After England Lionesses recently won the European football championships, Lucy Bronze revealed that she’d played the tournament injured. Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, discusses the topic…
Firstly, I want to remind you that I’m neither a doctor nor Lucy Bronze’s coach. Everything I’m about to say is based on news reports I’ve read. However, I’m concerned about some of the messages this story may send to other professional athletes and the general public, and it’s not the first time we’ve heard this kind of story.
Olympic athletes competing injured
A story that really got to me last year was that of British runner, Rose Harvey, completing the marathon at the Paris Olympics with a stress fracture to her femur. According to reports, she and the team medics had been aware of the extent of her injury when she joined the start line. I found the idea highly irresponsible.
Life is tough as a professional athlete, particularly when you train for several years in order to make a particular event. Careers are shortened by age anyway, and temptation to “push through” and “make the most of the opportunity” is high, but at what long-term cost?
Lucy Bronze’s injury
As the reporting unfolded, it became apparent that Bronze’s leg wasn’t “broken” in the way that many of us would assume was meant by that phrase. Even for a very fit elite athlete, it’s not possible to compete with a complete lower limb fracture. It seems likely that she, too, had a stress fracture, however the injury being less serious than it might sound doesn’t mean that it’s also right to continue playing through it.
Bronze is one of the more senior members of the England team and, whilst she insists that her career is hopefully far from over, she is undoubtedly feeling the pressure of the clock ticking down. All players have a finite number of major tournaments that it’s practical to aim for, and they do the job because they want to play in as many as possible.
Why training when injured is a bad idea
Injuries are kind of inevitable when you train or participate in sport regularly. Whether due to accidents, or simple overuse, we’re all susceptible, so it soon becomes a case of how you manage the situation, as well as working hard to prevent injuries happening, or worsening when they do occur.
One of the best things you can do is listen to your body. Pain is an important message that something could be wrong, and new onset pain that either occurs during specific incidents, or doesn’t go away with rest, is a sign that you need to take action. It’s worth seeking professional advice to investigate the source of the pain, and take necessary action to mitigate it.
Often, rest will be advised as a first line treatment, and if that’s the case, it’s important to pay attention. This will help your body to recover, prevent the risk of the injury getting worse, and also therefore protect your health long-term.
No pain no gain is a lie
Stories such as that of Bronze’s injury can be dangerous. Yes, she’s a professional and likely receiving a good standard of care plus a lot of monitoring and advice, but her body is still fallible – contrary to media narratives, professional athletes are not literal superhumans. They may have excellent genetics and be highly conditioned, but they are still human beings.
Many members of the public are already put off the idea of exercising thanks to the belief that it has to be painful and uncomfortable. There is often an element of physical discomfort with pushing yourself during training, but this should only ever be temporary, rather than grinding through when you are sick or injured.
Sports science is evolving
There are well-documented cases of all kinds of injuries and safety elements previously having been actively ignored or less understood. Some key examples are the long-term side effects of head impact from sports such as American football. I can’t help but think that there are some ageing athletes who wish they’d had access to better information in order to make a more informed choice and protect their long-term health, which is what makes cases such as this one seem even more strange.
I freely admit that, as a coach, I very much err on the side of caution, but I’d argue that I’m stupid not to. I’m aware that I work with people whose health is already vulnerable, and whose bodies have been impacted by cancer treatment. Exercising in this scenario is only safe and effective when you follow key guidelines, and I’d so much rather recommend that someone get checked out and find out that nothing is wrong, than suggest that they push through only for things to get worse.
I hope that Bronze and other professional athletes who choose to participate with injuries are ultimately well taken care of, and my message to anyone is that, sometimes, rest is absolutely best.