Dr Dorian Dugmore monitors Sam Allardyce and Dave Bassett for ITV’s Tonight Programme
Dr Dorian Dugmore conducts an experiment for the documentary ITV’s Tonight With Trevor McDonald to prove that football management is one of the most stressful occupations around.
Leicester City manager Bassett and Bolton Wanderers boss Allardyce took part in the experiment that showed managers literally put their lives at risk. The pair were wired up to heart monitors for the television documentary, and the evidence produced was frightening.At times within the tense relegation struggle between Bolton and Leicester, which ended 2-2, both came dangerously close to suffering severe heart problems.
During the match, Allardyce’s blood pressure and heart rate hit potentially dangerous levels. At one point, his heart rate reached 160 beats per minute, four times his normal resting pulse. Bassett’s results were just as disturbing. His blood pressure peaked at 190mmHg, he also suffered irregular heartbeat as the game reached a climax and his heart rate topped out at 120bpm.
Dr Dugmore said: “The bottom line is that week-in, week-out these guys could be putting their hearts on the line. Getting your heart rate going at these sort of levels would normally only happen if you had done a vigorous work-out in the gym and these managers are reaching those levels simply through watching a match. There could be a serious risk involved and the result could be a heart attack, a cardiac arrest or severe angina. It’s far more dangerous when stress causes the response because the adrenaline tends to narrow the arteries and that could contribute to risk of heart disease.
Allardyce said: “Programmes like this do make us more aware that we should look after ourselves a lot better.”
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