• Victoria: Athletic's confirmation derby

The good feelings overflow to Athletic in this start of the season in which he placed leader after the first five days. Gaizka Garitano's team trains well, defends well, attacks well ... and sleeps well. And although this factor may seem secondary, it is key to everything else. So much so that, since last season, the Bilbao club studied in detail the dream of its players, both male and female. Scientific studies are unanimous: those who sleep well, both in time and in quality of sleep, perform more.

«We try to approach players from the point of view of performance variables that are susceptible to improvement and one of them is the dream. Finding ways to evaluate quantity and quality of sleep and improve both aspects is a line that in the near future will have a lot of experience in sports in general and in Athletic in particular, ”explained Josean Lekue , head of the medical services of the club .

Because it's not just about checking if the player in question sleeps a lot or little. Sleep quality is also an important factor. The simplest and least invasive way to collect the necessary data for a detailed study is by means of an actimeter, a kind of watch or bracelet that is placed on the wrist 24 hours a day for a week. This device is used to record every two seconds the outside body temperature, the degree of physical activity, body position and external light, four determining factors for a good sleep. It serves to detect, for example, that the person is exposed to a strong light before going to bed, which makes it difficult for him to fall asleep.

Key in recovery

« Sleeping well is key for any professional athlete. Improves performance, facilitates recovery processes and reduces irascibility . If a football player does not get enough sleep and does not have regular habits, he is much more exposed to fatigue, injury and is more likely to see a red card. And if you acquire new tactical or technical knowledge during the day, you will not assimilate them correctly if you do not sleep well, ”explains Oriol Mercadé, a sports psychologist specializing in sleep and director of Altrendiment. In basketball, there are scientific studies that prove that a player misses more free throws than usual if he has slept that day.

Knowing sleep habits is also decisive to know at what time training is most effective, since we don't all naturally have the same biorhythms. There are more morning athletes, whose body is more active in the early hours of the day, and others more evening, who should postpone their physical activity to increase their effectiveness and reduce the risk of injury and fatigue. “There are players who will better go to sleep at eleven and others at one . Each person is different, ”says Mercadé. Every Athletic player already knows what time you have to go to bed if you want to have more chances to win this Wednesday afternoon in Leganés to follow leaders.

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  • sports
  • football
  • First division
  • Athletic Bilbao
  • CD Leganés

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