Why does Adama Traore use baby oil? Explaining why Wolves winger greases up arms and doesn’t lift weights

There are few more imposing sights for a Premier League full-back than Adama Traore charging at full speed with the ball at his feet.

The Wolves winger is a dangerous dribbler and a physical force to be reckoned with – a powerful combination when it comes to attacking play.

One thing that always stands out when Traore plays is the size of his arms, which seem to shine even before he breaks a sweat.

Well, there’s a good reason for that, as Sporting News explains here.

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Why does Adama Traore use baby oil?

Whether from the start or as a substitute, Adama Traore always stands out on the football pitch: his arms are shiny. The reason? baby oil

Traore’s dribbling ability and blistering pace make him extremely difficult to stop, sometimes leaving defenders with no choice but to grab him and hold for his life. To prevent this and reduce the risk of injury to a previously injured shoulder, Wolves’ medical department came up with the idea of ​​soaping his arms with baby oil before and during games.

In March 2021, former Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo stated: “I honestly thought it was a fantastic idea from the medical department because it stemmed from his shoulder injury.

“That was basically caused by him holding his arm and causing that strong impact on his shoulder and he was injured as a result.

“It’s very hard to stop Adama and all [baby oil] avoids this situation. He’s getting more slippery, allowing us to take advantage of his speed and talent. It was a way to avoid it and he’s just kept doing it from there and it’s good.”

Adama Traore weight, height and fastest speed

Traore is not the tallest player, measuring 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 meters). However, the ability to combine relatively average size with immense physical strength is one of the reasons its acceleration is so good; Former Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 100m, Maurice Greene was about the same height as Traore.

Traore was a scrawny teenager when he broke into the first team at Barcelona in 2013 and is now a powerhouse, weighing around 86kg, with a top speed of 36.6km/h in 2021/22, which propelled him into the Top 3 for fastest sprints in last season’s Premier League.

So much mass moving at such a pace makes him vulnerable to injury when a defender grabs his arm as the sudden counterforce can risk damage to muscles, ligaments and his elbow and shoulder joints. Using baby oil to make it difficult for opponents to grab his arms.

Does Adama Traore lift weights?

Traore’s impressive physique is all the more remarkable given that he’s not spending hours in the gym trying to build muscle.

The Spain international explained in an interview with AS that his powerful physique is a product of genetics, a targeted diet and explosive exercise.

“I don’t do weights. My genetics are like that and my muscles are growing really fast,” he said.

“I do other exercises. Everyone has to adapt what suits them best. I do a lot of core. The secret is to know your body and adapt your training to your physical condition.

“I’ve gained muscle through training, rest and eating. Eating is essential and I consider it a very important part of training.

“It’s a balance of everything. My physical change, evolution, was also out of necessity.

“When I was 15 I had knee problems with tendonitis that didn’t let me play my game or explode with my speed.

“Then I started to strengthen myself in the gym. I was very explosive and had to work more purposefully to avoid injuries.”

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Adama Traore stats

Traore has played for Wolves since 2018, despite spending the second half of last season on loan at Barcelona and making 17 appearances in all competitions.

The Spain international, who capped eight senior caps for his country during his youth career, featured in 22 Premier League games for Wolves in 2022/23, although only eight of those appearances have been made from the start. He has one goal and one assist.

Traore has created an average of 1.46 chances to score per 90 minutes this season, according to Opta, which is the third best return among Wolves players to have played in at least 10 league games.

Unsurprisingly, he attempts the most dribbles per 90 minutes (6.2) among regular Wolves first-teamers, averaging just under 60 per cent of them. Only Newcastle United’s Allan Saint-Maximin has dribbled more per 90 minutes on average this season among players who have played at least 10 Premier League games.