Joseph Luebbert

Football has become an American staple, well-known and loved by many.

NFL games always sell out to thousands of fans, well over a dozen teams have their roots here, and every high school has a football team-but it isn't all touchdowns and big wins. A sport so physical can have serious health consequences, both long term and short term.

Clear evidence shows that involvement with football can lead to brain damage. Concussions from tackles or actions that force the head around can put the brain at risk of permanent trauma, which can cause problems down the line such as Alzheimer’s disease and CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy). CTE is a disease that degenerates the brain, killing nerve cells over time, and increasingly worsens until death. The National Institutes of Health has confirmed that for every year a person plays football, they have on average a 15% increased risk of CTE, and similar odds of 14% to increase the severity of existing CTE. Some common short-term injuries from this sport would be things like ACL tears, Inflammation, and overall injuries to muscles and tendons. ACL tears are especially harmful due to long-lasting knee instability , which often persists for a decade. One of the most well known illnesses from this is osteoarthritis.

Despite its dangers, football is great for overall physical health, as it requires a lot of running and upper body strength. Running improves cardiovascular health, and is confirmed from a 2013 Healthline study to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by 21% for men, and 29% for women. It is also beneficial for focus, as participating in the game requires a high level of attention and good reaction time. Enforcing teamwork plays a huge part as well, since teams need to be coordinated for most plays, and collaboration is essential for success.

It is healthy to participate in exercise activities, but it is also important to be cautious and focus on the risks, as well as benefits, for sports like football.