Dr. Ayoosh Pareek is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Particular Surgical procedure (HSS), specializing in sports activities drugs and sophisticated joint reconstruction. His huge expertise of soccer has received awards and concerned taking good care of each leisure and elite athletes, having been a crew physician for the New York Mets and New York Knicks.
Now specializing in sports activities accidents of the hip, knee, and shoulder, Pareek collaborates carefully 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 so to keep on the sphere for longer, and practice off the sphere smarter.
Thanks for taking the time, Dr Pareek. In your expertise, how do soccer gamers sometimes practice otherwise 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 mix).
Pre-season coaching ramps up depth and introduces extra sport-specific or football-specific drills and conditioning.
In-season coaching emphasizes upkeep and damage prevention greater than something—sustaining energy and conditioning with out overloading the physique. Restoration, damage prevention, and managing the wear-and-tear of weekly video games take precedence throughout this time.
What are among the most typical accidents sustained on the soccer subject that require restoration within the low season?
Soccer is high-impact and bodily demanding, so we often 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 typically 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 inclined 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. Delicate tissue strains and joint overload are additionally considerations, particularly if mobility and core stability are uncared for.
So, how can gamers strategize the correct mix of coaching and restoration?
An efficient low season ought to be damaged into a number of phases primarily based 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, concentrating on energy, hypertrophy, and correcting biomechanical deficits. Lastly, the pre-season part ramps up explosiveness, position-specific drills, and simulates sport situations to make sure readiness for coaching camp. That is in fact only a common suggestion as wants can typically be extra granular and individualized.
What errors do gamers typically 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 typically require rather more time to strengthen than muscular hypertrophy, so accidents to these delicate tissue buildings are nonetheless potential 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 turn into problematic below the calls for of the season.
The place do you stand on stretching?
Static stretching earlier than exercises can truly cut back efficiency and is not extensively beneficial. As a substitute, a structured dynamic warm-up is vital. This prepares the physique by rising blood circulate, 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 among the finest restoration strategies for gamers?
Sleep is arguably the best restoration device for many athletes and nonetheless underrated, though its worth is changing into extra acknowledged. Apart from that, satisfactory relaxation and diet/hydration stay crucial staples. Lively restoration by way of low-impact actions, like swimming or biking, chilly remedy, and delicate tissue work (therapeutic massage or foam rolling) may also assist.
Are there any dietary supplements that soccer gamers ought to contemplate taking?
Some evidence-based dietary supplements embrace 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 necessary. That stated, 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 turn into extra football-specific within the closing weeks earlier than camp, to permit the ramp as much as be extra gradual. That features high-speed working, deceleration, and directional adjustments. Conditioning ought to mimic the stop-start nature of soccer and sure focus extra on interval coaching. Importantly, load ought to be elevated progressively, and gamers ought to be uncovered to contact or high-intensity eventualities step by step as impression actions are notably excessive threat for damage.
As soon as the following season begins, what additional challenges do gamers face?
At first of a season, we frequently see hamstring and groin strains, together with delicate 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 cut back early-season accidents considerably.
So, what’s your take dwelling message for longevity in soccer?
Longevity in soccer is determined by 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!