In 2012, the FA Cup
quarter-final match which brought Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton to a halt when
Fabrice Muamba suddenly collapsed in the field.
Fabrice Muamba's heart
stopped beating for 78 minutes.
Sudden cardiac death is a
result of sudden cardiac arrest, better known as sudden cardiac arrest. This
incident then made many players and loyal football supporters to be anxious.
Can playing football
trigger a cardiac arrest? Here is the full review.
What is sudden cardiac arrest?
After falling in the
field, Muamba was rushed to the hospital. The match was stopped. Muamba experiences
sudden cardiac arrest.
Reporting from The
Guardian, the medical team continued to do lung heart resuscitation for 67
minutes, until finally Muamba's heart beat again.
Sudden cardiac arrest
alone is a rare condition that occurs at a young age, can be found in 1 in
50,000 people. Sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac arrest is a condition in
which the heartbeat suddenly stops, resulting in the sufferer being unable to
breathe and lose consciousness (fainting).
This condition is very
dangerous because it can cause disability to death in just minutes.
Unfortunately, sudden cardiac arrest occurs without warning or symptoms. This is caused by a disruption of electrical current (electrical impulses) in the heart which inhibits blood pumping activity and stops blood circulation in the body.
This condition is
different from a heart attack, where blood flow to some parts of the heart is
blocked.
However, a heart attack
can also trigger disruption of electricity and cause a person to experience
sudden cardiac arrest.
Why do many football players experience sudden cardiac arrest?
Not only Fabrice Muamba
who has experienced this unfortunate event. Already many soccer players are
uprooted while in action on the ground due to heart problems.
Does that mean soccer
sports increase the risk of cardiac arrest?
Of course not.
It's just that soccer is
one of the most popular sports in the community. In addition, the number of
soccer players in the whole world is also very large.
Therefore, reporting on
heart problems to soccer players is indeed more widely heard.
However, compared to
other sports, soccer can trigger the work of the human heart up to 98% of the
maximum heart rate. Whereas tennis triggers up to 80%, while golf is even
lower.
This is because soccer is
a very dynamic sport. The players must move continuously and the risk of
collisions between players is quite large.
During 90 minutes of
competition, soccer players will play around 60 minutes and consume energy of
1,500 kilos of calories (kcal). Just imagine, the average player, except the
goalkeeper, runs a total of 10 kilometers in each match.
Interestingly, the
playing position also affects the aerobic capacity. Defender has the lowest
aerobic capacity while the striker or striker is the highest.
The cause of sudden cardiac death in soccer players
Heart disorders that
occur in soccer athletes are caused by different things. According to experts,
most cases of heart abnormalities actually existed since birth.
However, there are also
heart diseases that are derived from various things, including the exercise
process itself. Not all of these abnormalities can be detected by routine
examinations, so it might just be realized after a fatal event.
Sudden death in athletes,
more than 90% of which are caused by heart problems, which are medically known
as sudden cardiac death (SCD) or sudden death caused by heart problems.
This condition occurs
after they experience sudden cardiac arrest. During 1966 to 2004 1,101 cases of
SCD were reported in athletes.
SCD events are also
reported in various sports arenas.
30% occur in the soccer
arena, 25% in the basketball arena, and 15% in running. The cause of SCD in
athletes aged over 35 years is generally atherosclerosis, while at the age of
under 35 years the most common causes are cardiomyopathy, heart rhythm
disorders, myocarditis and trauma to the heart.
Of the various causes of
SCD, 80-90% of the underlying heart disease should be detected.
Football itself does
provide many health benefits. For example by lowering blood pressure, weight,
and cholesterol levels.
However, different
stories if you work as a football player who has a match schedule and solid
training. Not to mention other activities such as participating in starring in
advertisements or preseason tours.
According to the heart
specialist association in Europe, there are two basic things that must be
corrected to prevent death due to sudden cardiac death.
These two things are
tightening the pre-match health check and providing emergency services in a
better sports arena.
