Dr. Ayoosh Pareek is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), specializing in sports activities drugs and sophisticated joint reconstruction. His huge expertise of soccer has gained awards and concerned caring for each leisure and elite athletes, having been a group physician for the New York Mets and New York Knicks.
Now specializing in sports activities accidents of the hip, knee, and shoulder, Pareek collaborates intently with energy coaches, trainers, and bodily therapists to assist athletes return to, and preserve peak efficiency safely and effectively. M&F put the pertinent inquiries to him to be able to keep on the sector for longer, and practice off the sector smarter.
Thanks for taking the time, Dr Pareek. In your expertise, how do soccer gamers sometimes practice in another way in the course of the low season, pre-season, and in-season?
Coaching Evolves Considerably Throughout These Phases:
Within the low season, gamers concentrate on restoration and rebuilding—addressing imbalances, regaining energy, and enhancing mobility together with constructing a base for the season both specializing in energy, endurance, explosiveness, or some other aim they might have (and typically a mixture).
Pre-season coaching ramps up depth and introduces extra sport-specific or football-specific drills and conditioning.
In-season coaching emphasizes upkeep and harm prevention greater than something—sustaining energy and conditioning with out overloading the physique. Restoration, harm prevention, and managing the wear-and-tear of weekly video games take precedence throughout this time.
What are a number of the most typical accidents sustained on the soccer area that require restoration within the low season?
Soccer is high-impact and bodily demanding, so we regularly see ACL and meniscal (knee) accidents, shoulder labral tears or dislocations, however different accidents like hamstring strains, groin accidents, and excessive ankle sprains aren’t unusual. These usually require both surgical intervention or devoted rehab to permit for full restoration earlier than the following yr’s calls for.
Why do these accidents are likely to happen?
Even wholesome athletes are in danger if their coaching isn’t appropriately structured however overuse accidents—corresponding to Achilles or patellar tendinopathy—are frequent if there’s an excessive amount of load with out restoration. Stress fractures can happen with extreme quantity or insufficient diet. Smooth tissue strains and joint overload are additionally issues, particularly if mobility and core stability are uncared for.
So, how can gamers strategize the right combination of coaching and restoration?
An efficient low season must be damaged into a number of phases based mostly on the wants of the sports activities and particular person athlete. The restoration part instantly post-season focuses on relaxation, mobility, and rehabilitation. The rebuild part follows, focusing on energy, hypertrophy, and correcting biomechanical deficits. Lastly, the pre-season part ramps up explosiveness, position-specific drills, and simulates recreation situations to make sure readiness for coaching camp. That is after all only a normal advice as wants can usually be extra granular and individualized.
What errors do gamers usually make with their coaching?
The commonest mistake is ramping up depth, too shortly. Gamers might neglect foundational work in favor of heavy lifting or high-impact drills, resulting in preventable accidents. Tendons and ligaments usually require rather more time to strengthen than muscular hypertrophy, so accidents to these comfortable tissue constructions are nonetheless attainable even when athletes really feel their muscle tissue can deal with the load or fatigue. Others overtrain with out sufficient restoration or skip mobility and stabilization workouts, creating imbalances that develop into problematic beneath the calls for of the season.
The place do you stand on stretching?
Static stretching earlier than exercises can truly scale back efficiency and is not broadly beneficial. As an alternative, a structured dynamic warm-up is essential. This prepares the physique by rising blood move, activating muscle teams, and priming the nervous system. Static stretching is extra acceptable post-workout or on relaxation days to enhance long-term flexibility.
What are a number of the finest restoration strategies for gamers?
Sleep is arguably the simplest restoration instrument for many athletes and nonetheless underrated, though its worth is turning into extra acknowledged. Aside from that, satisfactory relaxation and diet/hydration stay an important staples. Energetic restoration by means of low-impact actions, like swimming or biking, chilly remedy, and comfortable tissue work (therapeutic massage or foam rolling) can even assist.
Are there any dietary supplements that soccer gamers ought to contemplate taking?
Some evidence-based dietary supplements embody creatine, which helps energy and energy, together with why protein. Different dietary supplements corresponding to omega-3 fatty acids to scale back irritation, vitamin D for bone and immune well being, and addressing private dietary deficiencies could also be essential. That mentioned, gamers ought to all the time seek the advice of with a healthcare skilled earlier than beginning any dietary supplements and abide by sport-specific pointers.
How ought to gamers practice within the run-up to returning to coaching camps?
Coaching ought to develop into extra football-specific within the remaining weeks earlier than camp, to permit the ramp as much as be extra gradual. That features high-speed working, deceleration, and directional modifications. Conditioning ought to mimic the stop-start nature of soccer and sure focus extra on interval coaching. Importantly, load must be elevated progressively, and gamers must be uncovered to contact or high-intensity eventualities steadily as affect actions are notably excessive threat for harm.
As soon as the following season begins, what additional challenges do gamers face?
Initially of a season, we frequently see hamstring and groin strains, together with comfortable tissue accidents. These sometimes happen from insufficient ramp-up, fatigue, or poor motion mechanics. Correct development, dynamic warm-ups, and individualized workload administration will help scale back early-season accidents considerably.
So, what’s your take house message for longevity in soccer?
Longevity in soccer depends upon coaching intelligently, valuing relaxation as a lot as effort, and addressing minor accidents earlier than they escalate. It’s consistency that retains athletes and different excessive achievers performing on the highest degree for years!
