Protecting your Achilles is key to lockdown training

Taking preventative measures during the lockdown could protect you from serious injury when full training resumes.

A ruptured Achilles tendon can shorten an athlete’s career. Picture: iStock

These have to be scary times for competitive athletes from all sporting codes during the lockdown. And if not playing the sport you love isn’t enough, I am going to add some salt to the wound.
The Achilles tendon is a fibrous cord that connects the back of your calf muscles to the heelbone of your foot. It is also the strongest and largest tendon in your body. It allows for walking, running, jumping and explosive movements.
According to a research article by Meyer et al that was conducted during a previous American Football League (NFL) lockdown, your chances of an Achilles rupture will increase up to 250%.

In 2011, the NFL embarked on a national lockdown period between owners, players and government which lasted 132 days, or just over three months.

During this lockdown period, players did not have access to the clubs’ medical team or training facilities and were not allowed to speak to their coaches.
The season usually kicks off with pre-season training for rookies from April to July in a mini-camp format and organised team activities.

Pre-season officially starts with the whole squad getting together in August and September, followed by the four-month regular season.

The campaign then comes to an end in glorious fashion with the Super Bowl in February.
Research conducted between 1997 and 2002 found that, on average, there were two Achilles ruptures during pre-season and five ruptures per year.
In 2011 there were an astonishing 12 ruptures within one month of the lockdown being lifted, of which 10 happened in the first 12 days. Common sense tells me, of course, that this was going to happen.

It’s as if they kept prized winning racehorses in sheds for three months and then expected them to race at former glory pace.
The conditioning at home, even if you have a home gym, is not the same as the training conditions you would be normally subjected to during weekly training.

If you have ever been to a training yard of a racehorse, you will soon learn there is no slow speed. The horse has been conditioned to operate at high intensity, irrespective of the time of year.
This is why their coaches limit what they can and can’t do until they are ready.

Unfortunately, the assumption at NFL level was that everyone would be training hard. Sure, they might have been, but not specific to their daily sporting demands and positional needs.
So what can you do as a player right now, based on this research? If I were in your shoes, I would upgrade my medical aid, perhaps get medical insurance and definitely find out about salary protection from a broker.

If for whatever reason you get hurt, make sure you have the necessary money paid out to afford the very best surgeons, rehabilitation specialists and back-to-play performance coaches.
The extra money you spend now is well worth the investment into yourself because – and it’s important to remember this – your career has a limited life span and there are hundreds of younger, talented players waiting to take your spot.
The next big question is, what can you do as a player to help prevent Achilles ruptures when lockdown restrictions are sufficiently lifted in order for you to return to your normal training regime?1. Improve plasticity in your calves

Strengthen your calf to make sure the muscle and tendon can handle forces. Also spend time before and after training to massage, knead and increase the length of the muscles.

This will allow more room to play and reduce the forces applied on the attachment. This is critical for Achilles health and injury prevention.

2. Vary your routine

It’s not just about going to a calf raising machine and moving up and down while you look in the mirror and admire your beauty. To strengthen your calves, you need to vary your exercises, applying different degrees of intensity, tempo, repetitions and angled forces.3. Choose your surfaces carefully

Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

When you train on concrete, there is very little give or cushioning, so your ankles, knees and back often hurt because your tendons and joints act as shock absorbers for your bodyweight after each step. Surfaces like grass and court provide more cushioning and less impact on your tendons and joints.

If you have been road running and this has been your primary activity, then when you go back to grass, you will have problems.

Train on the surface which you play your sport.

4. Rule of thumb

Never increase intensity more than 10% a week. A safe 5% increase is the perfect loading for adaption to occur.

If you overload too much too soon, your calves will be shot and you run the risk of rupturing your Achilles.

This information is too important not to take it seriously. I have noticed over the years, especially when I was the strength and conditioning coach for former PSL side Black Aces, that some players like to get injured because it gives them time to rest and they get paid irrespective.

If you are a real athlete, however, and have a hunger to play at your best in every game that your body permits, then take this information and do something about it.
Train smart and reach out if you need any advice or help.

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