By Doug Reed @DougReedFutsal

Watching an elite level futsal match, you are entertained by the spectacular plays and incredible action produced by the players. However to enable the players to perform at their best there are many people who work in the background.

One of the most important of these is the medical doctor who ensures the players are in optimal condition to train and play. Despite the importance of the role and players’ health in the sport of futsal, these issues are rarely discussed.

FutsalPlanet has carried out an exclusive and extensive interview with one of the top medical doctors in the sport, England National Futsal Team Doctor Markus Laupheimer. We cover topics including the role of the doctor, injuries, nutrition and fitness training. The aim of this is to provide the futsal community with information and advice that can help both the amateur and elite athlete improve their performance and health.


Born in Germany, Laupheimer’s passion for sport was passed on to him from his father who was a football player in Germany’s first division. However the discipline he would excel at most was tennis and he achieved enough success in the sport to fund his medical tuition.

He explains his motivation for entering the medical profession and specifically sport by saying “I enjoy helping people to get fit again, for example, after injury or to help them to get better to reach their dreams in being successful in their sport. Or, in the case of some individuals, just to be able to participate.”

He has always been interested in the latest and most innovative treatments and this is what attracted him to sports medicine. As he explains; “Sports medicine is always on the edge of new treatments as people always thrive to be recuperate faster in order to go back and do what they love and that is participating in their sport. And that's what I like and hopefully I can help them achieve this.”

He has continued to further his education since he qualified as a doctor and has become an expert in various areas. He specialised in the holistic treatments of muskuloskeletal problems with interests in ultrasound guided injections, muscle and tendon problems.

His open minded and forward thinking approach not only helped to expand his knowledge but also led to taking the decision to leave his country of birth and to complete his medical education in the United Kingdom.

He has learned from some of the world’s top sports doctors such as those from the English and German national football teams. He has now earned a renowned reputation for himself and his services and holistic approach are in high demand.

This is demonstrated by several appointments he has had including being employed at the 2012 Olympic Games and teaching Sport and Exercise Medicine at Queen Mary University of London. He currently works at a BUPA clinic in central London where his clients include elite athletes and famous personalities. Here he provides his expertise for the benefit of futsal players.

Futsal Planet - What are the responsibilities and roles of the England Futsal Team doctor?

Markus Laupheimer - I would say, like any team doctor, the first is to avoid injury and illness. Regarding this, for me, the best training camp is when no player gets injured. That’s not me being lazy but me being proactive as I know the biggest risk factor for injury is a previous injury! So, clearly as a player you want to avoid injury! And here the team comes into play.

I would also say my responsibility is to proactively involve the physiotherapists and strength & conditioning coach to help develop a viable injury prevention program. It is also important to have the coaching staff’s support and backing. But the most important is to get the players to believe in it as usually it is not their first priority as they think ‘Why should I do this core work or balance work? I just want to play Futsal!’.

Other responsibilities include attending to injured players during training camps and international games. If players do get injured, it is to fix them and get them in physical condition to play again as soon as possible.

FP - How do the demands on the futsal player compare to other athletes?

ML - I think the demands are quite different to, for example, football. It is a high intensity sport. Over the years I have seen lots of players who are good football players and think they are in excellent physical condition. Then they play 2 minutes of high intensity futsal and they are quickly out of breath!!

Obviously ball skills are important as well but all the ball skills in the world don't help if you are tired after 2-3 minutes and you make mistakes. So, in a way Futsal is a sport where you need to combine a high level of fitness with a high level of skills. As a player that means you need to be quite dedicated to improve both.


FP - What type of injuries are the most common with futsal players?

ML - Injuries are similar to those found in football but over the years we have seen ankle, knee and groin/hamstring problems.


FP - What would you recommend to prevent these type of injuries?

ML - Get fit (good physical condition)! That seems to be a major factor for futsal. If you are not in a good physical condition and you play for a long time, you get tired and that’s when injuries happen.

To achieve a good physical condition, high intensity interval training should be incorporated in to any training routine or program. Then more and more core stability or pilates type exercises mixed with some balance work seems to reduce injury. FIFA has been promoting this a lot with their FIFA 11+ initiative, which is good for the amateur level.

As you reach a more professional level you probably want to have a more individualised and tailored program. But, to prevent the majority of injuries, core work combined with some lower limb strength and proprioception work should suffice.

FP - Thinking about amateur futsal players, are there any short workout programs that can improve futsal specific fitness quickly?

ML - A good HIIT (High-intensity interval training) program, lasting only 20 minutes, is the following:

•Warm up for three minutes (low intensity exercise and dynamic stretching)
•Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. You should be gasping for breath and feel like you couldn't possibly continue on for another few seconds. It is better to use lower resistance (less difficult) and higher repetitions to increase your heart rate.
•Recover for 90 seconds, still moving, but at slower pace and decreased resistance
•Repeat this sequence of high-intensity exercise (30 secs) then recovery (90 secs) another 7 times. (As you improve your physical condition just keep adding repetitions until you're doing 30 seconds on 30 seconds off in your 20-minute session)
•Cool down for a few minutes afterward by cutting down your intensity by 50-80%

FP - What nutritional and hydration advice would you give to a futsal player?

ML - Well, that is an ever evolving and developing subject. And nutrition is not only important for sports performance but also for your general health. Good quality protein seems to be important, especially after exercise, to help you to adapt to the changes which occur in the body in order to adjust to the higher training load. I also like, for this reason, fish as it also is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to our diet.

And obviously everybody who knows me knows that I am very keen that everyone has enough "health sunshine exposure" or Vitamin D3 supplements as there is not enough sunshine in the UK. And as it seems Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) has a lot of important functions in our body like helping our body to adapt to training and helping maintain health (e.g. prevent you getting a cold). And there is plenty more but my general advice is to reduce processed food (and sugars), increase consumption of vegetables, eat good sources of protein (fish, egg and chicken) and make sure you get enough Vitamin D (best via 15 minutes of sun exposure at lunchtime during the summer or through supplements).

Regarding hydration, the jury seems to be out regarding hydration advice. I am just not a fan of too many sugary drinks or snacks. Okay, maybe a banana just before a match or during half time but not a whole load of very refined sugars.

I personally would prefer a multi-mineral drink with magnesium in it and possibly a buffer (which means you are not getting too much acid during the exercise).

Regarding the amount or how much you should drink there seems to be a difference between long duration endurance exercise where over hydration has become a problem and the advice there nowadays is to drink to thirst. For sports where decision making is important, keeping well hydrated (not over-hydrated) seems beneficial as good hydration positively influences decision making.

FP - To help players be in the best physical condition you employ some alternative and complementary therapies such as acupuncture. What innovative treatments do you see becoming more popular and mainstream in sport in the future?

ML - Acupuncture has survived for thousands of years and, I guess, it will still be there in years to come, as it is very effective and very low risk. Also some herbal remedies have survived for centuries and I am sure they will continue to be used in future. What I have learned over the years is that medicine is continuously evolving and I am sure there will be some developments in regenerative medicine (like stem cells).

But what is more important is to see the whole person including the feelings, wishes and expectations of the athlete. A treatment or injection can help to make someone better but more important is the motivation and the understanding that the athlete needs to take control or ownership of their injury combined with a positive approach to get better.

FP - Finally, you have been introduced to futsal through your professional career, what is your personal opinion on the sport and its future?

ML - Oh yes, futsal is a great sport! Fast, exciting and skilful. I hope that futsal will take off in the United Kingdom. This is not only because you can watch it indoors (and avoid the bad weather), but also, if you can fill an indoor hall, the atmosphere is amazing and the supporters will be entertained.

To find out more about Markus Laupheimer and his services then you can go to his website www.MSKclinic.co.uk/. He is also developing a website that will be dedicated to futsal medicine.













Posted by Doug Reed -@DougReedFutsal --> info@futsalplanet.com