05/12/2025
Can Football Players Really Get Faster Underwater? The Science Says Yes. β½π
Episode 2 β Dr Ashai on Aqua-Treadmill
Footballers, hereβs a question worth asking:
Can underwater training actually improve sprint speed, power and agility?
Surprisingly β yes, and the science backs it.
A systematic review on football players found that aquatic-therapy & aqua-plyometric programs improved:
β
Lower-limb power (vertical jump β ~21%)
β
Sprint speed (10β20m times β ~12β13%)
β
Agility performance
β all with reduced joint load.
(Effectiveness of Aquatic Therapy on Football Playersβ Performance β Systematic Review, 2022)
As Dr Ashai explains, water gives 360Β° resistance + low impact, making it possible to:
build explosiveness safely, even during injury rehab or load-management phases.
A special thank you to Mr. Steiner Dsouza Mumbai City FC football player, who brings real, experience to this episode. πβ½
For players chasing sharper accelerationβ¦
For physios designing smarter return-to-play plansβ¦
Underwater treadmill training might be the edge youβre missing. β‘πββοΈ
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