You have a very important game coming up, or you are starting to get in a rhythm to earn the coach’s trust . Suddenly, you start to feel a light soar throat, a runny nose, or even a slight fever… NOOOO, it ‘s happening, you probably have a cold.
Don’t worry, I think most soccer players have been there. We all want to play every single minute possible, and not playing because of a cold may sound dumb at first sight, but it is completely normal.
So, should play soccer with a cold? To decide whether to play or not depends totally on what your body tells you, whether you think you will be able to perform at your best or not. Based on my experience, in most cases I would not recommend playing if you have a cold.
However, the answer is not as simple as to play or not play. There are many factors that affect the question that you need to know in order to make a decision.
Both sides of the coin
It is impressive how many different opinions there are between the people related to this topic. Some people say that making sports will actually help you cure the cold faster while others say that no matter how light the cold is to just stay at home and rest.
There are many myths to bust that is necessary for all of us to clarify to be able to take a correct decision.
The “Above or below the neck” myth
There is a popular myth that says that if the symptoms that your illness expresses are above your neck: like for example a light sore throat or a runny nose, it is okay to play the game with no problem.
In the other side, if the symptoms are below the neck, like a diarrhea or a fever, then you should absolutely not play at all and rest your body.
I don’t think this description is accurate at all because many times I have had a cold with symptoms above the neck and it would’ve been a terrible decision to play. However, I think it is a useful quick guide in the topic.
“Sweat out the fever”
Many people say that when you have a cold with a small fever, it is a good idea to make a moderate exercise wearing warm tight clothe to “sweat out the fever”. By using the warm clothe, you sweat a lot more, helping your body refresh to decrease the body temperature, helping to alleviate the fever.
I have a bad experience with this myth, let me tell you:
One day, my cousin invited me to a 7 vs 7 informal game at a turf field. That day I had an awful cold and was feeling not very well. I had a headache, a slight fever, and a runny nose. I remember he telling me: Come and play and sweat out the fever and you’ll feel better after the game.
I took the decision to go and play, not being completely sure about it. I think that after ten minutes my throat started to sore A LOT. I could barely breathe, and I started to feel super weak.
I don’t know how I managed to play for more than 20 minutes. I reached a point where I had to quit the game because I felt I was about to faint. I have never felt so bad in my life like that day.
What I am trying to say is not to believe these myths completely. Sometimes they will be helpful, but other times you are the one that needs to make the call to play or not.
How to take the decision
Here are two factors that I think are the most important to consider whether to play or not with a cold or flu:
Listen to your body
There are different levels of illness. Some colds may be super slight but others may be super rough. I admit that I have played many times with colds and everything turned out great. But I did it knowing what I was capable of doing and how I could perform on the field.
How bad do you feel? In most colds your immune system is fighting and making a great effort just for the fact of being alive. Now imagine how it would feel if you put additional stress to it by playing a sport like soccer that demands so much stamina and physical conditions.
There are two options: You can either perform at a normal level or things could get pretty ugly.
Consider What is Best for the Team
Remember that most colds are contagious and you run the risk of passing the disease to your teammates, which could be even worse.
Also, do you think it is worth for the team that you play in that conditions? It is better to choose not to play if you are not going to perform at a competitive level than playing feeling weak and not able to perform as you wish.
It is totally normal for players with a cold not to play or train. Many pros have done it: Ronaldo Nazario, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, etc. Almost any professional player at one point of his career has had to take a break because of a cold or flu. It’s normal!
Tips if you decide to play with a cold
Okay, so let’s imagine that you are like Cristiano Ronaldo or something, that your team must have you play or they will loose. Let’s think that the end of the world will come if you don’t play, then here are some tips for you:
- Stay hydrated: When passing through a cold, the body tends to dehydrate quickly. Try to drink water as many times as possible, even if you’re not thirsty. You can also drink Gatorade or any isotonic drink that can help you maintain your body hydrated. I would recommend to drink coconut water if you can, this is what hydrates our body best.
- Use thermal clothe: This type of clothe keeps your body warm and always stays dry. Which is very important when passing through a cold. They help you ” sweat out the fever”, which has not helped for me, but for most of my friends has.
- Stretch more than usual: Stretch before the game the best way you can. This will help your body start the physical activity, without forcing it. Remember that flu’s provoke dehydration. Your muscles need a lot of water to function correctly. Having them well stretch will prevent any possible muscle cramps that we all hate.
How to cure a cold quickly:
I made some research for you and came up with some methods you can try to get rid of your cold and be in the field as soon as possible.
- Vitamin C: There a lot of different methods to ingest vitamin c in local pharmacies. Vitamin C strengthens your immune system and can help you prevent soreness and damage to muscle tissue when exercising. There is so much information about vitamin c in google. I recommend doing your research about it before consuming any.
- Eat garlic: If you are capable of eating raw garlic, then do it. Many researchers have found that garlic has natural anti fungi, anti parasites, and anti viruses components to help kill the cold.
- Oregano oil: Four to five drops in a glass of water will do it.
- Zinc: This is the best mineral to boost the imune system.
- Apple cider vinegar
How to prevent from getting a flu or cold
I’m sure after this experience you’ll not ever want to loose a chance of playing soccer again because of a cold. Here are some tips to prevent getting one:
- Wash your hands regularly
- Don’t touch your mouth or anything close to it when playing soccer
- Avoid getting close to sick people like your professional soccer career depended on it
- Keep your surroundings clean
- Nourish your immune system: The people that least get sick are the ones with the strongest immune system. Think about it as your car. The better quality gas you put into, the better it will perform.
Conclusion
It has happen to all of us, that we have a flu that prevents us to play the game we love. The key to everything is to know if the cold will actually prevent us from performing the way we would like to or if it is not something very serious.
I know that sometimes it is very hard to stop playing, because you want to demonstrate what you are capable of or whatever, but sometimes you got to patient and wait the right moment for the well-being of your own health.
Don’t hesitate on taking a decision. Most of the greatest players ever have also become ill and had to quit from training or playing for a couple of days. It is human to become sick and sometimes it is just better to give a step to the side for a short time.