Football

Why Do Football Players Get Sore?

Football asks a lot of your muscles, and soreness a day or two after a game is common. Cleveland Clinic describes delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) as muscle pain that happens after intense exercise, most common after a new activity or a workout harder than you are used to. It starts one to three days after exercise and usually fades within a few days.

Muscle and joint injuries are also part of the game. Nebraska Medicine names sprains of the ankle and knee and strains of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and groin among the common football injuries. That is true whether you play competitive tackle football or in an adult flag league.

How Should You Warm Up Before Football?

Start slowly with movements like the ones you will make in the game. Mayo Clinic says warming up helps get the body ready for activity and may ease muscle soreness and lower injury risk. It advises beginning with the movement patterns of your chosen exercise, starting slowly, gradually increasing speed and intensity, and focusing first on large muscle groups like the hamstrings. For football, that can include easy jogging and a few relaxed throwing or catching motions to bring in the shoulders and arms.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, starting a workout with cold muscles can lead to injury, and a warm-up should last five to 10 minutes and work all the major muscle groups.

Does Stretching Before a Game Prevent Injury?

Not by itself. Harvard Health's Ask the Doctor column states that stretching a healthy muscle before exercise does not prevent injury or soreness, and recommends a gradual, active warm-up instead, such as walking at a relaxed pace before picking up speed.

What Helps After the Game?

Cool down first. Harvard Health Publishing says a cool-down helps prevent muscle cramps and dizziness while gradually slowing your breathing and heart rate, and should include stretches that relax and lengthen muscles. Cleveland Clinic calls rest usually the best treatment for DOMS. It also says massage may improve blood flow and ease stiffness, that light activity such as stretching or a short walk can loosen sore muscles, and that cold may reduce pain and inflammation while heat may increase blood flow and relieve stiffness. Avoid another intense session right away.

Comfort Between Games

Many players keep a topical pain reliever in their bag for the aches that linger. Super Blue Stuff OTC from our Blue Stuff brand is available in a 3-oz. roll-on and a 5-ml travel pack that fit easily in a gym bag or briefcase. Read and follow the Drug Facts label. A topical product does not replace a proper warm-up, rest, or the advice of your healthcare professional, so see a provider if pain does not improve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to warm up for football?

Mayo Clinic advises starting with the movement patterns of your activity, beginning slowly, gradually increasing speed and intensity, and focusing first on large muscle groups like the hamstrings. Harvard Health Publishing says a warm-up should last five to 10 minutes and work all major muscle groups.

How long does soreness after football last?

Cleveland Clinic says delayed onset muscle soreness starts one to three days after exercise and usually fades within a few days.

Does stretching before a game prevent injury?

Harvard Health states that stretching a healthy muscle before exercise does not prevent injury or soreness, and recommends a gradual, active warm-up instead.

What injuries are common in football?

Nebraska Medicine names sprains of the ankle and knee and strains of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and groin among the common football injuries.

What can I do for sore muscles after a game?

Cleveland Clinic calls rest usually the best treatment for delayed onset muscle soreness and says massage, light activity such as a short walk, and heat or cold may also help. Harvard Health Publishing recommends a cool-down with stretches after exercise.

Sources

Created using Claude AI.

Edited by Stephen Eastmond.

Cleveland Clinic, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) — https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/delayed-onset-muscle-soreness

Nebraska Medicine, 3 common football injuries (and how to prevent them) — https://www.nebraskamed.com/node/28921

Mayo Clinic, Aerobic exercise: How to warm up and cool down — https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20045517

Harvard Health Publishing, Exercise 101: Don't skip the warm-up or cool-down — https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/exercise-101-dont-skip-the-warm-up-or-cool-down

Harvard Health Publishing, Ask the doctor: Stretching before exercise — https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/ask-the-doctor-stretching-before-exercise