Svenja Huth is a professional footballer at VFL Wolfsburg and was a member of the senior squad of the German women's national team from 2011 to 2024. Her sporting career is impressive and at the same time she has managed to retain her authentic nature and personality. In this SAMINA Story, she tells us how she experiences professional sport and why regeneration plays an important role for Svenja. Svenja sleeps on a SAMINA sleep system and uses the nightly regeneration for top performance.

How did you get into football?

Svenja: "I grew up in a real football family. Both my grandfather and my father played for a long time. So I was always on the sports field with my brother and my mum and played football with my brother during the break. When I was 7 years old, someone from my parents' circle of friends, who was a coach in my home village, approached me and asked me if I would like to come to training. I enjoyed it so much that I've stuck with it to this day."

What are the biggest challenges in professional sport?

Svenja: "Especially when you play sport professionally, you have to dedicate your life to the sport. This means that appointments and match schedules are very externally determined and you have to subordinate yourself more to the sport. I'm very lucky that I have a family that supports and helps me with this."

In addition to the physical strain, i.e. the effects on our muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, etc., psychological factors also play an important role. A lot of stress due to busy schedules, pressure to perform and sometimes unusual training times can mess with our bodies. Today, science knows how important a stable social environment is. This is where we regulate our nervous system and switch from a state of performance to a state of recovery - a basic prerequisite for healthy and restful sleep.

How important is recovery?

Svenja: "Recovery and regeneration play an immensely important role for us. Especially for me as a VfL Wolfsburg player and former international, I have a triple or quadruple load almost every season with the league, cup, Champions League and national team. This tight schedule forces us to regenerate quickly. Sleep is an important part of this."

For top performers in particular, high-quality sleep plays an enormously important role in regeneration. It is during the night that you decide whether you can perform at your best the next day, not only physically but also mentally. We all know what a bad night's sleep feels like. And yet many people don't take responsibility for how they feel. We are proud and happy that more and more people are using sleep for their health. At the same time, we are grateful that Svenja, who is a role model for many athletes, is sharing her insights with us. Thank you very much!