Physical activity and your heart health  The Heart Foundation
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Stanford University School of Medicine blog
When you scramble breakfast eggs in canola oil, order fast-food fries, or pour commercial dressing onto your salad, you’re consuming seed oils. A blanket term for any vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of plants, seed oils include sunflower oil, canola oil (which is made from rapeseed), soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil and grapeseed oil. Most seed oils are affordable, easy to cook with and mildly flavored, making them a staple ingredient in home kitchens, restaurants and processed food production.
Recently, however, seed oils have become a focal point in public discourse, thanks to a surge of viral social media posts claiming that the oils are toxic or unhealthy and contribute to the obesity epidemic.
Christopher Gardner, PhD, the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, has studied the effect of dietary changes — including oils and fats — on health for more than three decades. He has also served as the chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee.
We asked Gardner, the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor, what an average American should know about seed oils and their effects on health. He said that most of the claims about seed oil as harmful are misguided and that other dietary changes — such as avoiding ultra-processed foods and eating enough fruits and vegetables — will have bigger health benefits than focusing on the oils.
Here are five things Gardner said consumers should know about seed oils.
As a graduate student in 1995, Gardner analyzed more than a dozen studies on the effects of different types of dietary fats on cholesterol levels. For years, scientists have studied the difference between saturated fats that are solid at room temperature — think butter, lard and beef tallow — and unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature, including seed oils.
Like many researchers before him, Gardner found that people who switched from using mostly saturated fat in their diets to eating more unsaturated fats saw their LDL cholesterol levels decrease. High levels of this type of cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Every study for decades has shown that when you eat unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, this lowers the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood,,” Gardner said. “There are actually few associations in nutrition that have this much evidence behind them.”
Large studies tracking tens or hundreds of thousands of people over decades (including one published this month) have found associations between eating more unsaturated fats — and less saturated fats — and lower death rates, he added.
Much of the recent criticism of seed oils centers on their omega-6 fatty acid content, with claims that these fatty acids promote inflammation. Gardner said this idea is not backed up by science.
Omega-3 and omega-6, both found in fish, seeds, and nuts, are essential fatty acids, meaning our bodies require them but cannot produce them. So we must get them through our diets. While omega-3s are suspected to have anti-inflammatory properties, omega-6 fats play important roles, too.
“The omega-3s seem to be a little more anti-inflammatory than the omega-6s,” Gardner said. “But somehow, this has been flipped into saying the omega-6s are pro-inflammatory. That isn’t the case. Just because research suggests that omega-3s have stronger anti-inflammatory effects doesn’t mean omega-6s are harmful.”
In fact, apart from eating fish or flax seeds — it is difficult to get omega-3 fats in your diet without some omega-6s, as all other foods that are sources of these fats have more omega-6 than omega-3.
For decades, Gardner has hoped to find links between diet and inflammation but he said the immune system is still too poorly understood to make these kinds of associations when studying humans. So he is immediately skeptical of claims that seed oils cause inflammation — the body’s natural immune response to injury, infection or stress. His skepticism, he said, comes largely from the fact that there is no single test a doctor can order that fully captures the concept of inflammation.
“Measuring inflammation with any current laboratory tests is incredibly complex and just can’t be done yet,” he said. “There are hundreds of immune markers, and we really don’t know which ones are signs of a healthy immune system.”
Because there is a lack of agreement on what the best metrics for inflammation are, and a poor understanding of what types and levels of inflammation are appropriate for a healthy immune system, Gardner said it is inappropriate for any food — whether seed oils, omega fats, or something else — to be unquestionably dubbed anti- or pro-inflammatory. 
The rise in seed oil use and consumption has paralleled increases in obesity and chronic disease. But Gardner said this correlation could be caused by other factors. Diets high in ultra-processed foods, for instance, are associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many other health conditions, and these ultraprocessed foods often contain seed oils. Research has suggested that these associations are best explained by the presence of additives, sugar and sugar substitutes, nitrates, and overall nutrient profiles of ultra-processed foods.
“It’s true that we eat more ultra-processed junk food than we ever have before,” he said. “But the evidence is clear that the harms of this kind of food have more to do with their calories and their high amounts of added sugar, sodium and saturated fat than with seed oil.”
People who feel better, lose weight or have more energy after quitting seed oils are likely noticing the effects of eating a less processed diet, Gardner said.
“If you cut out seed oils by avoiding McDonald’s and cake and chips, you’re probably going to feel great,” he said. “But until we do a controlled trial where we compare the effects of all this junk food with versus without seed oils, I would argue that any change in your health is due to the combination of all the ingredients of the foods, not just the seed oils.”
If you’re concerned about your long-term risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Gardner said there are other evidence-based changes you can make in your diet without avoiding seed oils.
When choosing what fat to use in cooking food, Gardner stresses that using vegetable oil instead of an animal-based fat is best for cholesterol levels. If using seed oil encourages you to eat more vegetables, the overall effect on your health is likely positive.
“To think that seed oils are anywhere near the top of the list of major nutrition concerns in our country is just nuts,” Gardner said.
Illustration: Emily Moskal/Stanford Medicine; Source: Getty Images
© 2023 Stanford Medicine

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There are many factors that are taking a toll on the wellbeing of children and young people: the hangover of the Covid-19 pandemic five years on, years of austerity, and an ongoing lack of preventative measures and mental health facilities.
A cumulation of these factors have led to lacking investment in the charity sector and provision of youth services to prevent the mental health crisis that more young people than ever before are finding themselves in.
News that there has been a significant rise in the number of children and young people admitted to acute hospital wards for mental ill-health is sobering, yet unfortunately unsurprising. The report published by University College London (UCL) found that the number of children being admitted to acute hospital wards due to mental health concerns has risen by a shocking two thirds over the last decade. Findings also highlighted the steep rise in admissions particularly of young girls and of children aged between five and 10. The worsening situation on acute hospital wards – specialised wards designed to improve rapid assessment, treatment and care for patients – is putting a strain on the delivery of mental health provisions for young people.
At Empower, we have seen how these alarming statistics are translating into the safeguarding disclosures that we receive each month. The highest number of these relate to mental health and self-harm amongst our young people, a consistent pattern that since we first opened back in 2020.
There needs to be a nationwide commitment to the investment in preventative services at a local and community level to be able to reduce the pressure on hospitals and other public health services. We often see that young people don’t receive the critical support that they need to better their mental and emotional health until they are at crisis point. To get to the core of the challenge, we need to start looking at preventative ways to fix them.
One way to help improve mental wellbeing amongst children and young people, is by ensuring that there is equal access to places and organisations that help people develop new skills, find new hobbies, and act as a forum vehicle for facilitating socialising between young people. In OnSide’s 2024 Generation Isolation report in collaboration with YouGov, the damaging and isolating effects of smartphone use was stark. Research showed that smartphone use was the most time-consuming activity outside of school for children aged between 11 and 18 years old. Although the report highlighted that 52% of children want to reduce their screen time, 46% don’t know how to. A combination of smartphone use, and disparities in access to opportunities, has led to a surge in feelings of isolation and anxiety, correspondent to the pressure being put on acute hospital wards.
So how must we as a sector and society, get ahead of the mental health problem before it deteriorates further? Tackling the pressures of an increasingly digitalised society and that children and young people live in is tough. But almost a third of young people have said that more affordable leisure activities would help to improve their lives outside of school, as 35% of young people feeling as thought they don’t have opportunities to meet new people and make new friends.
Our work in Youth Zones makes a huge difference to children and young people, particularly those from more deprived and marginalised communities. The activities ranging from sports and art clubs, as well as volunteering opportunities and career advice, provides children with a space to explore their own interests. This in turn makes a marked difference in their confidence and ability to collaborate with other people not only as a young person, but also throughout their adult lives.
A multi-agency, collaborative approach is critical if we want to see improvements to the nationwide mental health crisis. As a society, we need to make sure that we’re not letting the mental health crises reach breaking point for young people before they are able to access help. By prioritising investment in provisions that mitigate some of these challenges from worsening as time goes on, we can help to alleviate stress placed on wider public health services like the NHS.

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Work stress can be very challenging for your mental and emotional health. Let’s understand the role of HR programs in boosting motivation in employees.
Office burnout has become a pressing concern in modern workplaces, affecting employees across various industries. Employees easily feel exhausted due to stress levels and mental pressure. According to a survey by McKinsey Health Institute, 59% of Indian employees are suffering from burnout symptoms. Various surveys also suggest these frequent burnout symptoms are majorly observed in young employees who are in the range of 21 to 30 years old.
Office Burnout does not only impact individuals wellbeing but it also impacts the company’s wellbeing as well. An individual will observe a physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. This will also impact the organization as this condition will lead to reduction in productivity and lack of morale in other employees as well. It is highly important for the Human Resources (HR) departments to identify, prevent, and address burnout within their organizations.
Ms. Shubhra S Khurana, a psychologist, and the founder of White Apples, highlights several key strategies to deal with office burnout. A company must show their appreciation to their employees by acknowledging their efforts and rewarding their contributions. This can significantly boost morale in employees and help them feel valued and appreciated.
Also Read: Kartik Aaryan Opens Up About Work Burnout: Warning Signs Your Body Wants You To Notice
Organizations should provide employees with facilities that help them to feel that they are not stuck in a prison. Instead, the company policies should be made employee friendly. Policies such as flexible timings, and a hybrid model can help employees to maintain their zeal to treat work as a likeable activity and not something they are forced to do to keep their months end. It is also essential for companies to encourage a work-life balance for their employees.

Establishing policies that promote work-life balance, such as parental leave or flexible vacation time, can help reduce burnout and improve overall well-being. It is important for companies to create a culture of mental health advocacy that helps reduce stigma and promote acceptance by partnering with mental health professionals and offering regular workshops and enrichment programs. This could help their employees to speak out their concerns and help the employee to feel that they are being heard by the authorities.
Also Read: Is Work Stress An Epidemic? Expert Shares Ways To Combat It
Aditi Mittal, Group Head – HR at SAVE Solutions, emphasizes that addressing burnout involves fostering a culture where employees feel heard, valued, and supported. This includes implementing Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), mental health counseling, stress management workshops, and structured mindfulness sessions. Small initiatives like flexible work hours and periodic digital detox days can also make a big difference. Encouraging employees to take breaks is not a luxury—it’s a necessity, as studies show that employees who take regular breaks are more productive, engaged, and less prone to burnout. HR must actively reinforce the importance of work-life balance, ensuring that employees feel empowered to disconnect and recharge. Furthermore, fostering open communication and psychological safety within the organization builds trust and transparency, keeping employees motivated, resilient, and committed.
In conclusion, by implementing these strategies, HR can play a crucial role in mitigating burnout and promoting a supportive work environment. Acknowledging and rewarding employees’ contributions, fostering a culture of mental health advocacy, and providing flexible work arrangements are essential steps in retaining top talent and improving overall well-being. Regular check-ins between managers and employees are vital for identifying early signs of burnout and providing timely interventions. Encouraging employees to utilize their leave quotas and take regular breaks can also help prevent burnout by ensuring they have adequate time for rest and personal commitments. Ultimately, investing in employee well-being is not just an HR initiative—it’s a leadership priority that strengthens and enhances the productivity of the workforce.
All possible measures have been taken to ensure accuracy, reliability, timeliness and authenticity of the information; however Onlymyhealth.com does not take any liability for the same. Using any information provided by the website is solely at the viewers’ discretion. In case of any medical exigencies/ persistent health issues, we advise you to seek a qualified medical practitioner before putting to use any advice/tips given by our team or any third party in form of answers/comments on the above mentioned website.
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Saying “health care is a right,” state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Provincetown, has submitted a bill calling for a study that would determine whether Massachusetts could establish a single-payer health care system that outperforms the current model. 
Cyr’s proposal would require the Center for Health Information and Analysis to develop a benchmark for a system that provides publicly financed, universal access to health care for the population through a unified public health care plan. 
If a study determines that benchmark outperformed the actual total health care expenditures over a three-year period, the Health Policy Commission would be required to draft a bill within one year that would implement a single-payer health care system that offers “continuous, comprehensive and affordable coverage for all residents regardless of income, assets, health status or availability of other health coverage.” 
“We should really start to consider alternative solutions. We need a roadmap to get there. I think the broader single-payer bills would be quite ambitious for us to implement, particularly given the very uncertain federal environment,” he said. 
This initiative comes amid rapidly rising insurance costs, with the Massachusetts Division of Insurance approving an average premium increase of 7.9% for 2025, although Alan Sager, a professor of health policy and management at Boston University, questions the accuracy of state-published health care costs:  
“Our chair wrote a report last year stating that in 2022, health care spending in the state was $71.7 billion, but that figure leaves out a lot. In reality, total health care expenditures in 2022 were well over $100 billion in Massachusetts.” 
The Wellfleet Select Board is in favor of any way to reduce the town’s health care costs. 
“These increases have resulted in serious challenges for Massachusetts residents, including those here in Wellfleet.”  said Select Board member Ryan Curley.
Dr. Brian O’Malley, who retired and closed his practice in Provincetown in 2017, said the current system is designed to generate profit rather than provide the best care. He said the lack of large employers in the region means many residents lack strong insurance coverage, making the need for reform even more urgent.  
“Any system that still relies on making a profit is not going to solve the myriad of issues that we face,” he said.
O’Malley identified access and administrative complexity as the two biggest problems in the current system. 
“This is a matter of health care equity. I believe that health care is a fundamental human right that should be available to every single person equally. We should all have the same access to the same care.”  
The burden of private insurance on both patients and doctors forced O’Malley to spend most of his day handling paperwork instead of seeing patients. The limited time for patient care was one of the reasons he closed his practice, Provincetown Medical Group, saying at the time their the “mom-and-pop doesn’t work anymore.”   
“We see a variety of patients covered by a variety of plans, each of which has its own strategy for making a profit. And I have to be a tool to that from the moment I’m seeing the patient in the room.” 
Sager agreed, explaining that profit-driven health care only makes sense in a competitive free market — where innovation, lower costs, and efficiency are driven by competition.  
However, “in health care, we don’t come close to meeting any of the seven requirements for a functional free market,” he said. “That’s why profit-making has no place in health care — it becomes a smokescreen for bad behavior.” 
Universal health care aims to solve these issues by offering comprehensive benefits, including behavioral health, substance abuse treatment, prenatal services, and eliminating deductibles, co-payments, co-insurance, or other cost-sharing. It also ensures that patients have the freedom to choose their providers. 
But Sager admitted it is unrealistic for Massachusetts to implement universal coverage, citing the state’s lack of capacity to implement it. 
“I’ve always had great affection for single-payer, but I don’t think we should waste time pursuing fatal ideas, however good they are. It will never pass the Legislature unless there’s a crisis.”  
He argued that if single-payer were implemented, it would require doubling the federal income tax to replace private insurance payments and out-of-pocket costs. 
“Politically, under any conceivable president or Congress, doubling the federal income tax is not in the cards.” Instead, he suggests an all-payer model, where existing revenue streams — private insurance payments and government funding — are combined into a single pool while freezing private insurance payments at current levels. 
Cyr said he takes the pragmatic approach recognizing the complexity of transitioning to a single-payer system. 
“I think we need to be honest about the complexity of the current health care system and what it would take to actually move towards single-payer health care.” 

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Stewart Robson thinks Barcelona are the most exciting team to watch in the Champions league and heaps praise on Lamine Yamal. (1:18)
Barcelona president Joan Laporta was furious with the way he felt the team faded at the end of big games last season.
Barça lost both Clásicos against Real Madrid to stoppage-time goals, results which if reversed would have flipped the final standings at the top of LaLiga between the two sides. In the UEFA Champions League, they could not live with Paris Saint-Germain after being reduced to 10 players as they exited the competition at the quarterfinal stage.
“The team dipped after the 60th minute physically,” Laporta said at the end of the campaign in an interview with the club’s in-house media. “We did not finish games as we wanted.”
Those results, among other reasons, cost coach Xavi Hernández his job, with Hansi Flick replacing him. However, concurrently and in collaboration with sporting director Deco, Laporta was also working on a complete revamp of the first team’s fitness department.
Barça went after the best specialists in Spain. Julio Tous was appointed as the head of fitness training. Tous has extensive experience in strength and conditioning having previously worked with Antonio Conte at Juventus, Chelsea and with Italy‘s national team. He also, very briefly, worked at Barça in 2004 during Laporta’s first term as president.
Rafa Maldonado, Pepe Conde and Germán Fernández followed to make up Tous’ team, joining from Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Udinese respectively. Maldonado and Conde are focused on work on the grass, while Fernández’s role is more gym based, with an emphasis on strength and neuromuscular training.
The results were instant. Barça started the season with seven straight wins in LaLiga after being put through their paces in preseason.
“We work much harder than before,” midfielder Pedri said in September. “The new fitness coaches that have come in are really good for us. You notice it in games. The team doesn’t dip after the 70th or 80th minute, it maintains the same fitness levels.”
There was a poor run before Christmas, but Barça have bounced back in 2025. They are unbeaten in 17 matches and are LaLiga leaders as they head into Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash against Atlético Madrid (stream LIVE at 4 p.m. on ESPN+ in the U.S.). Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Benfica qualified them for a second successive Champions League quarterfinal, too, while they will also meet Atlético for a place in the Copa del Rey final. The Spanish Supercopa has already been won.
With silverware within reach, a narrative is developing of a team that can run more than most and go until the very last minute, which is an important aspect of Flick’s playing style. Key players are also avoiding the muscle injuries which hampered them and the team in previous seasons.
ESPN spoke to people at the club and others who have worked with Tous previously to find out how he’s helped turn a team that failed to win a single trophy last season into one aspiring to win four this year.
As a coach of a team with one of the smallest budgets in LaLiga, Rayo Vallecano boss Iñigo Pérez says the best way to bridge the gap with the top sides is to run more and work harder. The only problem is, under Flick, Barça run as hard as almost anyone. Add in the quality of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Pedri et al and it’s a recipe for success.
“What I like most about Flick’s Barça is that he’s been able to convince them to run as much as teams like us,” Pérez said after losing to the Catalan side in February. “In the physical metrics where we stand out — and which I believe earn us a lot of points — they are equal to us, or maybe just behind.”
Pérez was perhaps alluding to sprinting statistics. Barça have played a game less, but they lead LaLiga in sprints (14,367 in 26 matches) and rank second in high-speed sprints (6,872). Only Rayo (7,092) are ahead of them.
Breaking that down per game, Barça average 264.3 high-speed sprints. That’s up from 230.2 last season, while it was as low as 199.6 in 2019-20, which was the final campaign for a side built around the attacking talents of the ageing Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi. Those numbers are the best illustration of how relentless Barça are. Their pressing can smother even the best opponents.
Raphinha’s non-stop running is remarkable. He leads the Champions League in goals (11) and assists (5) and has registered 46 goal contributions in all competitions. Yet he is also Barça’s hardest runner in LaLiga. He averages 38.08 high speed sprints per game (990 in LaLiga this season), up from 23.79 last term. Full-backs Jules Koundé (786) and Alejandro Balde (725) follow him, with Pedri, so often plagued by injuries in recent seasons, always available this year and ranking fourth. He has 502 high speed sprints in LaLiga, an average of 20.24 per game, up from 13.75 last year.
The result is Barça are winning the ball back much higher up the pitch, leading to goals — with 128, no one has scored more than them across Europe’s top five leagues this season. Raphinha, in two fewer appearances, has already made more ball recoveries (77 to 74) and tackles (29 to 14) than last season. Sources close to the first team say that is all possible because of the work done by Tous and his team.
“The intensity of the work increased and many things changed inside the club,” defender Ronald Araújo told ESPN. “In terms of the fitness work and the physiotherapy, all the people who have come in are vital.”
Change was necessary, sources said, not just because of last season’s problems but because of the style of play Flick wanted to implement: intense, pressing high and using a high line in defence.
“It was important that the team runs and competes,” Araújo added. “If one player can’t give any more, another who can also run and compete can come on. For the style of play we want to use — pressing high, running hard, setting the line very high — it is important to have everyone in good shape.”
Flick has also recognised the work done behind the scenes.
“The physical job I don’t do, this is the fitness side, Julio and his team,” he said in February. “They make a fantastic job. Deco made a good job when he planned all the new experts to come in and help us. You can see this.”
Victor Moses laughs when he remembers Tous turning up at Chelsea with Conte in the summer of 2016.
“He brought this equipment with him and every single one of us looked at each other thinking, ‘What is he doing? What are we going to do with this stuff?’,” Moses told ESPN. “It’s a top equipment to be honest, but when he first brought it we didn’t know what it was. We were just laughing.”
Moses and his Chelsea teammates were laughing for a different reason at the end of the campaign after winning the Premier League. The former Nigeria international winger was moved into a more physically demanding wing-back role to fit Conte’s 3-4-3 formation, and he played a key role in that season’s title success.
“That’s probably one of the best years I’ve ever had, you know,” Moses added. “Julio coming in made everything a lot easier. Julio 100% played a really big part. He was the one that kept me fit when I was at Chelsea. He was there 24/7: one-to-ones and work in the gym. He got me fit physically.”
Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).
Sources at Barça didn’t want to give too many specific details about Tous’ methods this season, but he was previously an exponent of yo-yo flywheel machines and, more recently, the elastic resistance bands now used so commonly across the game.
Tous, from the Canary Islands, had originally wanted to become a basketball coach before pivoting to strength and conditioning. He studied under Paco Seirul·lo, the fitness guru for Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola’s Barça teams, and transitioned into football. “The student has surpassed the teacher,” Seirul·lo said of Tous recently.
Tous worked with Frank Rijkaard’s Barça side in 2003-04 for six months and was considered one of the reasons for the team’s change in fortunes: from 12th in the table after 18 games to runners-up at the end of the season.
“He introduced the yo-yo machines,” ESPN analyst and former Barça and Liverpool forward Luis García remembered of that campaign. “I worked a lot with [Andrés] Iniesta, a lot of eccentric strength work. I remember the change in Andrés. He worked much more specifically with Julio and the machines. It was an incredible change.
“I have good memories working with Julio and, in fact, when I set up my home gym recently, I looked up yo-yo machines because they worked so well for me.”
After Barça, Tous worked at Sampdoria in collaboration with Roberto Sassi, before remaining in Italy with Juventus and the Italian national team. Sources close to Tous say he loved working in Italy because he found clubs and players more receptive to his methodology. He worked with Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, among others, to great effect and was considered instrumental in helping produce the best version of Paul Pogba, in terms of performance but also reducing injuries.
Tous later followed Conte to Chelsea. There was reluctance from the players at first, especially given the type of work had not previously been mandatory, but they soon took his ideas on board. His primary aim was for the fitness, strength and injury prevention work to be as closely assimilated to in-game movements and situations as possible. That often meant involving the ball — inside and outside.
“Once we started working with his equipment, you could tell the difference,” Moses said. “It was it was a lot better than what we were used to. Julio will put you through what needs to be done and how he needs to do it. You just concentrate and listen to him.
“I started using the bands through Julio. I’d never used them before until he came to Chelsea. Nowadays a lot of clubs use them, so it shows how he was way ahead of everyone else. He was using the ball a lot as well in the gym and outside as well, because sometimes the equipment that he brought in we used in the gym, but the same equipment can be used outside as well. You use the combination of the football as well to mix it up.”
Tous also worked with Conte at Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan, where he would be reacquainted with Moses, before joining Barça last summer.
“Julio is a phenomenal man,” Moses said. “I was buzzing when I got the chance to work with him again at Inter. I couldn’t wait.”
Keeping players injury free is not luck, even if bad fortune can sometimes play a part. It is science. It is also a large part of Tous’ work at Barcelona and, in comparison to recent years at the club, another area where his team have so far excelled heading into the business end of the season.
“I can’t say that we will eradicate injuries completely, but it’s clear in both experience and at research level that the reduction of injuries with our type of training is drastic,” he said in an interview with Barça One at the start of the season. “I’m talking a 50% reduction in comparison to nothing being done [to combat injury prevention].”
Tous’ methods prepare the muscles to withstand more and more breaks and shocks. There is a responsibility on each individual player, too. Sources say he constantly reminds the squad they should do at least one thing every day with injury prevention in mind.
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens react to Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to send them to the top of the LaLiga table.
Pedri is the best example of the results being reaped. The Spain international missed 25 games for club and country last season and has suffered repeated muscle injuries since his breakout season in 2020-21. Not only is he now available for every game, he’s the Barça player covering the most distance per match on average at 10.8km. Sources told ESPN part of the advice, in addition to the work done off the pitch, was that it was better for Pedri to be in the rhythm of regular matches, rather than stopping and starting with the idea he needed rest.
In the midweek win over Benfica, he was the player tracking back to make a brilliant recovery tackle midway through the first half. It led to the whole Olympic Stadium chanting his name. “What he is doing off the ball is unbelievable,” Flick said.
Iñigo Martínez ranks second at 10.5km. He is another player who had a series of muscle injuries last season. Apart from a minor injury in January, when he missed six games in a three-week period, he has remained fit throughout the entire campaign.
At this stage of the previous season when Barça faced Napoli in the Champions League Balde, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Pedri, Ferran Torres and Marcos Alonso were all missing. In the corresponding fixture against Benfica this week, Andreas Christensen was the only player missing with a muscle injury. He is perhaps the exception to the rule as the only player who has not yet been able to get fit. Also absent were long-term absentees Marc-André ter Stegen and Marc Bernal.
It has laid the foundations for Flick’s style of play to prosper and for Barça to still be fighting on all three fronts as April slowly moves into view. However, the hard work is only just beginning. More competitions means more games and Tous, as well as Flick and Barça, will be judged more harshly for anything that happens in the next two months than they have for anything in the previous nine months.
Sunday’s trip to Atlético, one of the few teams they have failed to beat this season, provides the next opportunity for Barça to show Laporta they won’t fade when it matters this year.

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