Football is a physically demanding sport. In elite soccer, the number of competitive matches per season can be very high for successful teams, with some players participating in up to 70 competitive games.

Players often run over 10km per match, with high-speed running contributing up to 10% of this distance. In addition, high intensity actions such as changing direction, jumping, shooting, passing, tackling and physical contact further compound on the acute fatigue accumulated towards the end and after each game.

Of course, individual fitness levels, playing style and playing position can all dictate fatigue levels, but research has shown that peak running intensities in Under 15s football (and older age groups) can match those typically encountered in professional football matches.

Fatigue Mechanisms

Energy Depletion

Our bodies use carbohydrates, stored as glycogen in our muscles and liver, to produce the energy we need to perform high intensity actions such as sprinting, jumping and tackling. These glycogen stores are often depleted by the end of a match, hindering the athlete’s ability to perform these high intensity actions.

Dehydration

In hot and humid environments, players can easily lose up to 2% of their body mass in fluid alone, which can contribute to a decrement in performance and thus cause fatigue. However, it is likely that dehydration only plays a limited role in post-match fatigue as the time to rehydrate the body is relatively short (~6 hours).

Muscle Damage

Sprinting, changing direction, jumping and kicking actions performed repetitively can damage our muscles, particularly if we are not used to performing them for a full game. This muscle damage is characterised by soreness, swelling and a temporary decrease in muscle function, variables that can help explain post-match fatigue.

Mental Exertion

Playing soccer requires enormous concentration, as we continuously scan the movement of the ball, teammates and opponents. Over the course of a match, this can lead to mental fatigue, which may in turn affect physical performance.

Time Course Of RECOVERY

After a soccer game, physical performance is impaired and requires several days to fully recover. It is characterised by a decline in maximal muscle strength, sprint and jump performance. Some studies have suggested that these performance measures can be impaired for 72 hours or more, highlighting that the FIFA recommended 2-day recovery time between two successive matches may be insufficient for players to make a full recovery, subsequently increasing injury risk.

Hydration

It’s important to always play a match well hydrated. Sipping on fluids such as water and sport drinks on the day before and in the hours leading up to the match can help avoid excessive dehydration. Furthermore, complete restoration of fluid balance after a match is an important part of the recovery process as the loss internal body fluid can reduce the rate of carbohydrate and protein synthesis, key compounds needed for muscle repair.

Current research advises to replace every litre of fluid lost during a match with 1.5 litres of fluids in the hours after a match. This can be calculated by using a set of scales immediately before a match and immediately after a match (wearing minimal clothing). The difference in weight is what guides fluid intake. 1kg of weight lost requires 1.5-2L of fluid replacement in the hours after your match. The fluids can be various and include water, sports drinks high in sodium (~500-700mg/L of water), juices rich in antioxidants (tart cherry, tomato and berry) and flavoured milk to help replenish energy stores and aid muscle repair. It is recommended to drink a large volume of fluid after the match instead of small quantities gradually. However, a small volume of fluids should be prescribed after this initial large consumption.

Nutrition

Your body needs carbohydrates and protein to replenish depleted energy stores and repair muscle damage incurred during a game. The quantities you should ingest depend on a variety of factors, including your weight and how strenuous the match was. A post-game refuelling should look like this:

15-30 minutes post-match: consume a carbohydrate and protein rich recovery drink (e.g., ~20g milkshake, protein shake, smoothie).
1-hour post-match: Consume your first recovery meal or snack (e.g., Yoghurt).
2-3 hours post-match: Follow up your initial recovery food with another meal or snack rich in carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats (e.g., wrap filled with lean meat and salads).

Sleep

Good sleep is essential for recovery. Sleep loss is associated with reductions in endurance performance, maximal strength and cognitive performance. It also decreases our resistance to respiratory viruses.

Research suggests that 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night is adequate for adults, while adolescents need between 8 to 10 hours. As an athlete, you should aim for the higher end of this scale to get the most benefit out of your sleep.

To maximise your sleep, try following these tips:

Do not go to bed until you are sleepy. Do not stay in bed if you cannot sleep but do something else until you feel sleepy to reduce the amount of time spent awake in bed.

Follow a bedtime routine/ritual such as reading or having a warm bath to prepare your body for bed.
Adopt a regular sleep-wake schedule – aim to get up at the same time every day.
Do not use mobile phones, tablets or laptops in bed. Try to use your bed for sleeping only.
Avoid caffeine (coffee and energy drinks) and alcohol on the day after the match.
Avoid high intensity exercise before bed.
Set up your bedroom to be cool, quiet and dark as possible. Use eyeshades and earplugs if needed.

A poor night’s sleep may be compensated by a short post-lunch nap. Research has found that a nap followed by a 30-minute recovery period improves alertness and aspects of mental and physical performance following partial sleep loss.

Sleep is an essential part of recovery management, as sleep disturbances after a match are common which may negatively impact on the recovery process. Thus, implementing good sleep hygiene is vital for athletic recovery.

Active Recovery

Active recovery is widely popular in football and may help your body recover quicker, although there is no clear evidence to justify its use as it does not improve the recovery of physical performance measures (i.e. jumping, sprinting, strength). This strategy involves running, biking or swimming at low intensities for durations of 15 to 30 minutes. It is best to avoid active recovery immediately after a match, as this might negatively affect our ability to replenish our energy stores. Try completing active recovery sessions on the morning or afternoon following a match.

Ice baths

Ice baths are a controversial topic in sports. It is still unclear how they help to restore players’ performance levels quicker. However, research has shown it provides worthwhile benefits on anaerobic performances and delated onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Most players also report feeling better after using ice baths, which explains why they are so popular.

The following protocol could be used to optimise the effects of cold-water immersion on recovery performance after intense conditioning and pitch based sessions: submerse yourself below waist height in water that is between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius. Aim to stay in for 10-20 minutes but jump out if it becomes too uncomfortable. This should be done immediately after a match or a high-load training session.

Be aware that the use of ice baths can potentially hinder your training adaptations (muscle strength and hypertrophy), so try to avoid them after strength sessions.

Massage

It is sometimes suggested that massage increases blood flow to the muscles which may promote recovery and improve healing from injury. The majority of the evidence points towards massage being effective in alleviating muscle soreness (DOMS), flexibility and improving perceptions of recovery and relaxation without any significant improvements in recovery of performance.

Compression Garments

The principle of compression garments is to increase the pressure on the ankle and to decrease it on the mid-thigh to improve venous return and thus reduce venous stasis in the lower extremities.

The use of compression garments had been shown to have a moderate effect on recovery of muscle strength and power and in reducing the severity of delayed onset muscle soreness. It’s low cost and accessibility also makes it an easy-to-use recovery strategy, especially during long travel where deep vein thrombosis is a risk.

Stretching

Despite its incredible popularity across all levels of football, there is no substantial evidence to suggest that stretching helps reduce muscle soreness or any other markers of fatigue. Stretching may still be utilised to train flexibility and range of motion.