During congested periods in professional football, coaches and pundits often discuss the importance of players having enough recovery time between games.
So, how much time is needed for players to recover from a match?
Several factors affect the amount of fatigue a player will experience during a game and the time they need to fully recover their performance to pre-game levels.
The more fatigue a player experiences during a game, the longer the player will need to recover. For example, a midfielder who plays 90 minutes will usually need longer to recover than a midfielder who plays 45 minutes.
Various factors influence fatigue, such as the player’s age, level of fitness, external load during the match (distance covered, average speed, number of sprints, etc.), and environmental factors (e.g., temperature, altitude, playing surface, etc.). Therefore, recovery time is different between players, which is why professional teams take an individual approach to monitoring players’ fatigue and recovery.
Due to the above, there is not a specific amount of time a player needs to recover from a competitive game. However, research (using mostly semi-pro footballers) indicates that neuromuscular recovery takes at least 48 hours, with some markers of muscle fatigue needing up to 72 hours (3 days) to return to baseline.
Sources
Ascensão et al. (2008). Biochemical impact of a soccer match - analysis of oxidative stress and muscle damage markers throughout recovery.
Brownstein et al. (2017). Etiology and Recovery of Neuromuscular Fatigue following Competitive Soccer Match-Play.
Doeven et al. (2019). Postmatch recovery of physical performance and biochemical markers in team ball sports: a systematic review.
Ispirlidis et al. (2008). Time-course of changes in inflammatory and performance responses following a soccer game.
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