Euro 2012 General Discussion

[Stuttgart88]

They eat and drink football.

Do we know the ingedients?

I think simple stuff like yoga can reduce the occurance of muscle injuries. It's only relatively recently that football clubs started using it regularly. Giggs and Keane used to go to local yoga classes and Giggs attributes his longevity to yoga (though he does have a DVD to sell). The science of recovery is evolving all the time too.

[tetsujin1979]

are we to believe that a football club was able to create something that no scientist, army research or other sports agency could - an undetectable drug that cures all ailments?

[paul_oshea]

Ha, not at all tets, but for years the tour de france athletes have been using drugs that weren't traceable until they found a way of tracing them. The point is they are always a step ahead.

And just for good measure, I've worked previously for a company, that were involved in Security Clearance, in detecting drugs in the system up to 6 months after use. There are loads of things that people aren't aware in this world that are detectable and undectable, and wont be made aware either.

[tetsujin1979]

well then the obvious flaw is that if they have an undetectable salve for whatever ailment may arise, why avoid the UEFA tests?

[tricky_colour]

drugs don't improve your first touch.

If they did I'd get Whelan and Andrews on em straight away!

Do you know that for sure?

I expect there are drugs which can improve your first touch, stimulants for example may well do that.
I mean beta blockers can make snooker players better by making them more relaxed ( I believe) so
surely drugs can make you more alert and that should help your first touch?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perform...nhancing_drugs

Stimulants are used to stimulate their body and mind to perform at optimal level by increasing focus, energy and aggression. Examples include caffeine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine.

Also nicotine ", nicotine increases the levels of several neurotransmitters – acting as a sort of "volume control".


List of footballers who smoked.




1) Socrates
.

2) Paul Gascoigne and Teddy Sheringham


3) Robert Prosinecki

4) David Ginola

5) Zinedine Zidane


6) Maradona


7) Johann Cruyff


8) Slaven Bilic


9) Fabien Barthez


10) David James


Also a few more selected here


Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, and Federico Macheda Ossie Ardiles, Gianluca Vialli, Jack Charlton Jackie Milburn

[SkStu]

Do you know that for sure?

I expect there are drugs which can improve your first touch, stimulants for example may well do that.
I mean beta blockers can make snooker players better by making them more relaxed ( I believe) so
surely drugs can make you more alert and that should help your first touch?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perform...nhancing_drugs



Also nicotine ", nicotine increases the levels of several neurotransmitters – acting as a sort of "volume control".


List of footballers who smoked.




1) Socrates
.

2) Paul Gascoigne and Teddy Sheringham


3) Robert Prosinecki

4) David Ginola

5) Zinedine Zidane


6) Maradona


7) Johann Cruyff


8) Slaven Bilic


9) Fabien Barthez


10) David James


Also a few more selected here


Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, and Federico Macheda Ossie Ardiles, Gianluca Vialli, Jack Charlton Jackie Milburn

What, they used to share them behind the Spurs bicycle shed?

[DannyInvincible]

Also nicotine ", nicotine increases the levels of several neurotransmitters – acting as a sort of "volume control".

What on earth is a "sort of volume control'"?... Did Ginola not use L'Oréal for that?

[DannyInvincible]

And surely not all those footballers smoke or smoked on a regular basis...

[tricky_colour]

Don't know why they share the number 2 spot, got the list here

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opin...cle148195.html

[paul_oshea]

well then the obvious flaw is that if they have an undetectable salve for whatever ailment may arise, why avoid the UEFA tests?

Don't know I never really paid much attention to that individual point, however just because its undectable, doesn't mean other things wouldn't show up out of hte ordinary. For example take that russian guy poisoned in London, or Yasser Arafats massive brain hammeroaghe, they can't pinpoint, or to be more precise they don't know what exactly caused it, but they have made assumptions based on readings from the blood that it was some sort of poisoning.

The point is its better not to raise any awareness or suspicion, whether detectable or not.

There probably isn't anything untoward, but there is nothing I have heard on here or elsewhere to tell me there is or there ins't.

[Stuttgart88]

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

[Mr A]

One other thing that makes me a little suspicious about football at high levels is the number of heart issues among footballers in recent years.. seems to be a much higher prevalence than previously, although maybe there is more reporting of it now.

[paul_oshea]

Ive a mate, sorry for going off topic, but in Gaelic he reckons its too much red bull at the weekend!! Convinced of it.

Certainly more reporting of it, but its not something I thought about, then again probably because i didnt see or hear of it until recently.

[Charlie Darwin]

Is it any more prevalent now than it was before?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._while_playing

I'd argue players are putting more strain on their hearts in general in the last 20 years and decade particularly, but medical advancements have also improved to counteract it. There are probably drugs involved in some of the heart issues suffered by players, but it would be difficult to prove it has caused an increase.

[Stuttgart88]

Paul O'Shea vindicated?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/o...t-7917937.html

[tetsujin1979]

I don't think I can live in a world where Paul O Shea is right.

[paul_oshea]

Paul O'Shea vindicated?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/o...t-7917937.html

I don't need to be vindicated to know my level of thinking is above and beyond the average person. I learn every day , as I get extremely well paid for it.

[tricky_colour]

Is it any more prevalent now than it was before?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._while_playing

I'd argue players are putting more strain on their hearts in general in the last 20 years and decade particularly, but medical advancements have also improved to counteract it. There are probably drugs involved in some of the heart issues suffered by players, but it would be difficult to prove it has caused an increase.

Wow that is a really interesting list, if you start reading it the early ones are dying from a variety of things


ruptured bowel
tetanus
Pneumonia r
Blood poisoning
Tetanus

etc....there is only one heart atatck in the first 20 listed approx
however by the time you get to 1973 it is abasically

heart attack
heart attack
heart attack
heart attack
heart attack

So you go from 5% heart attacks to about 85% heart attacks.

Personally I think it is due to performance enhancing drugs or other illegal stuff.

The last 20 are basically all heart failure/attacks.

Pretty disturbing, the is so much money in the game the pressure to use illegal stuff must be immense.


I don't recall the same kind of thing in other competetive sports.

I had expected to find some in cycle racing but there are few, cycling is not so much cardio though as anyone who has cycled knows it all in the legs.

[Charlie Darwin]

While I have no doubt that illegal drugs do form part of it, putting it all down to that one factor is ludicrous. Players even 20 years ago didn't put their bodies under half the amount of strain that they do today. Even the use of drugs is a symptom rather than an effect - you take drugs so that you can improve your endurance and fitness levels, but the cause is still the strain you're putting your body under. You'll also notice that deaths have become far more frequent in recent times as record-keeping has improved and there are larger numbers of players in organised football.

You can also add that players no longer die of infections, etc. - deaths are usually from chronic heart conditions or attacks that are fatal in a short period of time. Look at Shane Duffy's injury a couple of years back - there is no doubt he would have died 20 years ago. Heart attacks are more prevalent simply because everything else can be treated quickly and effectively.

[Mr A]

One of the doctors banned for life during the week for doping at US Postal is also linked to Barcelona and Valencia: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12...ith-USADA.aspx