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Preparing for the heat: Norway's football team told to use saunas
🇳🇴 Norway /Sports

Preparing for the heat: Norway's football team told to use saunas

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Norway's national football team is preparing for the World Cup in hot conditions by using saunas.
  • Players have been advised to spend time in saunas to acclimatize to temperatures that have reached up to 40 degrees Celsius in recent years.
  • The team's doctor and coach are implementing this strategy, with players like Kristian Thorstvedt and Erling Braut Haaland embracing the unusual training method.

Norway's national football team is taking an unconventional approach to prepare for the upcoming World Cup, focusing on acclimatizing to extreme heat. With matches scheduled in Boston and New York during June, a period known for heatwaves on the U.S. East Coast, the team is actively implementing a sauna regimen.

We have been told to go to the sauna as much as possible. Half an hour in the sauna as much as you can.

— Kristian ThorstvedtSpeaking about the team's preparation for the heat at the World Cup.

Landslagslege Ola Sand has previously warned about the challenging conditions, noting temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius in 2024 and 2025. To combat this, players have been instructed to spend significant time in saunas. "We have been told to go to the sauna as much as possible. Half an hour in the sauna as much as you can," Kristian Thorstvedt told VG.

It has been over 30 degrees in London the last week, so one gets a tempo shock.

— Jørgen Strand LarsenAdmitting he has not yet started the sauna regimen.

While some players, like Jørgen Strand Larsen, are just beginning to adopt the practice, others, including Erling Braut Haaland, have already shared their sauna sessions on social media. The team aims to be fully prepared for the heat, understanding its potential impact on performance during the tournament. Norway's first training match is against Sweden.

I have seen many of the players who are doing some sauna program, so I guess I just have to start with it too.

— Jørgen Strand LarsenCommenting on his teammates' preparation for the heat.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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