30 Minutes of Extra Time Could be Most Important

At this stage of the season, the 30 minutes of extra time could be the most important of the whole campaign

You might not have noticed because of the incessant rain, but it is supposed to be summer. And what is the one thing you can bank on when the summer starts? Extra time. We had our first examples on Monday with both Conference play-off semi-finals lasting for 120 minutes before penalties finally decided the outcome. With Euro 2004 just around the corner it is inevitable that fatigue will play a big part in deciding the outcome of matches throughout June. It may just be that the best team won't triumph - but the fittest will.  We sent along givemefootball's Rehab Room correspondent, Ian Clarkson to talk to Lilleshall Hall's Sports scientist expert, John Brewer about the importance of keeping fit at this late stage of the campaign.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE FIT AT THIS STAGE OF THE CAMPAIGN?

The last thing you want to do is reach the end of 90 minutes and find that you haven't done enough training to cover your fitness. With the play-offs, FA Cup Final and Euro 2004 all looming it is likely that the 30 minutes of extra time will be the most important period of the season for the team. Everyone should be aware that it could happen and there is certainly no harm in maybe undertaking an extra session or two just to top up those fitness levels.

WILL THE WEATHER MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

It may sound obvious but most of these periods of extra-time will be occurring in an unusually hot environment.  We are not ankle deep in mud like during the winter months. Heat can have a debilitating effect on the body and it forces the heart to beat faster to pump blood to the skin and keep the body cool. The extra demands on your body in the heat in the regulation 90 minutes makes you tired.

CAN IT AFFECT YOUR PERFORMANCE?

You dehydrate more in hot weather and you only need to lose two per cent of your bodyweight through dehydration for your performance to be impaired. You are likely to lose around one litre of fluid or more during an hour so bearing in mind a match lasts for an hour and a half then you can see that you are getting close to the limit.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD PLAYERS HAVE DRINK BREAKS?

There needs to be a lot of fluid intake - little and often is the preferred method - and all managers and referees should be aware of the need to take fluid on board more often than usual. It would be naïve to complain about players taking a drinks break during matches and also unrealistic to expect them not to.

CAN THEY HELP THEMSELVES DURING GAMES?

It is important to make sure that your energy stores, which is mainly down to carbohydrates, are full. They should last for one and a half hours, but it wouldn't do you any harm to top them up at half time and you should think about taking on board energy drinks or bananas for example.

HOW CAN YOU COMBAT CRAMP?

Once cramp starts it is difficult to turn back the clock and stop it. However, massaging and stretching the muscle will help ease it slightly. One substance that has been advocated for help in averting the threat of cramp is quinine. It isn't a banned substance and you will find it in tonic water. It has been used in the jungle to fight malaria and is known to reduce the effects of cramp. I worked with the England cricket team in the 1990's and Ian Botham was a big fan when they were on tour in Australia. He used to shake a bottle of tonic water so it lost its fizz and dink it as still water. But I would suggest trying it in a training session before using it during a game just to check that you like the taste.

 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE MENTALLY RIGHT?

You should prepare for the worse case scenario, but the dilemma facing a player is that he can't pace himself.  You obviously need to try and win over the 90 minutes but be aware that it could be a survival of the fittest. I often think the team that wins the penalty shoot-out if the fittest team as they can stay more focused. I would tell the five nominated penalty takers to keep moving and not stay still like you sometimes see, as you need to keep your limbs nice and loose. It could be as long as 20 minutes after the final whistle when the final penalty takes place and there is plenty of time to stiffen up during that period.