recovery after sport

A Recovery Strategy for soccer players

There are over *240 million registered soccer players worldwide-it is not known how many amateurs belonging to informal and formal clubs plus indoor soccer teams there are all over the world

How many people are there involved in recovery using massage therapies after the games?

Not nearly enough of them to look after 240 million plus soccer players who are sore and stiff both after the game and after a hard training session

As the soccer season makes its way through to finals and through to the various internationals and the world cups, it gets harder to maintain the level of fitness and injury free periods

Really only the professional clubs and their players can afford the doctors, trainers, physiotherapists and people with massage therapy skills to deal with any fitness, soreness and stiffness problems that might arise

Everyone else, unless they can afford it, and at the amateur and junior levels-tough luck and this is a pity because not too many of these potentially top players can get further, their talent is being held back because of soreness and stiffness

Many of the players have after match muscle soreness and stiffness after their training and games-some players may even feel like this after a hard played game

Ok these are runners who have been on a running track for 3 days and they are lucky they had me to help them recover and get them walking again within a short time with their soreness and stiffness barely noticeable

The major professional clubs have club doctors, physiotherapists, sports trainers and masseurs to help them recover-at this event there was just me-here is my working area
at the 2007 Antibes 6 Jour event where I looked after everyone

How did I do it?

I used a recovery system I developed in 1995 which I call the World Run Recovery System

What is the World Run Recovery System?

The World Run Recovery System is a Do-It-Yourself method based on encouraging the muscles and tissues to assist in their own recovery

• It is not a massage system

• It is not invasive

• It is not aggressive

• It is not time consuming

• It does not need disrobing

• It does not need oil applied to the skin

• It does not need strong hands and fingers

• It does not need hand/brain coordination

• It does not need equipment

• It does not work on the muscles

• It does not work on any specific injuries

• It does not threaten the integrity of the muscles

• It does not use force on the muscles

• It does not need more than a few minutes to do

• It does not require a long course or workshop

What does it do?

It is a fully self contained non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' recovery system

Why is it so useful to the recovering soccer player?

The World Run Recovery System is a fully portable, flexible, cheap non-invasive, non threatening, oil free recovery system that can be used anywhere at any time

What level of skill is required?

Unlike other methods of recovery, very little skill is needed

What are the advantages of using the World Run Recovery System?

• No disrobing

• Works with the muscles not on them

• No oil used

• Non invasive

• User friendly

• Easy to learn

The World Run Recovery System works with the muscles and uses them to recover and rehabilitate and themselves

'give yourself an unfair advantage' use the World Run Recovery System for after game recovery

• The player can easily learn and use the world Run Recovery System

• They do not need to do an expensive dedicated course in recovery system

• They do not need to invest in or carry expensive equipment

They can use it at hte ground or home whenever they need it

If they do not have the services of a support team they just Do It Themselves!

The window of opportunity after activity to give first aid is when the muscles are still warm and flexible enough to work with-this window is very short because as soon as the athlete stops using the muscles dynamically, the recovery processes start taking place and stiffness sets in

Getting 'the edge' in Recovery

*Some of the latest research indicates that using manual therapies does not make any difference to recovery-on the other hand there are claims that it does-whatever the methods used to test and conclusions reached the results are not able to be checked or understood by the ordinary sportsperson-

How has the World Run Recovery System been tested?

The system has been tested at many events since its inception in 1995 from 6, 12, 24, 48 hours, 6 days to 1000 miles and of course on Jesper's world run

At some of the most gruelling events in the world including around the world
www.worldrun.org

Ultra Marathon

The sport of ultra marathon is an extreme sport; the athletes stay on a track or road for distances over marathon (42.195 kilometers or 26 miles 385 yards) to around the world as done by Jesper Olsen of Denmark who holds the record for the longest certified run in history

Below is some 'hands on' research that is understandable because it involves numbers-the best way to understand a concept and how it works is to have a base line to work to, in this case, that line is an individual performance of a runner or walker over a 6 day period

The distance covered in each 24 hour period can be measured in laps completed or distance done

As can be seen by the results, as shown by the spike in daily distance, most of the competitors got 'the edge' and they did it without drugs-just that the system of recovery had changed from working on the muscles to working with them

The gap being filled on Mors in an indoor horse training arena-no massage school required-just willing participants

They are being trained

• Simply

• Easily

• Without any massage experience

• Without any threats to muscle integrity

• Without any need for greasy oil, towels or equipment

Conventional forms of recovery are too inflexible and cumbersome to use in this sport-they need lots of equipment such as lotions, potions, creams, table to work on, towels and if the athlete is on a long road run these can take up too much room.

Needs a high skill level

There is also the equipment factor to consider when talking recovery using conventional therapies either for self or team recovery

• lotions
• potions
• creams,
• table to work on
• towels

Most soccer players can't afford all this stuff never mind someone who knows how to use it-this makes them too inflexible and cumbersome to use

The World Run Recovery System

• No disrobing

• Needs no oil

• Works with the muscles

• Uses the flat hand

• Does not need equipment

• Needs only minutes to learn

• Needs only basic understanding of what you are doing and why

Only 4 basic movements

• Only 1 depth-that is light

The secret to recovery is to reduce input/output required through being-

• Non invasive-working with the muscles not on them

• Simplicity-easy to understand

• Predictability-By not changing information fed into the brain all responses become automatic

The World Run Recovery System tested trusted oil free alternative

Some References

Michael's methods of massage and blister care helped me to stay mobile throughout the race and to recover quickly afterwards. His techniques are safe and gentle.
Unlike some treatments, which put the runners and walkers at risk of muscle tears or infection, Michael's techniques are gentle, safe, reassuring, and highly effective. They enhance comfort and flexibility, build confidence, and promote success.

This booklet will help others to learn and practice Michael's methods. It is recommended reading for everyone who walks and runs and who wants to go further, go faster, or just to enjoy life more!!'

SANDRA BROWN 1996 Ladies 1000 Mile World Record Holder

1999 Ladies 100 mile Race walking World Record Holder
"I know that your massage kept a number of competitor<>s in the event. The cold weather of Saturday afternoon and night certainly got to many of the walkers and your prompt action had them back in the race after a short stop.
In years past, that would have ended up as a non-finish. A number of walkers were able to keep going for the full 24 hours on the basis of your expert help."

Tim Ericson Secretary Australian Centurions Club

'I have known Michael Gillan for many years and have always got quick relief for my aches and pains from the stretching he performs'.
CLIFF YOUNG-75-80 24 Hour World Record Holder (150.07 kilometers)

A word from Jesper Olsen World Runner about Light Manual Muscle Relaxation
"If I hadn't had the qualified help from the excellent masseur Michael Gillan, taking several thousands of km out of my legs, I could spare myself the effort!"

"My crew for the current stages, Michael Gillan, has proven to have other talents than the quite taxing job of taking care of all the requirements of a really tired ultra runner!
He has since years back been working on a new approach to stretching and muscle-rebuilding for ultra runners. I have the last two days tried his careful stretch and massage, and a bit to my surprise the muscles are beginning to feel like before the start back in Greenwich, London!!

Usually I doesn't take massage as the legs of an ultra runner will often be quite sore during the long time events (and especially in an multi-year event like this...), and getting a massage can at times cause more injury and cramping up than good. For example my last massage was some 12 000km ago when I ran the 12-hour competition in Finland. And so far that has been the only one.

But Gillan came with best recommendations from my main contact in Australia, Phil Essam, who besides being vice president in the Australian Ultra runners Association has heaps of good knowledge to share. And this new kind of mild massage for ultra runners is definitely one of the good tips! There should be a fair chance that I actually get fresh enough to do some decent running at the 6 Day Race that I have coming up in Colac from the 21.November. I quite look forward to that, even though I can't expect to make a top class result :-)"

He won! 756.2 kilometers (Jesper holds the record for the longest run in history over 26000 kilometers and the first person to run around the world
Taken from www.worldrun.org

Some basic points on recovery that tend to be overlooked

• Stress on top of more stress increases recovery time

• The body recovers itself!

Win Win!

It is very difficult for everyone to win a race, but in this situation everyone does; with your support I get to on the World Run and the sportsperson gets the very same recovery system I will be using on World Run 2!

US$20.00 ebook PDF format

*Citations

PubMed

Manual massage and recovery of muscle function following exercise: a literature review.

PMID: 9007768 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

The mechanisms of massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention.

PMID: 15730338 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/92/101950.htm

SOURCES: Hinds, T. Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2004; vol 36: pp 1308-1313.

Sources: http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/issue3/soccer.html

http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/confederations/index.html






FIFA Confederations Homepage
http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/confederations/index.html

contact Michael michael@aching-legs-relief.com

Recovery of the Soccer Player

Modelling in the manual by Nicholas (16)

Photographs by Jessica (7)