In football and in any sport, longevity often threatens an athlete’s ability to stay active. That’s why it’s quite impressive to see Fábio still playing for Fluminense at 43 years old.
In fact, the former Cruzeiro goalkeeper won the CONMEBOL Libertadores last season. What’s his secret to keep playing at a high level at this stage of his career? One might think that rest is one of those factors, but it seems that it’s not.
READ MORE
++ Summary of the Brasileirão: Botafogo leads; Fluminense, Grêmio, and Corinthians in the relegation zone
++ Fluminense fans demand Diniz’s dismissal. Coach responds.
++ Top Brazilian players who may return to the Brasileirão like Thiago Silva
In an interview with Globo Esporte, the experienced goalkeeper raised eyebrows by confessing that he doesn’t sleep much at night. He also revealed that he doesn’t go to the gym much, which is surprising considering he’s a professional athlete.
“Today, I went to bed at 4 a.m. I woke up at 7, took my daughter to school, took my son to driving school, and I’ve been here (at the CT Carlos Castilho) ever since. I don’t do weight training; the guys are amazed. I don’t get massages; you can count on one hand the times I’ve had them. And in my career, not even at Fluminense. I never did at Fluminense. My friends always said ‘that’s bad for your health,’ and then you wonder ‘is it really?’ I feel fine. There was a time when we did a sleep test at Cruzeiro. Mine was wonderful; my sleep is very deep. The little time I sleep is enough for my recovery,” Fábio said.
🧤🏆 Fábio, the top shot-stopper in the 2⃣0⃣2⃣3⃣ CONMEBOL #Libertadores! 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/Ahs9AhNWu4
— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@TheLibertadores) December 10, 2023
The recommendation for people between 40 and 60 years old is usually to sleep between seven and nine hours a day, but this case seems to be a strange exception, or at least that’s what the goalkeeper claims: “My body type also favors me in terms of recovery. I’ve always recovered very quickly, always trained a lot, so recovery is crucial to avoid muscle injuries. Sometimes I sleep three hours, sometimes I go straight through. I don’t have any special preparation, it’s always faith in God.”
Fábio may feel fine this way, but it’s clear that this is not common or frequent for most people. A good rest is essential not only for athletes but for humans in general.
