Recovery methods

Football matches place considerable demands on all of the body's physiological systems. In addition to these demands, it is not uncommon for mental fatigue to occur following a match; however, the effects of mental fatigue are probably more susceptible to modification by the outcome of the match when compared to the physical effects of a game. With the integrity of so many of the body's systems being compromised by match-play, and the fact that some teams may have two or three matches and possibly an equal number of training sessions within a seven day period, the rate of recovery between successive matches is becoming acknowledged as an increasingly important determinant of subsequent performance. Additionally, insufficient recovery before a successive bout of exercise, be it either training or another match, can increase the chances of injury.

 "the rate of recovery between successive matches is becoming acknowledged as an increasingly important determinant of performance"

The sport of football requires considerable muscular involvement from stretch-shortening actions; examples of which are turns, decelerations and rapid changes of direction. These aspects of the game are associated with muscular actions that are known as being eccentric. For those who have never come across terms relating to the modes of muscular force production; there are essentially three types: concentric, eccentric and isometric. The different definitions relate to the different characteristics of the muscle as it produces force; briefly, concentric muscle actions produce force as the muscle length shortens (i.e., a bicep curl when the bicep shortens as the weight is lifted), eccentric muscle actions produce force as the muscle lengthens (i.e., similar to walking down a flight of stairs), whereas isometric muscle actions produce force without a change in muscle length (i.e., pushing against an immovable object, force is still being produced but muscle length isn't changing). It is the eccentric actions that are associated with muscular pain in the 24-48 hours following them being performed; a phenomenon known as delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS). 

 "turns, decelerations and rapid changes of direction are associated with muscular pain in the 24-48 hours after them being performed."

The causes of DOMS are unclear; however the severity of effects are governed by the number of prior bouts of eccentric muscle actions; known as the repeated bout effect, where even one bout of eccentric exercise has protective effects from muscle injury. Full recovery may take several days and squads that do not have the luxury of being able to rotate players may find that the failure to recover from previous training or matches may compromise performance. Strategies that increase the speed of recovery from DOMS and that are employed throughout the competitive phase of a season play a role in all sports, but even more so in football. 

Scientific studies have found that training whilst still suffering from DOMS reduces the quality of subsequent muscular performances, a statement which will not surprise anyone who has tried to train using the same body part that was previously exercised using new methods that include eccentric muscle actions. Recognising the demands of the playing season, a number of physical and nutritional recovery strategies have been investigated in team sports players. Some of the most common methods include…

Active recovery: Low intensity exercise designed to increase blood flow to previously exercised muscles allowing for a "pumping" of substances out of the cells that are detrimental to performance.

Contrast water therapy: Repeated cycles of immersion or exposure of body parts to water of contrasting temperatures (hot or cold) in attempts to cause changes in the diameter of blood vessels and cause the "pumping" effect explained in active recovery without using further energy.

Cryotherapy (Ice baths): Exposing the body, or parts of the body, to cold to reduce the negative effects of soft-tissue damage.

Compression garments: The use of garments of specific fibre composition (not to be confused with sports clothing relating to temperature manipulation) that facilitate recovery from exercise.

Hydro-nutritional regimes: The use of specific hydration strategies and nutritional practices that aim to optimise the restoration of fluid and energy deficits that were incurred during a game by altering the timing and type of post-exercise fluid and nutrient provision to enhance subsequent exercise performance.

It is important to note that specific scientific strategies are employed in each and every one of these methods in a manner that ensures that recovery time is reduced when compared to normal rest.  Here at scientific-football.com we regularly cycle selected recovery strategies (such as those mentioned above but also additional methods) to optimise muscular adaptation in the stages of the season when adaptations are required but in a manner that also facilitates enhanced preparation for exercise when demands on players are high. 

For more information concerning the specific usage of recovery strategies over the course of the playing season (i.e., when to use? how to use? and how long for? etc) please contact scientific-football.com using the email address provided in the contact us page.