Particle.news
Download on the App Store

49ers to Probe Viral Power-Substation Injury Theory in Offseason Review

Outside experts describe the EMF claim as unsupported.

Overview

  • GM John Lynch said the organization is contacting "anyone and everyone" for credible studies and will fold any findings into its broader injury-prevention audit.
  • Specialists including UC Davis radiology professor Jerrold Bushberg and epidemiologist Frank de Vocht report no established evidence linking practice-level 50–60 Hz fields to tendon or soft-tissue damage.
  • The Mission Substation has operated next to the practice site for decades, predating the team’s 1988 move there and expanding in 2014 alongside Levi’s Stadium.
  • The theory gained traction after Peter Cowan posted Gauss-meter readings that drew more than 22 million views, filtering into locker-room and agent conversations.
  • San Francisco’s injury burden remains severe, with metrics citing league-leading totals in recent years and major 2025 losses to stars such as Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and George Kittle.