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Soccer and health

Interview with doctor Jacques Liénard, national federal physician of the French Federation of soccer.

Question: What are the contra-indications to the practice of soccer?

A: There is not any major contra-indication. Soccer is a sport accessible to all. He doesn't require any particular physical qualities: one can always find a degree of practice correspondent to his sporty level. He exists, in fact, only one medical contra-indication,: the monophtalmie (that means the fact to see an eye only), in order to not to make the valid eye run risks.

Question: What are the profits for health bound to the practice of soccer?

A: The work of staying improves the cardiac and respiratory functions. The exercises of speed and the stretches improve the muscular functions. Besides, even though soccer was considered a few years ago like "a sport of penguins", the preparation is now more global and included the superior members.

Question: What are the most frequent traumatisms?

A: He occurs three main types of accidents: the muscular accidents, the articular accidents and the sprains of the ankle. The muscular accidents are encouraged by an insufficient warming-up. The articular accidents essentially concern the knee. They occur according to the intensity of the soccer practice. One meets two types of lesions of the knee: the lesions méniscales and the attacks of the ligament crossed. Finally, he can occur of the ankle sprains. Since ten to fifteen years, he appears less and less pubalgies, that means muscular pains to the root of the thighs or to the level of the low stomach. It is due to the development of the practice of the stretches. It is necessary to underline that soccer is not a sport to failing, that means that it doesn't drag any cardiac or respiratory failings.

Question: What are the age limits?

A: There is not a lower age limit. If the child's morphological development is normal, there is not no against indication. Until 10 or 12 years, the shape game, fun of soccer must be predominant, the competition coming then. He doesn't exist either of superior age limit. Beyond 45 to 50 years, he is necessary nevertheless to make verify the good working of the cardiac muscle. Anyway, the obligatory yearly medical visit must be practiced seriously. Of course, the muscular and articular problems are more and more frequent with age.

Question: What are the indispensable protective facilities?

A: In competition, the shin pads are now obligatory. This measure reduced the number of fractures of the leg besides considerably. The goal keepers generally carry shorts reinforced to the level of the hips, in order to absorb the shocks at the time of the plunges. Still for the guards, the gloves are counseled strongly.