In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
From the perspective of the fan, the footballer’s last hours before the match are training, the last comments from the coach, and then just going to the pitch and fighting for victory. In practice, there is much more going on before that first whistle. Footballers also have specific limitations. What? Dr. Urszula Zdanowicz – a specialist in sports orthopedics and traumatology from the Carolina Medical Center explains for MedTvoiLokony.
- The League of Nations match is ahead of us, in which Poland will play against Belgium
- In the last hours before the match, our players are supervised by a team of specialists who strictly implement specific plans, including dietary
- The players themselves are responsible not only for physical preparation. They have to obey a few rules in the last moments before the match
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
A specialist in orthopedics and sports traumatology. He specializes in arthroscopic and reconstructive procedures of the knee and ankle joint (ligament reconstruction, cartilage repair, meniscus reconstruction, osteotomies, prostheses) and in soft tissue reconstructions, incl. Achilles tendons. Scientific Director of the Carolina Medical Center. Member of the Faculty McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where he conducts research on tendon regeneration.
Agnieszka Mazur-Puchała, Medonet: Is there anything that players absolutely cannot do before the game?
Dr Urszula Zdanowicz, specialist in sports orthopedics and traumatology: It is a bit like before any major sporting event. They shouldn’t be partying, they shouldn’t be sleepy. Getting enough sleep is absolutely essential. Scientists do not agree whether it should be eight or six hours. The goal is for the person to feel refreshed and relaxed. Motor functions, concentration, resistance to stress and exercise are improved.
Once I read that players are not allowed to have sex before the match. Really?
Many players, especially men, feel that having sex before an important start or match does not help. Especially in strength sports or sports that require a certain level of aggression. For example, Muhamed Ali said he abstained from sex for six weeks before an important fight. However, when we look at dry scientific facts, the answer to this question is not so simple. There is no scientific evidence that pre-competition sex is, from a psychological point of view, bad by definition. And in the case of a highly stressed player, it can even help. As long as the athlete has a chance to get enough sleep at the same time.
It is commonly believed that abstaining from sex raises testosterone levels. It turns out that in the long term, such an action may paradoxically lower it. On the other hand, in women, sexual intercourse creates a mechanism that significantly reduces the perception of pain, which effect may persist for the entire next day. However, it all depends on how that particular athlete reacts to it. For some people who need a lot of focus and concentration, pre-match sex may not be such a good idea.
I still associate the ban on meetings with loved ones, because it is supposed to distract players …
People are different and they react differently. This is also treated individually. It is said, for example, that a doctor should not treat his family. I do it and I don’t have a problem with it, and I’m even glad that they have something I can help them with personally. And here it is similar – I would not call it a rule. You have to see what is helping whom, discuss it with the player. We are now talking about the championship of the highest rank. They are really experienced people, professionals in every way. This is their job. They know what helps and what doesn’t, and usually their families know it too. I can’t imagine a situation where a player would say “I need to see my family” and someone forbids him to do so. These are grown-ups. You can then argue that maybe it just didn’t help, it distracted you, but I think it’s to be worked out individually.
- Find out more: The Polish footballer saved the fan’s life because … he kicked him in the head with a ball
Is there anything else that is crucial before the game?
Football is a sport in which it is difficult to “artificially” cheer. It is a highly technical discipline that requires teamwork. Not much can be improved quickly here. Rather, it is about permanent elements of training. The best clubs have dietitians who arrange the entire diet individually. Including the last meals before the game. Here, on the one hand, we must “supply” the body with enough energy, and on the other hand, not make the player feel heavy and full. They cannot be, for example, simple sugars, because after the initial increase in energy, it is followed by a significant decrease in energy, and even sleepiness.
A lot of emphasis, especially at such high temperatures, is placed on hydration. There are scientific studies suggesting the need to drink up to 3 liters of fluids before a game. Of course, not all at once, but gradually. Additionally, it is irrigated throughout the match. Staying hydrated before exercise is essential. Including the use of isotonic drinks, because together with sweat we also lose electrolytes, which is even more conducive to dehydration. If this balance is maintained, our muscles work better. Even concentration, perception, distance judgment will be much weaker if we are dehydrated.
You cannot introduce new things just before the match, because we do not know, even if the best research is behind it, how a given player will react to it. We do things that are proven, predictable, the kind that have already been tested before the lower tier matches.
There was a lot about the body, so I’ll also ask about the spirit. What does psychological preparation look like before the match?
Players often need psychological support. I know many great sports psychologists who teach athletes relaxation or visualization techniques, where they imagine a sporting event, “work it through” before it even starts. It helps.
In the case of football, the opposing team is also worked out very meticulously. You watch their matches, you see which player is playing. What to expect from him, what techniques they used before. This is the whole tactic arranged by the coach, his team and the entire staff. Everyone must know that “if you cover player x, he will act like that”. They watch these matches, they often remember the players because they have played matches or sparring with them before. It also requires strategic and theoretical preparation. If the team we play with is considered to be the stronger team, then we also need to be encouraged to trust in our strength and set ourselves some goals. For example, someone made a mistake in the previous match. It is said that the expert is the one who has already made all the mistakes. It is not about being punished, but about drawing conclusions. Everyone makes mistakes, also at work. For the players, this is their job. It just happens because there are emotions, but also because some mistakes are unintentional. The last fouls in the first Polish match consisted in someone setting one foot faster than the latter, so the second player fouled him. But it is also the message “OK, you have to work on this motor element”.
- Ronaldo is obsessed with health. What does the doctor say?
We have strikers, defenders, midfielders and goalkeepers on the pitch – do their preparations before the match differ somehow?
Each position on the pitch requires slightly different motor skills. In football, it is all very well worked out by the UEFA and FIFA medical committees. For example, in this particular position, the competitor will mainly perform sprints up to 20 meters. And this is the aspect of players who train and are prepared.
It is worth taking care of your well-being, a healthy diet, active lifestyle and sexual performance.
These elements can be supported with appropriate supplementation. At Medonet Market, you can now order a set of natural dietary supplements that support men’s sexual performance.
Nowadays, every match is meticulously broken down into prime factors. The path taken by the competitor has been analyzed. It really is a huge effort. During such a single match, the player can run up to 20 km in intervals. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. This is a gigantic burden on the body. In addition, coordination, the need for constant concentration, team play – this is what makes this sport really special. The elements of each match are practiced for hours in advance, so that later you can do them a little without thinking, almost automatically. “I am here, you will be there. We play it this way, so I can pass the ball blindly and my friend will be there. ” They know because they have already practiced this element.