Fitness & Diet
03 Aug 2008

WHY DO I NEED TO…Warm up and cool down?

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Like it or hate it, here is why you as a player should warm up properly before a match.

The warm up is all about getting you properly prepared, physically and mentally for the game ahead. You're aiming initially to raise your body core temperature, then gradually loosen your various muscle groups to minimise the risk of muscle pulls or strains. During the warm up when the ball is introduced, you're attuning your mind to the movements and reflexes needed during the game. Good pre-match preparation and warm up will assist you as a player to be able to compete to your maximum physical and mental capacity.

WHY DO I NEED TO WARM UP?

A warm-up prepares your body for aerobic exercise by increasing blood flow through your heart, lungs, and other organs, resulting in more oxygen and glucose being delivered to your muscles. This is never more important than in the winter months. When you're exercising in the cold weather, your body temperature is lower, your joints are stiffer and your muscles are tighter, so it's extra important that you warm up and cool down properly.

WHERE DO I START?

So many people make the mistake of warming up in the house with some static stretching, but this is absolutely the wrong approach. Jog or walk for five to ten minutes before your workout to get yourself warm, and then do five to ten minutes of dynamic stretching exercises to reduce stiffness.

WHY MUST I COOL DOWN?

A thorough cool-down prevents the pooling of blood after activity and helps flush out those waste products produced during exercise which can leave you feeling stiff the next day. You need to slow down your heart rate slowly, and bring down your body temperature gradually, as if you are very hot then suddenly stop exercising, your body will find it difficult to regulate its temperature.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

A cool-down should really just be a warm-up in reverse. Slowing down to a light jog, then to a walk is ideal, and you should finish off with some static stretching. This will bring the muscles back to their pre-exercise length, as they will have tightened during exercise, particularly in the cold weather.

ANYTHING ELSE?

If you have an existing injury, it is doubly important to make sure that you warm up and cool down properly, as it is very easy to strain any muscles that have previously been damaged. Make sure that you pay extra attention to the injured area.

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HOW TO…Warm up and cool down

Pre-match warm up - INTRODUCTION

A warm up is intended to raise the body temperature and prepare a player physiologically and psychologically to compete in a competitive game. Research has suggested that the optimum duration of the warm up period, before flexibility or functional activities are undertaken, should be between 15 and 20 minutes. This should consist of a gradual increase in intensity until the player is working at 70% of maximal heart rate. A warm up at this intensity has the effect of allowing an increase in the range of movement of the joints and improving aerobic performance. This means the player becomes more flexible and running efficiency improves.

A warm up produces a 2 to 3 degree rise in body temperature that can last for 45 minutes. This increase in temperature leads to beneficial changes in body tissue:

The heating effect allows muscles and tendons to become more extensible. This makes stretching muscles and tendons easier and more effective. Research has suggested that this decreases the incidence of muscle strains.
There is an increase in blood flow, which means that there is an increase in oxygen to muscle tissue.
There is an increase in the temperature of the blood, which changes the partial pressure of blood gases. This means that more oxygen leaves the blood and enters muscle tissue.
The increase in temperature causes a rise in enzyme and metabolic activity. This improves the efficiency of muscle contraction.
By carrying out functional activities such as sprinting or kicking the ball in the later stages of the warm up, there will be an activation of neural pathways, which speeds up reaction time during a match.
In addition to the physiological effects, the warm up has the effect of preparing the player psychologically by encouraging them to focus on the physical activity to follow.

Pre-match warm up – HOW 2

The warm up should begin approximately 30 minutes before kick-off:

The warm up should begin with 10 minutes of running to increase core and muscle temperature. This should start with easy jogging and build up to 3/4 pace running so that the heart rate is raised to 160bpm (as measured by a heart rate monitor). The players should have a light sweat on at this stage.
5 minutes. Once the body temperature has been raised, static stretches should be performed for all major muscle groups. These should not be painful at all.

Stretches
5 minutes. Following static stretches, the player should actively mimic activities that he may have to carry out in a game - i.e. without a ball, he should go through the actions of side foot passing, high kicking, jumping and heading, squatting and jumping, etc.
10 minutes. Once warmed up and flexible, the players should introduce a football and go through functional activities. These include heading, short and long passing with both feet, running backwards, sideways, skipping, stopping/starting, sprinting, and sprinting and turning.

In addition to this, research suggests that a three-minute post half-time warm up and stretching routine may reduce the occurrence of second half muscle and tendon injuries.
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Post-match cool down - INTRODUCTION

Over the last few seasons’ English football teams have introduced the practice of a cool down at the end of a training session or match. This has been influenced by the increase in foreign coaches and players in this country; cool downs have been practised for many years by European teams, most notably the West German teams of the 1970's and 80's, whose disciplined approach meant that a cool down was essential, especially during tournaments in which games were only a few days apart. Track and field athletes had previously used the cool down in an effort to optimise recovery after activity. Although there is a lack of scientific research on the physiological effects of a cool down, there are several theories on the beneficial effects that justify its use following training sessions and matches.

During training sessions and matches the body's systems are maximally stressed. This leads to an increase in body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. There is also a build-up of waste products (such as creatine kinase and myoglobin) in the muscles. In addition, the body releases hormones such as adrenaline and endorphins into the circulatory system. If an athlete simply stops after exercising, the levels of circulating adrenaline and endorphins are high and this can cause a feeling of restlessness and even a sleepless night. The waste products in muscles are thought to cause tiredness and stiffness, and it is not good for anyone to have a rapid decrease in body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.

For these reasons it is thought that a cool down is beneficial. It allows a gradual decrease in temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, back to resting levels. By gently working the major muscle groups, waste products are actively removed. During the gentle exercise of the cool down the body releases hormones that counter the effects of adrenaline and allow rest and sleep after exercise. Because of the increase in tissue temperature the post-exercise period is an ideal time to stretch and improve or maintain joint range of movement and flexibility.

Players may not feel like doing a cool down after a strenuous game, but they must understand that because of the possible benefits mentioned above it is worth doing. By getting into the habit from an early age, players will be more disciplined about performing a cool down.

Post-match cool down – HOW 2

The cool down is the first part of a player's recovery from intense exercise. After matches and training sessions the ideal cool down should consist of:

5 minutes of easy stretching for all major muscle groups.

Stretches
5 minutes of calisthetic type exercises (alternate toe touching with legs apart; arms straight at chest height swinging to left and right;alternate kicking feet up to waist height; lying on back and cycling legs in the air).
2 minutes of jogging at a slow pace, while kicking arms and legs loose.
Ideally, to improve the scientific basis of the cool down, one of the players should be fitted with a heart rate monitor and a gradual decrease in heart rate from approximately 170 bpm to 100 bpm should be observed.

In the British winter, weather conditions may not be conducive to an effective cool down so it may be desirable to do the stretching and calisthetic exercises whilst indoors, in a gym or back in the dressing room. This will provide more benefit than simply running in out of the snow, or rushing the cool down because it is raining.

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DIET

A good balanced diet will provide the essential nutrients that our body needs to function efficiently.

What does a balanced diet consist of?

Fruit and vegetables, cereals and grains, eggs, meat and fish and milk and dairy products.

When a player plays football, his or her body must start producing energy much faster than when they are resting.

The muscles start to work more strenuously, the heart beats faster, pumping blood around the body quicker and the lungs work much harder. All these processes require extra energy.

There are three main energy components in food that produce energy that will help footballers perform more effectively. They are:

Carbohydrate. Food to fuel muscles - you cannot play without it;

Proteins. These are essential for muscle repair, recovery and muscle recovery after a match;

Fat. A necessary form of energy during periods of high-energy expenditure.

Excellent sources of carbohydrates are rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, breakfast cereals, cakes and soft drinks.

Good sources of protein are meat, poultry, fish and eggs, while milk, butter and other dairy products provide fat.

Eat well 48 hours prior to a match and have at least three meals high in carbohydrates accompanied with fruit and vegetables and plenty to drink.

This is a perfect example of a daily intake in the build-up to a match:

Breakfast: cereal with yoghurt, toast with jam, fruit juice and fruit salad.

Lunch: pasta, vegetables, salad, fruit, wholemeal bread.

Dinner: rice, meat and or fish, potatoes, salad, vegetables.

Snacks: fruit, yoghurt, protein bars.

Your pre-match meal - eaten about three hours before - should consist of something high in carbohydrates, low in fat and fibre, is not bulky and easy to digest.

Foods that are suitable for all levels of player are cereals with low-fat milk, toast or bread with jam or honey, sandwiches or rolls with banana, honey or jam, pasta or rice with a low-fat sauce, a baked potato or fruit. And have plenty to drink.

For players who do not feel like eating make sure they have a carbohydrate, fruit juice, milkshake or sports drink.

Large portions are not recommended because it will make the player feel uncomfortable, possibly leading to an below-par performance.

Arsene Wenger is well known for his scientific approach to feeding his team. When he first went to Arsenal in 1996 he immediately altered menus.

Sugar, red meat, chips, fried food and dairy products were out, while vegetables, fish, chicken and plenty of water were definitely in.

Sports science is changing on a regular basis. We must look at the advances that experts are making, but in the end it is up to the individual coach or player on how and where to use that information.

New Summer Signings
15 Jul 2008

The Buds this week added to their young squad by signing Wayne Antoniazzi and Shane Brewer. Both played their football last season at Pontypridd and Newport County respectively. The Club are excited with these two additions which will make the current squad stronger going into the new campaign.