[Archived] Sports Science questions and answers

[Majiball]

Greetings one and all,

As I'm sure you've all noticed BRFCS has under gone some changes recently that will hopefully long term make this the premier Rovers Website. One of the sections that will be included is a sports science section and this is the reason I write. I hope to help out BRFCS by producing once a month or so a document based on the latest science to resolve any issues members on here may have. Previously I have helped a couple of people out on the forum with sports science issues and I was hoping people on here had more Q's? So I ask you guys to post in here any issues you may have with your sports that I can help with, I will choose a question once a month and the topic I post will cover said question.

Your questions can be on anything for example 'I want to lose weight' to 'learning within football' it's completely up to you. The internet is riddled with websites that say do this and do that in reference to science and most of it's not the best advice I have read and most of it is about 10-15 out of date. So if you take sport seriously, coaching, strength training or you just want to make it through 5 a side I can most likely help. So have a think and let me know if there's anything you guys want to know either by posting here or PM if it's embarrassing.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your questions.

[Presty On Tour]

I did a ND two year course studying Sports Science in college and it was very enjoyable.

One thing I have never cracked though is how to weight gain with a fast metabolism?

I've seen doctors, tried several diets, gym, swimming and supplements. Nothing works, i'm 5'9 and 11 stone and more ripped than paper going through a shreader.

I eat like a horse, at least 4 meals a day and can put it away no problem due to a good appetite. I can drink like a fish in the pub and you would think all the calories would help a little. Apparently your metabolism slows down as you age but no sign yet.

[Kelbo]

You would be interested in the Stuart Metcalfe story then, he couldnt put weight on when he was at Rovers despite two large steaks per day, look at him now though and it appears the steaks are now working

[Iceman]

i had this problem, fast metabolism etc. I solved that problem by getting married

[Seggie]

I did a ND two year course studying Sports Science in college and it was very enjoyable.

One thing I have never cracked though is how to weight gain with a fast metabolism?

I've seen doctors, tried several diets, gym, swimming and supplements. Nothing works, i'm 5'9 and 11 stone and more ripped than paper going through a shreader.

I eat like a horse, at least 4 meals a day and can put it away no problem due to a good appetite. I can drink like a fish in the pub and you would think all the calories would help a little. Apparently your metabolism slows down as you age but no sign yet.

Stupid phone, I wanted to respond to this but it wouldnt let me go under the quote.

I have exactly the same problem. I'm 30 this year and nothing I do works.

[Blueandwhitemike]

Been meaning to ask you for ages about pre match warm ups... You mentioned, I think under Ince ours were terrible... I play regularly but we don't do much, certainly nothing good.

p.s. Are Kean's any good? Isn't he meant to be an excellent coach.

[greco]

majiball ive read a number of your posts and seem to remember, that you once upon a time mentioned, working in the football industry and at youth level.. Or am i completely wrong.?

But my question relates to youth development and how the countries go about it. It would be awesome, to get a bit more detailed info about this matter.

so lets get the ball rolling..

youve probable been to numerous countries or worked close with different nationalities, so which youth setup impressed you the most..? (lets stick to the top tier football nations, otherwise it might be too much of a hazzle. (spain, italy, france, holland, germany, england, portugal, argentina, brazil and denmark ;-)

maybe you know about up and coming nations, who have altered their setups, so it better suits youth development..?

perhaps you could clarify, some of the differences in methods, they apply..?

and

how do you see the future unfold, when it comes to setting up a real effective youth system.?

[Exiled in Toronto]

What is the scientific basis behind the phenomenon known as 'his legs have gone'?

[bennyboyt11]

Cracking idea.

On a match day, what would your immediate treatment be for a knock/twist on the joints? I always insist on the RICE method but does a 'freezing' spray do the trick for the time being, to reduce blood flow?

Also, I also would like to hear about match warm ups.

[Torgeir]

Perfect timing for this, good stuff Majiball! I'm also interested in this subject so I might have the answer to this myself - but I'll ask anyway:

I played a game of football last Tuesday and noticed while playing that I got a knock on my right calf, or at least I thought it was a knock. Turns out I've torn some muscle fiber as I experienced quite a lot of bleeding and swelling. I finished the game but the same night, and the morning after, I could hardly walk. It still swells up and I've been to training twice since suffering the injury, though not training full throttle.

How long will this normally take to recover? 4-8 weeks?

Will wearing a compression sock for 8-12 hours a day help the process?

Will training and playing more games make it worse, or keep it from healing? I feel like I can play, but probably at around 75-80% only.

Cycling/swimming the best form of training to help speed up recovery?

Any help would be appreciated, looking to be back asap. Thanks :)

[thenodrog]

I did a ND two year course studying Sports Science in college and it was very enjoyable.

One thing I have never cracked though is how to weight gain with a fast metabolism?

I've seen doctors, tried several diets, gym, swimming and supplements. Nothing works, i'm 5'9 and 11 stone and more ripped than paper going through a shreader.

I eat like a horse, at least 4 meals a day and can put it away no problem due to a good appetite. I can drink like a fish in the pub and you would think all the calories would help a little. Apparently your metabolism slows down as you age but no sign yet.

You are barking up the wrong tree Presty. It's the sport thats cocking up your plans to be a right fat batsrde! You should give it up.

btw Maj. My golfing mate is severely troubled with ring sting. He tells me that at times his arse resembles that of a baboon is season. What's the best treatment?

[Guest roverite1991]

How do I complete a successful back heel without immediately gifting the opposition possession?

Regards,

Bert Remtone

[Majiball]

Firstly thanks for all the replys, there's a nice variety so that's great.

I did a ND two year course studying Sports Science in college and it was very enjoyable.

One thing I have never cracked though is how to weight gain with a fast metabolism?

I've seen doctors, tried several diets, gym, swimming and supplements. Nothing works, i'm 5'9 and 11 stone and more ripped than paper going through a shreader.

I eat like a horse, at least 4 meals a day and can put it away no problem due to a good appetite. I can drink like a fish in the pub and you would think all the calories would help a little. Apparently your metabolism slows down as you age but no sign yet.

When you say weight I assume you mean muscle and not body fat? If your already training frequently IE 3-4 times a week then yes I can help. But this is a nutritional issue in the main and most likely some small changes to how you train added in as well, so you'd need to be disciplined as it's going to involve counting grams of what you eat IE protein, all food have labels and I can provide you with plenty of info on regular everyday foods as can the web. So if your willing so am I, let me know.

Stupid phone, I wanted to respond to this but it wouldnt let me go under the quote.

I have exactly the same problem. I'm 30 this year and nothing I do works.

See above, chap.

Been meaning to ask you for ages about pre match warm ups... You mentioned, I think under Ince ours were terrible... I play regularly but we don't do much, certainly nothing good.

p.s. Are Kean's any good? Isn't he meant to be an excellent coach.

If you want a pre-match warm-up no problems, let me what sort of standard you play so I can provide you with appropriate routines times etc. I'm happy to go in detail IE stetches, type duration etc, up to you.

majiball ive read a number of your posts and seem to remember, that you once upon a time mentioned, working in the football industry and at youth level.. Or am i completely wrong.?

But my question relates to youth development and how the countries go about it. It would be awesome, to get a bit more detailed info about this matter.

so lets get the ball rolling..

youve probable been to numerous countries or worked close with different nationalities, so which youth setup impressed you the most..? (lets stick to the top tier football nations, otherwise it might be too much of a hazzle. (spain, italy, france, holland, germany, england, portugal, argentina, brazil and denmark ;-)

maybe you know about up and coming nations, who have altered their setups, so it better suits youth development..?

perhaps you could clarify, some of the differences in methods, they apply..?

and

how do you see the future unfold, when it comes to setting up a real effective youth system.?

Yes I do work in youth football and this is an area my university is very interested in and has done serious research into what they all do at what ages, what type of training, No. of matches etc etc etc. Who makes it, who fails and so on, so yes I can do that and I can even provide details on the overall structure of the sessions.

However this is an area I am knowledgable in but not an expert so I'd want to read several journals first to garner collect all the info I will need. But personally theirs only one winner in the countries you name and it's Brazil, but population helps them, but they always produced quality players.

I'll put something together over the coming weeks for you.

Cracking idea.

On a match day, what would your immediate treatment be for a knock/twist on the joints? I always insist on the RICE method but does a 'freezing' spray do the trick for the time being, to reduce blood flow?

Also, I also would like to hear about match warm ups.

My immediate treatment would be to get back on the pitch and give the bar steward who knocked my knee a piece of his own medicine. Seriously I would just use RICE, but if being honest although I study and research physiology I know the square of bugger all about fixing the body. I'm sure TGM could shed some more light on this?

On the warm-up front no problem, please send me details as requested for the previous poster and I'll do it together.

hope that's alright.

btw Maj. My golfing mate is severely troubled with ring sting. He tells me that at times his arse resembles that of a baboon is season. What's the best treatment?

Tell him it's to go back to the spice rack's and to stay away from the martian's.

Bert Remtone,

Sorry mate I've seen you play and if being honest if you want to help the team to victory you'd best get in the stands, LOL.

[RoverRich]

Perfect timing for this, good stuff Majiball! I'm also interested in this subject so I might have the answer to this myself - but I'll ask anyway:

I played a game of football last Tuesday and noticed while playing that I got a knock on my right calf, or at least I thought it was a knock. Turns out I've torn some muscle fiber as I experienced quite a lot of bleeding and swelling. I finished the game but the same night, and the morning after, I could hardly walk. It still swells up and I've been to training twice since suffering the injury, though not training full throttle.

How long will this normally take to recover? 4-8 weeks?

Will wearing a compression sock for 8-12 hours a day help the process?

Will training and playing more games make it worse, or keep it from healing? I feel like I can play, but probably at around 75-80% only.

Cycling/swimming the best form of training to help speed up recovery?

Any help would be appreciated, looking to be back asap. Thanks :)

I may be able to help answer a few questions as I have studied Sports Science and I am a decent level athlete so know a fair bit about the body and various methods to help with injuries, fitness etc. It will be interesting to see some of the answers to the various questions as I know opinions can differ from one person to another. Something that works for one person doesn't always work for another.

I will attempt the questions above and see what people think:

1) If it is a torn calf muscle then it can vary on severity with different grades of tear. You say you are able to play but there has been bleeding which points towards a grade 2 tear. Around 4+ weeks would be a standard recovery for this kind of injury but there are ways to speed up recovery... which I will lead onto.

2) I am a big supporter of compression socks. I wear them frequently during my training and to improve recovery from hard sessions. Compressing the muscle will improve blood flow around the area, increase venous blood return to the heart and help to force out waste products, toxins etc from inside the muscle. An increased blood flow through the muscle will help to repair the damage more quickly and they also help to keep a bit of heat in the muscle. Something as simple as wearing them whilst asleep can be enough to make a difference.

3)Continuing playing will prevent the muscle from healing and more than likely keep on causing more damage. Its a difficult decision to make but sometimes it is best to take a week or so out, do the remedial work and see how it is feeling rather than to keep setting yourself back. Sometimes it is either take 1-2 weeks out now or 4-5 at a later date so its your choice.

4) Cycling is still likely to put strain on the calf muscles as they still have to do work on the pedals. I would advise swimming. It can be done fairly leisurely and doesn't put any stresses or strains on the lower leg but still does enough work to get some exercise in and get the blood flowing around the body. I always swim when injured. The cool water on the site of injury is often a nice touch!

My advice, which I often use for myself following various instructions from others, would be to use the RICE method but adapt it slightly. Use hot and cold treatment where you ice the site to reduce blood flow and reduce swelling then reheat the site to encourage increased blood flow and relieve the pain. Then compress (with the socks maybe) to keep the heat in and keep the blood circulating through the muscle then just keep off your feet with your leg elevated as much as possible. If you are able to touch the site of the tear without too much pain, it may not be a bad idea to get a sports massage/physio. This can help it to heal quicker and reduce risk of suffering a reccurence or a setback.

See what you think... hope it helps! (Sorry Majiball, don't mean to intrude on your idea, just thought I could help out!)

[tashor]

But personally theirs only one winner in the countries you name and it's Brazil, but population helps them, but they always produced quality players.

Brazil has crippled more players than any nation on earth..........

The more bullets you fire the more targets you will find........

Bloods statistics eh ...............................

[Seggie]

Firstly thanks for all the replys, there's a nice variety so that's great.

When you say weight I assume you mean muscle and not body fat? If your already training frequently IE 3-4 times a week then yes I can help. But this is a nutritional issue in the main and most likely some small changes to how you train added in as well, so you'd need to be disciplined as it's going to involve counting grams of what you eat IE protein, all food have labels and I can provide you with plenty of info on regular everyday foods as can the web. So if your willing so am I, let me know.

See above, chap.

It would be interesting to see, I think I need advice on healthy lifestyle full stop. Im also the king of the takeaway and over the last year Ive sadly stopped playing footy and exercising in general due to moving to a new place. I suppose a goal for me would be to be in decent shape to play footy again come September in a team in the UCLAN SU League

[davulsukur]

Any drills/exercises for improving speed in football? I have always thought of shuttle runs, but if you have any others then that would be great.

Also any exercises for calf muscles? I do not have access to a gym, which doesn't help.

Cheers

[Torgeir]

I may be able to help answer a few questions as I have studied Sports Science and I am a decent level athlete so know a fair bit about the body and various methods to help with injuries, fitness etc. It will be interesting to see some of the answers to the various questions as I know opinions can differ from one person to another. Something that works for one person doesn't always work for another.

I will attempt the questions above and see what people think:

1) If it is a torn calf muscle then it can vary on severity with different grades of tear. You say you are able to play but there has been bleeding which points towards a grade 2 tear. Around 4+ weeks would be a standard recovery for this kind of injury but there are ways to speed up recovery... which I will lead onto.

2) I am a big supporter of compression socks. I wear them frequently during my training and to improve recovery from hard sessions. Compressing the muscle will improve blood flow around the area, increase venous blood return to the heart and help to force out waste products, toxins etc from inside the muscle. An increased blood flow through the muscle will help to repair the damage more quickly and they also help to keep a bit of heat in the muscle. Something as simple as wearing them whilst asleep can be enough to make a difference.

3)Continuing playing will prevent the muscle from healing and more than likely keep on causing more damage. Its a difficult decision to make but sometimes it is best to take a week or so out, do the remedial work and see how it is feeling rather than to keep setting yourself back. Sometimes it is either take 1-2 weeks out now or 4-5 at a later date so its your choice.

4) Cycling is still likely to put strain on the calf muscles as they still have to do work on the pedals. I would advise swimming. It can be done fairly leisurely and doesn't put any stresses or strains on the lower leg but still does enough work to get some exercise in and get the blood flowing around the body. I always swim when injured. The cool water on the site of injury is often a nice touch!

My advice, which I often use for myself following various instructions from others, would be to use the RICE method but adapt it slightly. Use hot and cold treatment where you ice the site to reduce blood flow and reduce swelling then reheat the site to encourage increased blood flow and relieve the pain. Then compress (with the socks maybe) to keep the heat in and keep the blood circulating through the muscle then just keep off your feet with your leg elevated as much as possible. If you are able to touch the site of the tear without too much pain, it may not be a bad idea to get a sports massage/physio. This can help it to heal quicker and reduce risk of suffering a reccurence or a setback.

See what you think... hope it helps! (Sorry Majiball, don't mean to intrude on your idea, just thought I could help out!)

Appreciate the help. As suspected it can be aggrevated (was hoping it would just prevent from healing )so I'll see what I do from here - normally don't have a problem playing with a few bruises.

[Majiball]

Any drills/exercises for improving speed in football? I have always thought of shuttle runs, but if you have any others then that would be great.

Also any exercises for calf muscles? I do not have access to a gym, which doesn't help.

Cheers

Not a problem, but when you say speed do you want a higher maximum sprint speed or do you want to able to sprint for a longer duration. Both require different timings etc so I'll do both for ya when it's your turn on the list. Hope that's OK.

Appreciate the help. As suspected it can be aggrevated (was hoping it would just prevent from healing )so I'll see what I do from here - normally don't have a problem playing with a few bruises.

RoverRich no issue mate and sound advice.

What he says seem fine and I'd follow that. Do not be trying to play too soon after a tear, you could do some damage.

Guys just to say:

I do need to make one thing clear although I study physiology I research the 'design' of the human body and how it functions. For things like injuries I am not your man, sorry guys you need a mechanic like TGM.

[davulsukur]

Cheers Majiball, higher maximum speed was what i was after orignally, however might as well have both if its no trouble.

[greco]

majiball

Yes I do work in youth football and this is an area my university is very interested in and has done serious research into what they all do at what ages, what type of training, No. of matches etc etc etc. Who makes it, who fails and so on, so yes I can do that and I can even provide details on the overall structure of the sessions.

However this is an area I am knowledgable in but not an expert so I'd want to read several journals first to garner collect all the info I will need. But personally theirs only one winner in the countries you name and it's Brazil, but population helps them, but they always produced quality players.

I'll put something together over the coming weeks for you.

much appreciated majiball and i must say, this is some task you´ve given yourself, by starting this thread

[Jackson]

btw Maj. My golfing mate is severely troubled with ring sting. He tells me that at times his arse resembles that of a baboon is season. What's the best treatment?

You need to let him play "Daddy" once in a while, Gordon.

[Exiled_Rover]

I did a ND two year course studying Sports Science in college and it was very enjoyable.

One thing I have never cracked though is how to weight gain with a fast metabolism?

I've seen doctors, tried several diets, gym, swimming and supplements. Nothing works, i'm 5'9 and 11 stone and more ripped than paper going through a shreader.

I eat like a horse, at least 4 meals a day and can put it away no problem due to a good appetite. I can drink like a fish in the pub and you would think all the calories would help a little. Apparently your metabolism slows down as you age but no sign yet.

Wait.....you're complaining about this?

[duffbear]

Hopefully someone can answer this.

I injuried my knee about 10 days ago when I was running at full speed and had a clash of knees (similar incident to what happened with Salgado against Bolton)

This was at training in the first 10mins so Sat out for about 5 mins and then ginegerly resumed and after a further 5-10 minutes was able to continue without any furter pain/discomfort.

I have played again about 3 times since and on the first 2 occasions felt ok. On the 3rd time before even playing felt like my knee was going to giveway.

Did the warmup done a couple of small sprints and was able to do it but felt week and felt Like I would fall over. I was able to play an hour feeling like this anyone know what I might have done.

Really need to keep my fitness up without injuring myself as I am playing a charity match at Ewood on the 16th of May any suggestions welcome, thanks.

[thenodrog]

Cheers Majiball, higher maximum speed was what i was after orignally, however might as well have both if its no trouble.

You can't do much about top end speed but I was told by an ex LUFC player that they were instructed that starting off is quicker if you take shorter strides.