One of the main characteristics in football nowadays is the increase in actions performed at high speed. Its importance is such that, in most cases, goals and decisive actions are preceded by sprints.
Injuries, specially muscle injuries, are a great concern in sports as they represent the main cause of interruption for athletes.
A training programme planning includes the handling of variables such as exercise selection, training volume and intensity, movement speed, rest interval or the duration of a repetition.
Stadio Olímpico, Rome, in 2009. Manchester United and FC Barcelona are getting ready to play against each other in the Champions League Final.
There are several supplements to improve sports performance. However, only a few of them are scientifically proven to be effective.
Professional basketball is evolving towards playing more matches, reaching up to 90 games per season.
Professional football players have some particular physiological characteristics which allow them to run an average of 10-12 km per match as well as reaching speeds above 30 km/h.
The international tournaments of national teams represent an important change in the players’ regular workload.
Possibly, the most important goal in training is helping the players to develop skills and behaviours to improve their performance during competition.
Exercise-induced muscle damage and the consequent muscle pain, commonly known as ‘stiffness’, conditions our performance.