Brennan Johnson Injury Update
Brennan Johnson has muscle fatigue.
He should be fully recovered with 3-5 days depending upon how far he pushed himself.
Muscle fatigue is primarily caused by a combination of physiological factors and the demands of football itself.
Some of the key factors contributing to muscle fatigue in footballers include:
Depletion of Energy Stores
Football is an intense sport that requires a significant amount of energy, hence your diet being so important and why Harry Kane employed a personal chef to improve his game.
Muscles primarily rely on glycogen (stored glucose) as a fuel source. Glucose derives from the Greek word for "sweet." It is a type of sugar and I could tell you the diabetic effects of sugar.
I literally fell over yesterday through a lack of sugar and had to crawl on my hands and knees to a packet of sweets and eat to get some into my system. It happened because my insulin levels were too high for the sugar content in my body.
Obviously, if you are depleted of sugar, your energy source, you lack energy.
During a match, players continuously use up glycogen, leading to a decline in available energy and subsequent muscle fatigue.
Tottenham play a high-energy game forcing the opposition to play with high energy too and hopefully causing them fatigue the longer the game goes on.
Lactic Acid Buildup
Intense physical activity, such as sprinting and rapid changes in direction, can lead to the buildup of lactic acid in muscles. Anyone who has done any athletics running will know this. If you start fast, you have to have recovery time and getting sweet drinks into your system can help.
This buildup can result in a burning sensation, muscle cramps, and fatigue, something we see regularly in football.
Solutions include staying hydrated, rest, although this needs to be balanced with workouts. In footballers specifically, you need to decrease the exercise intensity, rest and take deep breaths.
Taking deep breaths gets oxygen in your system so it's something I recommend to people playing sport, even if you feel you don't need to.
A lull in the game, take a few deep breaths, and slowly letting each one out helps to slow your heart rate down too.
Muscle Damage
The repeated muscle contractions, especially during activities like jumping, sprinting, and tackling, can cause microtrauma to muscle fibers.
This can result in muscle soreness and contribute to fatigue. As you know, fatigue is a big contributing factor to muscle injuries.
This is why outfield players can't keep playing every three days because it takes 48 hours of complete rest to fully recover from a game of football at an elite level.
Thus squad rotation is vital.
Dehydration and Electrolyte Imbalance
Sweating is produced during football matches, leading to fluid and electrolyte loss.
Dehydration and imbalances in electrolytes like sodium and potassium can impair muscle function and lead to fatigue and cramping.
Harvard explaisn that bananas are an excellent source of potassium, a vital mineral and electrolyte in the body that carries a small electrical charge. These charges cause nerve cells to send out signals for the heart to beat regularly and muscles to contract.
Central Nervous System Fatigue
The central nervous system plays a crucial role in muscle control and coordination. Prolonged or intense physical activity can lead to central nervous system fatigue, which can affect muscle performance.
Psychological Factors
The mental stress and pressure associated with football can also contribute to muscle fatigue. Anxiety, stress, and exhaustion can impact an athlete's physical performance.
This may sound simple and it's one of my mantras, but when we roll passes gently across the backline, we have allowed the opposition plenty of time to reset themselves without expending too much energy.
If we force the opposition to work faster, the sooner fatigue will set in and the more decisions we make them make, causes mental fatigue.
I appreciate sometimes we are waiting for our players to be set to spring, but this isn't always the case.
Treating Muscle Fatigue
To tseat and manage muscle fatigue in footballers, several strategies can be employed:
Rest and Recovery
Adequate rest is essential to allow muscles to recover. Footballers should have regular rest days and prioritize sleep to promote muscle healing and energy restoration.
Hence why Spurs provide special bedding to players which is mirrored in their assigned room in the Lodge at Hotspur Way.
Hydration and Nutrition
Proper hydration before, during, and after matches is crucial, hence why you see players continually taking on fluid at every opportunity.
Footballers should also maintain a balanced diet to replenish energy stores and support muscle recovery.
Stretching and Warm-up
Stretching before and after matches can help reduce the risk of muscle cramps and soreness, hence the importance of warm-ups and warm-downs.
A thorough warm-up routine can also prepare muscles for the demands of the game.
It's certainly something I found vital. Once you pull a hamstring because you haven't warmed up, you don't do it again.
Massage and Physical Therapy
Massage and other physical therapy techniques can help reduce muscle tension, improve blood flow, and accelerate recovery.
Active Recovery
Light exercise and low-impact activities on rest days can help maintain circulation and promote muscle recovery without overexertion.
Sports Supplements
Some athletes use sports supplements like creatine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to support muscle recovery and reduce fatigue.
However, it's important to consult with a sports nutritionist or healthcare professional before using supplements and checking the banned substances list.
Mental Training
Psychological strategies such as mindfulness, visualization, and stress management techniques can help athletes cope with the mental stress associated with the sport and reduce central nervous system fatigue.
Another of my mantras, again demonstrating why Spurs should be using sports psychologists as a compulsory and essential part of training for all players.
I have discussed visualization mentioning Glenn Hoddle, Pepe and Didier Drogba as three exponents of it and stress management by being able to control your anxiety levels under pressure.
You see, I'm not just a pretty face.
Training and Conditioning
Implementing a well-designed training program that includes strength training, endurance training, and specific drills can help footballers improve their physical fitness and reduce the risk of fatigue during matches.
Final THBN Thoughts
Muscle fatigue is a natural part of sports, complete elimination isn't possible, but management of it is.
Footballers should work closely with coaches, trainers, sports psychologists and medical staff to develop a comprehensive approach to managing and preventing muscle fatigue.
Personally, I think it's an area we could do better in by understanding better the mentality side of football.
COYS
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