In the concussion management debate fueled by the Tua Tagovailoa situation in recent weeks, the players’ perspective is sometimes overlooked.
Are they still honest in post-concussion testing? With their coaches?
According to Tom Brady, the dangers of concussions do not necessarily strike veterans.
“I think concussions are part of contact sports,” he explained in his podcast of the week. “I watch the UFC and boxing, people get knocked out a lot. So you know, it’s part of the game in these very physical sports, which all have their share of risks. I think when you’re an athlete who chooses to do that, you have to understand that it’s part of the lot. Just as you can injure yourself on other parts of the body. »
Brady’s response to concussions? Try, in hollow, to sell its food supplements.
“For me, a few grams of prevention has always been worth a kilo of treatment, and you have to do your best to try to be proactive with your health, and make sure that when you are injured, you can recover as quickly as possible. You have to put your body in the best possible position by giving it the best possible nutrients to face the traumas it will encounter. »
No serious studies have shown that diet could prevent concussions. It’s hard for a lawyer or a steak to keep a defensive tackle from grabbing you around the waist and throwing you headfirst to the ground.
But for Brady, it would be an injury like any other.
“Concussions, knees…I would say most athletes would rather have a concussion than a knee injury. So there are going to be knee injuries, ankle injuries, concussions, shoulder injuries. I think we are rushing to conclusions. But at the same time, it’s sport. You have to take the good and the bad. I don’t think anyone wants to be hurt. Nobody wants to see a concussion. Nobody wants to see a sprained ankle or a knee injury. But it happens. I think we have to see how we best manage them. What are the best practices in terms of prevention? And if you have one, how do you heal as quickly as possible? I think we should also focus on that. »
It happens. We have to come back as soon as possible.
That’s pretty much the mindset that probably got Tua Tagovailoa on the pitch after a suspected concussion.
A Bit of Context: Anti-Concussion Water
In 2011, Tom Brady was promoting NeuroSafe, a drink created by his personal trainer Alex Guerrero, who claimed that the beverage could prevent and cure concussions.
“NeuroSafe lets me know that if I have a concussion, I can heal faster and more completely. There is no other solution on the market today that does what NeuroSafe does. It’s this extra level of protection that makes me feel comfortable when I’m in the field,” he explained on the brand’s website.
Guerrero and its magic water had been caught up in 2012 by the Federal Trade Commission, which had concluded that there was no scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of the product. NeuroSafe had been withdrawn from sale and the few customers reimbursed. The amounts passed being very small, the FTC had not imposed a sanction on Guerrero in exchange for the end of the marketing campaigns and refunds.
According to Boston Magazine, in 2005, Guerrero had also already been pinned for having tried to sell a product which he assured could cure terminal cancers, AIDS or Parkinson’s disease. He is also now forbidden to call himself “Doctor.” »
That didn’t stop Brady from starting a company with Guerrero in 2013.
