During the 2018 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup, France's national football team—the eventual champions—played 7 soccer matches in 30 days. Similarly, the Union of European Football Associations teams regularly compete in 9 or more games per month. Big-name players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and big-name managers such as José Mourinho have discussed the importance of rest between matches and the need for improved muscle recovery methods. The increasing prevalence of schedules such as these encourages players and team medical staff to find ways to expedite athletes’ recovery.
展开▼
