Numerous studies have shown that stress has an effect on the human body. The world famous MilanLab has acknowledged this and uses data about the psycological state of mind of players as one predictor for injury.
It is estimated that at the end of this season around 3,000 professional footballers in the UK will be out of contract. This is good news for some managers who can pick and choose who they want for next season. It is not so good for the players and frankly it can be very stressful for them.
Numerous studies have shown that stress has an effect on the human body which can greatly influence the risk of injury among footballers. The world famous Milan Lab (the medical lab of AC Milan) has acknowledged this and uses data about the psychological state of mind of players as one predictor for injury.
Ever since its introduction, the Milan Lab has had something of a magical feel about it. Apparently, no matter how bad the injury, the medical staff at AC Milan is always able to fix it.
The man behind the MilanLab is a Belgian chiropractor called Jean-Pierre Meersseman. He started to look at players as a whole. He states” Physical wholeness is the daughters of three mothers: equilibrium, endurance and co-ordination.”
The Milan Lab is a high-tech scientific research centre designed to optimise a player’s psycho-social condition to help them achieve and maintain a top-level athletic performance. At the same time, it also helps medical staff predict injury. The vision of the Milan Lab is to look at the player as a whole and the results have been impressive.
According to the Lab’s own data, the number of non-traumatic injuries (for instance hamstring injuries and back pain) has dropped a staggering 92% since its inception in 2002. In the past, the sheer number of injuries has seen AC Milan use about 35 players in a season. Nowadays, that number has dropped dramatically to around 22.
Most of us understand that to achieve an optimal performance, one needs proper fitness and nutrition. In the conservative world of football however, the mental aspect is often overseen. Not at AC Milan though: they have taken this to the next level. At the club, they have actually created a mind room. In this room, the athletes’ psychological state are studied and monitored in a glassed-in facility. The players use comfortable ergonomic seats to view relaxing images while psychologists monitor their mental state via miniature electrodes fitted to the players’ head which are connected to a computer. The mind room is used to improve the recovery rate of the players between matches and provides scope for them to overcome negative stress. The facility helps the players to relax and to relieve stress. The sessions last for about 20 minutes and take place after every training session.
But it doesn’t stop here. The MilanLab has also invested in an artificial intelligence computer system that collects and processes information. All the information regarding the player available, physical-biochemical and psychological, is fed into this system. This system is able to “self-teach” through the process of memorised data which can determine which factors will cause a player to suffer an injury. The medical staff use traffic light system to determine if a player is fit enough to play. Only the ones that have a green light, will be able to play.
At AC Milan, the psycho-social well being of players is more of a valuable asset than that of a football team as a whole, in that the players on the pitch are more important from a sporting point of view than from an economic point of view.
