This week in the world of sports science, here’s what happened…
- Dele Alli breaks silence on his addiction to sleeping pills
- Banana peel: is it waste or a potential human treasure?
- Women’s football world cup hindered by an ACL epidemic
Dele Alli breaks silence on his addiction to sleeping pills
Dele Alli appeared on the latest episode of The Overlap with host Gary Neville which has over five million views on YouTube. In an incredibly raw and emotional interview, Alli discusses how a sleeping pill addiction led him to a six-week stint in rehab.
Since the interview, a story about former footballer Ryan Cresswell has resurfaced. Cresswell also had an addiction to sleeping pills and he details how it nearly cost him his life.
Sleeping pills are often prescribed to help restless and anxious athletes sleep the night before a game or tournament. However, becoming over-reliant on sleeping pills can have a drastic effect on one’s sporting career and life.
Let’s hope Alli’s braveness and honesty have caused enough awareness for everyone involved in football to investigate this issue. Hopefully, football WAKES UP before more lives/careers are impacted by sleeping pills.
Banana peel: is it waste or a potential human treasure?
Viewers of the Men’s Wimbledon final may have been left perplexed when Novak Djokovic started to eat a banana without removing the peel!
Bananas are a very common snack during tennis matches. They are good carbohydrate source that provides valuable energy and are high in potassium which may help prevent muscle cramps in long matches. However, it is very uncommon to see someone eating a banana without removing the peel!
Interestingly, the peel of the banana is very nutrient-rich. In fact, there was even a study last year titled “Banana peels: A waste treasure for human beings”, which discusses the benefits of using banana peel in the food industry rather than letting it go to waste.
So maybe there is a method to Djokovic’s unorthodox banana eating after all!
Women’s football world cup hindered by an ACL epidemic
The women’s football world cup is only days away. While it is fantastic to see women’s sports getting much-deserved media coverage, a recent Sky News feature has revealed a serious problem in the sport. This excellent feature sheds light on the staggering incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in women’s football.
An ACL injury can often be career-ending. Females are at a higher risk of a non-contact ACL injury compared to males. As mentioned in the Sky News feature, 25-30 notable players are missing the world cup due to ACL injury and an estimated 195 ACL injuries have occurred in elite female footballers since January 2022.
Check out this piece for some advice on ACL injury prevention for young female athletes.
From us this week:
>> New course: S&C for Goalkeepers
>> New podcast: How to Optimise In-Tournament Recovery
>> New infographic: KPIs for athletes
>> New article: Physical literacy: Why is it important and how can you develop it?
Access to a growing library of sports science courses
SFS Academy is an all-access membership to premium sports science education.
With SFS Academy, you’ll learn from some of the best coaches around the world as they teach you how to apply the latest research and practice with your athletes.
Get instant access when you join today on a 7-day free trial.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s roundup of the hottest sports science news, and as always, we’ll be back next week with more to keep you at the forefront of the industry.
