Soccer players tend to splash their heads and faces with water every chance they get. You’ve seen your teammate at a local academy do it all the same as a professional player.
And no wonder!
Soccer heats up your body like nothing else. Continuously running up and down the pitch, shooting the ball, and burning those mean calories raises your body temperature.
And that’s why swimming, showering, and face-splashing are such a big part of soccer training!
But coming back to the in-game performance begs the question: How do soccer players keep their bodies from overheating during a match? Do they take showers at halftime?
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Soccer players do not take showers at halftime because the break lasts for only 15 minutes. And a player can only do so much in the tight window.
He has to re-strategize with the coach and the team, catch his breath, rehydrate and get a second look at injuries while keeping himself warm.
What players often do to make themselves more comfortable is to change their jerseys and use a towel to clean their bodies.
This way, they’ll get rid of a lot of sweat and dirt from their old jerseys or shorts after a tough first half. It doesn’t take much time to do this (they can do it while listening to the coach’s instructions).
But even if we take the time out of the equation, which we can’t, taking a shower at halftime is still the last thing a soccer player does or should do!
It works counterproductive to increasing match performance, which is the entire point of a halftime break. And that brings us to our next question, should soccer players even take showers at halftime?
Should Soccer Players take Showers at Halftime?
Soccer is punishing on the body and lungs for 90 minutes. And it would’ve been nearly impossible to play if it wasn’t split into halves separated by a 15 minutes break.
The halftime break allows players to strategize, fuel up, and tend to their injuries while keeping warm. And taking a shower kills the entire point!
Taking a shower at halftime during a soccer match is terrible for two major reasons. It starts the passive recovery process and is nearly impossible to compete in the game afterward. Here’s why!
Taking a Shower Starts Passive Recovery in the Body
Passive recovery is when your body takes a break from exertion and focuses more on muscle repair. It redirects the use of nutrients in your body and energy availability.
Since all the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins are now focused on repairing your muscles, you won’t have much energy left. It’s kind of like what you feel after a workout or on a rest day.
Now, if you take a shower during a soccer match, you enter this phase of recovery early on.
And it will impact your game negatively as your muscles are relaxed, and you don’t have ample energy to charge up anymore.
It’s Incredibly Difficult to Warm-Up After a Shower
Ever heard of pre-workout showers? Yea, me neither!
A shower relaxes and cools your body down. There’s a reason why they’re included at the end of workouts, ideally.
But instead, if you decide to take a shower during the halftime break in a soccer match, you’re just signing up for a sure way to get benched.
It’s no secret how crucial warm-up is for soccer. Players take at least 15 minutes of vigorous and high-intensity training to warm up properly for a soccer match.
And seeing how the entire break is for 15 minutes alone, you won’t be match-fit by the time you’re ready to go after a shower.
When is The Best Time for Soccer Players to Take Showers?
A shower is the best way to kickstart a post-workout recovery and relax your body. So ideally, it is best for soccer players to take a shower after a match.
Taking a shower after a workout or game is the most commonly observed ritual across all sports. And that’s because of its added benefit of relaxing.
Players want to feel relieved after a match, and nothing washes the sweat and dirt better than a shower. And with the sweat, dirt, and stains of your skin, you feel much lighter and ready for a meal!
On the contrary, missing out on a post-match shower will just postpone your lethargy and uneasiness. The sweat and dirt layers on your body fill up your sweat pores and block your skin from oxygen.
It will only leave you more and more depleted of energy as time goes by. And if you decide to delay it even more while waiting for your morning shower, you’ll have a night of uneasy sleep.
And that, again, is bad for muscle recovery and strength gain.
So, if you’re playing soccer regularly, and whether you’re breaking a sweat or not, it’s best for you to time your showers right after the match!
Conclusion
The key takeaway here is that even though a shower is critical for your performance and recovery in some ways, it can be counterproductive if not timed correctly.
Taking a shower at halftime in soccer brings down your performance and is a bad idea in general. The match has another half to go and is far from over!
So, if you’re really excited about your shower, hold your horses for another 45 minutes. Taking a shower after a soccer match will relieve your muscles of stress and put you in the right place for recovery.
But as far as cooling down your body during a match goes, splashing your face with water or pouring some over your head should recharge you instantly!
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!