have major physiological limitations

Physiological reasons for a warm up:

The main physiological reasons for a warm up are:

• To increase the core temperature at least one or two degrees Celsius
• To increase heart rate and blood flow to skeletal tissues which improves the efficiency of oxygen uptake and transport, carbon dioxide removal, and removal and breakdown of anaerobic byproducts
• To increase the activation of the Central Nervous System (therefore increasing co-ordination, skill accuracy and reaction time)
• To increase the rate and force of muscle contraction and contractile mechanical efficiency (through increased muscle temperature)
• To increase the suppleness of connective tissue (resulting in less incidence of musculotendonous injuries
• The result of these physiological responses to warm up activities leads to an athlete=s increased ability to perform physical work. This is very important for sports such as soccer which require athletes to perform high intensity bouts of work such as jumping and sprinting. Additionally, the improvement in the nervous system is especially helpful for soccer athletes who are also required to perform high levels of complete body movement.

Limitations of the Typical Soccer Warm up

The major criticism against the typical soccer warm up is that it does not adequately prepare the athletes for the ensuring training and playing demands of the sport of soccer. The reasons for this inadequate preparation are:

• The initial jog which usually consists of slowly jogging forward and in a straight line has a minimal effect on increasing the body temperature of the athlete.
• The static stretches that are performed are usually done slowly with the athlete either standing still or sitting on the ground. It has been shown that this method of stretching is beneficial to increasing limb range of motion, and its main goal is to relax the muscles so
• that they are less resistant to passive stress for stretching. However, this type of passive stretching does not adequately prepare the muscle and connective tissue for the active contraction and relaxation process that occurs in a dynamic soccer training or game situation
• The body loses the increase in temperature gained by the initial jog during the static stretching period especially in cold climates or cold sessions (Autumn and Winter).
• The net result is that the typical soccer warm up can lead to less than optical speed and skill especially at the start of the match. Therefore, the soccer warm-up should be altered in such a way that it meets the dynamic demands of the sport. Accordingly, the aim of the warm up should be the complete physical and mental preparation for dynamic actions to follow. The athlete should be able to begin the game or training session totally ready to perform at maximal intensity if required (Faccioni, 2004).

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Tags: Limitations, muscle, Physiological, Soccer, Warm Up

I recently read a study, which concluded that athletes’ performance , to some extent, directly related to their level of hydration or dehydration. The better the body is hydrated, the better they will be able to keep their performance at a high level and fatigue will also settle in harder than with a person who is suffering from mild or acute dehydration.

Obviously, this is not the only factor that affects performance, but it’s one of those small details that make up a whole. And as a soccer player, you’ll want to take care of each detail in order to ensure that the whole, your performance, is intact by the time the ref blows his starting whistle.

I noticed that a lot of soccer player (especially younger ones) tend to put an equality sign between dehydration and thirst. Although both concepts face the same bodily requirement to replace fluids, thirst is a momentary situation that you can solve with a single drink, whereas dehydration is a chronic state. For example, you’re lacking certain vitamins from your body and you’re hungry. Eating a plateful of chicken wings may settle your hunger, but that doesn’t mean that your vitamin problem will be solved.

There’s such a large gamma of sports drinks out there that it’s quite hard to choose the “right” one for yourself, or for your team if you’re a coach. A good sports drink is one that offers a high amount of carbohydrates and water, but that doesn’t mean that good old H2O can’t be good for proper hydration just by itself.

Sports drinks do have some advantages though: they’re better tasting so they can be drank in larger quantities, they have carbs that can’t be found in simple water and they have glucose which helps with reducing fatigue and muscle tiredness.

Obviously, juices and sodas aren’t the best choice. Anything that has carbonation in it can cause you an aching stomach and that’s the worst you could get in a soccer match. Milk is way too heavy on the stomach and can also cause an upset belly, so it’s best if you think of milk as a source of macronutrients rather than a means of proper hydration.

When should I drink it?

In order to keep your self well hydrated, you need to drink well at least 16 hours before the match, several times during the match and a few hours after it’s over. You can start by drinking plain water a few days prior to the match, at set intervals, even when you’re not particularly thirsty.

You don’t need to hydrate yourself using sports drinks that early on, since the extra carbohydrates you get from them will go to waste. However, it’s a good idea to use a sports drink in your light pre game meal as a source of carb fuel for the upcoming effort.

If the game allows it, try drinking sips of a sports drink during the match as well. Don’t drink too much, or you’ll get a full belly that can hinder you from running or being as mobile. However, short sips can replenish your carbohydrate storage and fluids, keeping you at 100% performance at all times.

After the game, you can hydrate yourself using an inverse method to the one used before it. Right after the match has ended, drinking some carb rich fluid will help you relax and replenish your energies faster, so you won’t feel as tired as you would otherwise. It will also help relax your muscles so you’ll be ready to jump right back into training the next day or the day after.

After you feel you’ve refreshed yourself enough using the carb rich sports drink, you can switch to plain water again, drinking it at set intervals for a couple more days, again, even when you’re not thirsty.

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Tags: Hydration, juices, performance, Soccer, Sports drinks