How are Mitochondria Related to Soccer? What Players Must Know

You cannot drive a car with a broken battery in the same way you cannot perform at your best with damaged mitochondria. Yet, most soccer players are unaware or do not understand the importance of their cellular batteries responsible for creating their energy.

As a soccer player, improving your mitochondrial function is one of the best ways to become a better player, get in better shape, and improve all of the most important aspects of player development: talent, game IQ, mindset, athleticism, fitness, recovery, and discipline. In the world of modern health sciences, a new branch of science has become very popular called quantum physics, and the mitochondria, which are influenced by light, water, and magnetism, are one of the main characters.

Quantum physics, also called quantum biology or quantum mechanics, attempts to explain how everything around us, even what we cannot see, is connected. The best way to test the concepts of this new science is by working with nature, which will directly improve mitochondrial function and your circadian rhythm, the most fundamental aspects of overall health.

If you need help understanding what mitochondrial function is and how to optimize your mitochondria, whether you are a youth, amateur, professional player, a parent, or a coach, then this is the perfect blog for you.

Why is Mitochondrial Function Important for Soccer Players?

Mitochondria are the power plants inside your muscle cells that produce ATP, the chemical energy your body uses to fuel every sprint, tackle, and movement during a 90-minute match. Elite endurance athletes and professional soccer players have a larger mitochondrial density in their skeletal muscle compared to non-athletes, which is why they have better aerobic capacity, can use oxygen more efficiently, and experience less muscle fatigue during intense exercise.

What do soccer players need to know about the Mitochondria?

Have you ever thought about how the human body generates energy? The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell that is responsible for creating the energy inside your body.

Most people think the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell because they aid in ATP production, and although that is true, the mitochondria get that name mainly because of their role in redox potential.

Redox Potential

One of the most important aspects of performance is having a strong redox potential, which is determined by your mitochondrial function. Redox potential refers to the transference of electrons between two species in which one loses electrons and the other gains electrons.

Electrons are the energy currency of the entire universe, including your body, and how strong your redox potential is plays a huge role in how your body creates and uses energy, more specifically, electrons. Think of your cells as individual humans, each with its own set of organelles, which literally stands for “little organs.”

The mitochondria are the organelles responsible for creating energy in the cells. They act very similarly to the batteries on your electronic devices, which is what creates energy everywhere else in the body. As you can see in the image above, you want mitochondria that can properly use the energy in your body to create more energy.

If they are working properly, then they will be able to produce more energy, with few inflammation-causing free radicals, but if they are not working properly, then they will produce little energy with a lot of harmful free radicals. All elite endurance athletes, like professional soccer players, have a high redox potential and high mitochondrial function, and these are some of the reasons why they are able to achieve peak performance easily, whether they know it or not.

Analogy to Better Understand Mitochondrial Function

The best analogy to understand the mitochondria is to think of them as the engine, your body as a car, and food as gasoline. It does not matter what type of gasoline you put in your car if your engine is not working in the first place, in the same way that it does not matter what type of food you eat if your mitochondria are not working properly in the first place.

If the engine of your car stopped working, what would you fix first? You would fix the engine first before you worry about what type of gas you put in, right?

Think about it. If the engine or battery of your car is not working, you can put all the gas you want, and it is not going to move or even start in the first place. This is the same thing with your mitochondria.

Fix your mitochondria first, your batteries, and then worry about nutrition, or the fuel you consume. Most people think the most important thing for health is nutrition, and although nutrition is very important, it is much more important to fix your light environment and mitochondria first.

Light controls all of the processes inside of your body, and the mitochondria interact with light, which is a form of Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF). Most people don’t know that when you eat food, you are really absorbing the electrons of those foods, which, as mentioned previously, is the energy currency of the universe.

Eating food is one of the main ways we can gather electrons, or energy, but we can also gather electrons by getting sunlight, taking our shoes off and getting grounded, receiving red light, and exercising.

History of the Mitochondria

Understanding the history of mitochondria can provide insight as to why they work the way they do. Mitochondria are believed to have originated from ancient bacteria that formed a symbiotic relationship with early eukaryotic cells, cells with a nucleus.

This also means that the mitochondria used to be their own organisms until they merged with these eukaryotic cells. This event, known as endosymbiosis, is thought to have occurred over a billion years ago.

When the mitochondria and eukaryotic cells merged, the mitochondria provided the cell with energy through respiration, while the cell provided a home for the mitochondria. This allowed the eukaryotic cells to become more efficient since they were getting a lot more energy thanks to the help of the mitochondria.

In short, the mitochondria gave eukaryotic cells the energy to carry out complex tasks, and through years of evolution, they merged and created more complex organisms, including humans.

The Mitochondrial Genome: The Root Cause of Diseases

The mitochondrial genome is a small but vital part of our genetic makeup. Two of the main organelles are the nucleus, which contains our nuclear genome and our nuclear genes, or DNA, and the mitochondria, which have their own genome and mitochondrial DNA.

This means there are two genomes inside your body, the nuclear genome and the mitochondrial genome. Most people think we only have one, a nuclear genome, so they focus on fixing that one and forget, or don’t acknowledge, the mitochondrial genome.

All, if not most, diseases are related to the mitochondrial genome, not the nuclear genome, because diseases arise when there is a lack of energy, or a lack of flow of energy, in your body. The nuclear genome, which is what most people focus on, relates more to the chemicals that make up your body and give you your unique anatomical and physiological characteristics, while the mitochondrial genome relates more to thermodynamics, how your body creates and uses energy.

It is also important to note that the mitochondria are affected by three things, which are the basis of life: light, water, and magnetism. If you really want to have your mind blown and go through a paradigm shift, then these are the two videos you must watch.

• Doctor Jack Kruse- Vermont 2016 Presentation
• Doctor Jack Kruse- Vermont 2017 Presentation

How To Improve Mitochondrial Function

So now that you know why the mitochondria are important, let’s talk about how you can improve your mitochondrial function, which will lead to an improved redox potential and many compounding benefits. With these tips you might have to make significant changes in the long-term but you could start slow with a few and slowly build up.

• Live a natural lifestyle (light, water, magnetism)
• See the sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening daily (light)
• Get enough sunlight daily and avoid dangerous sunscreen and sunglasses (light)
• Supplement with red light therapy if needed
• Spend time barefoot to get the benefits of grounding therapy (magnetism)
• Engage in regular exercise and physical activity
• Prioritize a local and in-season based diet (light)
• Learn how to hydrate properly and the importance of Exclusion Zone water (water)
• Get rid of fascia adhesions with massage tools like the spiky ball (light and water)
• Limit and avoid EMF exposure using EMF protection products such as blue light blockers (magnetism)
• Use natural recovery techniques (light, water, magnetism)
• Go on long walks in nature, spend more time outside, and surround yourself with trees, plants, mountains, lakes, oceans, etc. as much as possible (light, water, magnetism)
• Develop a winning soccer mindset (magnetism)
• Use sauna and cold therapy consistently
• Chase your dreams, be yourself, and have fun

Final Thought

To summarize, the mitochondria play a huge role in how your body creates and uses energy and the more healthy mitochondria you have the better. Mitochondrial function has a huge impact on every aspect of your life on and off the field and in this blog, I covered the importance of the mitochondrial function for soccer players, provided a brief history of the mitochondria, as well as provided you with important tips to help improve mitochondrial function.

So now that you are done with this blog, start applying and using the information and experience the benefits for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are mitochondria related to soccer performance and endurance athletes?

Mitochondria in muscle cells produce ATP through oxidative phosphorylation, providing the energy needed for soccer players to perform for 90-minute matches. Elite endurance athletes, like those in soccer or marathon running, typically have higher mitochondrial density in skeletal muscle cells, allowing for better oxygen usage and energy production during intense exercise.

What role does mitochondrial function play in athletic performance for soccer players?

Mitochondrial function determines how efficiently your body produces ATP, the chemical energy that powers muscle contractions during soccer matches. Research shows that elite athletes have more efficient mitochondrial structure and function, leading to improved aerobic capacity and better exercise performance.

Can soccer training improve mitochondrial function and energy production?

Yes, regular soccer training, which acts as endurance training, does stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, which increases the number and efficiency of the mitochondria, improving physiological processes, oxygen uptake, and physical fitness.

What are the best soccer recovery options for players?

The best soccer recovery options for players include high-quality soccer recovery equipment, effective injury prevention tools, and structured habits built through following consistent routines, from training routines and daily routines to morning routines that support performance and longevity. It is also important for players to invest in off-field recovery tools and in-game protective gear, such as compression gear, shin guards, supportive footwear like barefoot shoes, extra recovery accessories such as EMF protection for soccer players, and foundational support from soccer supplements to help the body recover, adapt, and stay resilient throughout the season.