Managing Fatigue and Health During the World Cup

The 2022 Qatar World Cup has finally started.

As it is challenging to cheer on the street this year, many people are expected to enjoy the game at home.

However, people should balance it with daily life to maintain the best condition.

The time difference between Korea and Qatar is 6 hours. The round of 16, which will be held soon, is also scheduled from 10:00 pm to midnight, so people are more likely to suffer from fatigue the next day. What should they do to alleviate fatigue during the World Cup?

The most crucial point to watch out for is sleep because watching TV all night breaks the well-maintained sleeping pattern.

Daejeon Eulji University Hospital Family Medicine Professor Oh Han-jin said, "When people return to the daily routine without recovering from the lack of sleep, they might experience chronic fatigue such as headaches, muscle pain, and joint pain." "It also slows down brain activity and causes work and study issues." "People should get at least 5 hours of sleep daily," he added.

It is best to maintain their usual sleep pattern, but if they want to watch a game held late at night or early in the morning, sleeping before then can be one way.

If not, people can take a short nap within 30 minutes, such as during lunchtime.

Keeping appropriate posture while watching TV is also essential.

Poor posture can exacerbate fatigue and make the ligaments and muscles around the joints tenser, intensifying stiffness and pain the next day.

It is most acceptable to sit on a sofa or chair. But people, who watch, lying down, should change the direction of lying down, such as the right side for the first half and the left side for the second half.

However, lying on the side while watching TV is never a good posture.

Therefore, it is advisable to stretch the back of the neck from time to time and stretch the whole body during advertisements or game breaks.

Also, to reduce eye fatigue, people should keep a distance of at least 2m from the TV and give their eyes a rest as much as possible. During the commercial time, you may look at the scenery outside the window, pictures, or calendars.

Especially when watching TV at night, using indirect lighting or dimming the lighting is a way to reduce eye strain.

On the other hand, when people watch an all-night game, they want to attend the late-night snack.

However, eating a late-night snack accumulates fat in the liver as people often fall asleep without consuming calories.

And even when the snack is consumed with alcohol, Acetaldehyde, a metabolite of alcohol, causes liver damage.

Above all, chicken and beer, which are typical side menus, increase the risk of developing gout, so people need to be extra careful.

Samsung Seoul Hospital Rheumatology Professor Lee Jae-Joon declared, "Gout is a disease that causes excruciating pain as uric acid levels rise and gout nodules settle around the joints, causing an inflammatory reaction." He added, "It often occurs when people eat foods high in uric acid, such as meat, blue-backed fish, and beer." He advised, "During the World Cup period, people should be careful not to over-consume these foods and maintain proper eating habits."