The EXTREME treatments elite athletes turn to stay at the top of their game

Professional sports can be a case of fine margins. Commitment to an extra hour of training or sticking to a tailored regimen can mean the difference between competing at the highest level – or just missing out.

Erling Haaland is an excellent example of an athlete with a truly tailored routine that oversees every aspect of his pre- and post-match preparations, even making time for the maintenance of his circadian rhythms.

So is Cristiano Ronaldo, whose specific routines and treatments were once seen as an almost unusual addition to his club’s training regimen, but have now become the norm with advancing sports technology.

Here, Mail Sport takes a look at the latest treatments favored by sports figures looking for the ultimate advantage over their competition.

CUPPING

Cupping therapy is a form of alternative medicine in which heated cups are placed on the skin to create suction. The treatment is used for a wide variety of medical conditions, including neck, shoulder, and lower back pain.

The treatment — which isn’t nearly as painful as it seems — is believed to promote circulation, reduce muscle swelling, and increase blood flow, making it a popular choice for athletes both before and after performance.

Premier League stars Jack Grealish and Alejandro Garnacho have extolled the virtues of the therapy this season as they chased glory with Manchester City and United respectively, and other top athletes in favor of the therapy include Karim Benzema, Conor McGregor, Michael Phelps and Granite Xhaka.

However, not all doctors are convinced of the benefits of the treatment. Popular science authors Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst wrote in their 2008 book “Trick or Treatment” that while the practice “has a long history” […] there is no evidence that it has any positive effects on any medical condition,” and cupping is often derided as a pseudoscience.

HYPERBARIC OXYGEN CHAMBER

Vinicius Jnr became the latest footballer to invest in the benefits of oxygen therapy after recovering from Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey victory over Osasuna in a hyperbaric chamber on Saturday.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) chambers – which can cost as much as £100,000 – increase the air pressure inside the device, forcing the user’s lungs to collect up to 15 times more oxygen.

The player will likely spend up to 90 minutes in the room after each game to reduce swelling and inflammation and reduce post-performance fatigue.

Better circulation and oxygenation of the blood can also lead to improved physical performance, with players like Marcus Rashford, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. and Mohamed Salah are feeling the benefits both on and off the field.

In addition to football, athletes such as Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Novak Djokovic have also spoken out as fans of the treatment, with Djokovic reportedly setting up his own room at Flushing Meadows during the 2019 US Open.

CRYOTHERAPY

Everything that has caught the attention of high profile superstar Haaland is worth paying more attention to and the Norwegian behemoth’s dedication to cryotherapy is total.

The City forward went so far as to install a £50,000 cryo chamber in his Chester mansion, such is his faith in the restorative power of dropped temperatures.

But like the hyperbaric chamber, players will use cryotherapy to increase the impact of their recovery as they endure temperatures as low as -200C (-328F) in an effort to reduce inflammation and swelling from injuries, improve their immune system and reduce muscle soreness. to light up. , while improving the body’s recovery time after a workout or a match day.

To avoid health risks such as hypothermia and frostbite, those entering the room should wear protective mittens, such as Cristiano Jr. did when he underwent therapy with his father Ronaldo. Like Haaland, the No. 7 also had its own cryotherapy chamber installed in his mansion in Manchester – while Chelsea’s Thiago Silva used a more localized form of cryotherapy as he recovered from a knee injury in February this year.

MASSAGE BOOTS

An increasingly common sight in club treatment rooms or in players’ homes – or, in the case of LeBron James, in the back of his car – air-compression recovery boots have become synonymous with post-game massage therapy as players attempt to to revive spent time. muscles and any associated swelling.

Haaland is such a fan of the technology – and in particular the shoes from the Normatec brand – that he became an investor and global ambassador for their sports tech parent company Hyperice while at Borussia Dortmund.

AC Milan’s Olivier Giroud was also an early investor in the company, which produces a range of high-tech therapeutic devices including £639 boots ($799), massage guns and electronic heat treatments.

TECAR THERAPY

One of the latest treatments Premier League stars are looking to help players recover from injury is tecar therapy. This treatment sends a high-frequency current through the treated muscle to both stimulate tissue regeneration and reduce pain – with the aim of reducing the amount of time an injured player needs to spend on the sidelines.

On a less severe level, the non-invasive therapy can be used in post-competition recovery where the heating effect of the treatment increases blood flow and drainage and reduces inflammation.

Atletico Madrid mercenary Joao Felix was pictured undergoing treatment in March, and the Brazil national team have also undergone similar treatments from their physiotherapists.