Stopping pucks is a problem – and how! If you thought that goalies didn’t have a physically demanding job, you are completely wrong. Because they sweat so much, they lose a few kilograms of body weight in an intense game with many shots on goal. Friborg keeper Reto Berra can sing a song about that.
Currently riding a wave of success with the club record of ten full successes in a row, the 34-year-old takes certain precautions for every match, but these have become routine. Because: Even when he was a junior, the Zurich resident noticed that he was sweating a lot. “I had to get a grip on that because I used to suffer from cramps,” he says, “especially in the hip, where I could hardly get down into the butterfly position.”
With salt water against cramps
That is why Berra drinks water enriched with sea salt during the breaks and takes precautions by drinking enough water in the 24 hours before the game, around five liters each time. The national team goalkeeper is on the scales every day in Friborg, which is placed right next to the shower. Also regularly before and after a match. He knows: «I lose three kilos in a strenuous game. I can see that in the mirror right away. “
Even with SCRJ keeper Melvin Nyffeler (26) it was 2.7 kilos in yesterday’s game against Lugano. ZSC goalie Lukas Flüeler (32) also expects three kilos. And Ajoie’s rising hero Tim Wolf (29), who is currently only being covered with shots, estimates a similar number.
3 match bibs, 3 tops, 3 sweatbands
For every third, Berra needs a new match bib, a new sweatband in his mask, a new combination top, two pairs of gloves in the game, and he has to change his glove every month. «I’m soaking wet already after the warm-up. Fortunately it doesn’t stink, ”he says with a laugh. “I’d like to change all my equipment after every third, including my pants. But then I would need a second bag for it. “
According to the manufacturer, goalie equipment weighs 18 kilos – and becomes increasingly heavier due to the sweat during a game, which makes the movements even more strenuous. Berra’s body weight fluctuates between 95 and 100 kg during the season. The connoisseur affirms with a wink: “The day after the game, I’ll have the pounds back on because I like to eat.”