PHOENIX — One Arizona State University professor is trying to change the game of soccer to better help players perform.
Dr. Floris Wardenaar has been making recommendations to FIFA ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, hoping his latest findings can impact how the game is played.
Dr. Wardenaar's findings were recently published in the Science and Medicine in Football Journal.
He leads ASU's Athleat Field Lab and has spent years studying hydration and nutrition in athletes.
During the pandemic, he and a team analyzed data from the 2018 FIFA World Cup to identify ways athletes can better hydrate to reduce sports-related injuries.
Dr. Wardenaar said hydration plays a crucial part in athlete performance since more than 60 percent of our bodies are made up of water.
He believes not enough athletes in soccer maximize their hydration during their breaks in the game.
"What we see is that there is a substantial amount of breaks, but only one-third of the breaks are actually used to drink," Dr. Wardenaar said. "A lot of professional soccer players start somewhat dehydrated, so from that perspective, there are often a lot of recommendations but there's also some hesitation, like, can I drink? Will the break be long enough? And our research shows that there is ample opportunity to drink."
Dr. Wardenaar hopes his recommendations can be implemented on smaller soccer fields across the Valley as well.
