No phones before bed, dealing with overcrowding on the pitch, eating lots of sushi and enduring ice baths in tights are the minimum requirements Premier League players must adhere to.
Man City striker Erling Haaland during an ice bath therapy session. Photo: mancity.com
The Premier League is the best national championship in the world . Many top stars are playing in this tournament and have to follow strict regulations on sleep and nutrition.
Dr Mark Gillett, 53, the Premier League's medical adviser since 2018, told the Telegraph that the sporting spirit of Premier League players is now "light years" away from what it used to be, thanks to advances in science .
Nutrition is a big part of that. “Recovery after a game is so important,” Gillett explains. “Refuelling as soon as possible. Locker room food, personal drinks. Some form of protein wrap – chicken or vegan. Electrolyte drinks. Sometimes they might need a pizza. Especially when they’re on really strict diets for weeks at a time. But there’s been a big move towards whole foods rather than supplements.”
Gillett added that players will have a meal back on the bus after the match, which will consist of sushi, or “high quality” meat with some pasta. According to the expert, this is an effective way to deal with the overload of players after matches.
But nutrition is just one part of a much broader analysis of a player’s health, fitness and performance. Gillett places great importance on the importance of “sleep hygiene”, with some clubs even installing specially designed mattresses in players’ homes to get them used to sleeping on before long overnight trips.
Gillett explains that cutting down on phone and laptop use in the hour before bed is important, while “blue light” is crucial for footballers. Many Premier League stars wear blue light glasses at night to block out the rays from electronic devices that can cause insomnia.
“We work with each player,” Gillett added. “There are sleep specialists who work with each player. You don’t want to use tracking devices that tell you when players are starting to worry about it. It’s more about intuition and common sense.”
Gillett also doesn't want players to underestimate the benefits of ice baths - an effective way to relieve fatigue after a stressful match. This helps muscles recover quickly and Gillett recommends players wear tights in ice water.
Despite the quality on display in the Premier League, Gillett believes the league is still a long way from hitting its fitness ceiling.
Hong Duy (according to Sport Mail )
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