EMFs from Electrical Substation Causing the 49ers High Injury Rate [Everything You Need to Know]

• ELF - Magnetic Field (EMFs) Overview
• Magnetic Fields and Cancer - Not Torn Achilles
• How High is 10mG of Exposure? There is No Thermal Effect - It Can’t Be Harmful
• Connection to Tendons & Torn Achilles
• The 49ers Have Been Practicing at This Location Since 1988 - What Gives?
• Conclusion

EMFs. Substation. 49ers. Torn Achilles. 22M Views.

Thanks to the courageous and curious work of - the topics of EMFs affecting our health has gone mainstream, thanks to the popularity of American Football (NFL).

Now everyone, including the players themselves who are asking their agents, want to know one thing: are EMFs actually causing torn achilles and increasing the health risk of players? Or is this just another pseudo-science claim for clickbait attention?

The impact of our electromagnetic environment on our health is a topic I have researched deeply for a few years now, and as someone with an Electrical Engineering (M.S.) background I like to think I am well positioned to write an informative piece on whether Peter Cowan’s claims are justified or not.

§ELF - Magnetic Field (EMFs) Overview

The main claim of this expose from Peter is that the level of magnetic field exposure he measured (8-9mG) at the edge of the Niners practice field justifies an overall unhealthy environment and is putting the cellular health + recovery ability of the team in jeopardy. Let’s start with some basics so everyone knows what terms are being discussed here:

1. Magnetic Fields refer to the magnetic field component of an electromagnetic field (EMF). There is also an electric field component. Magnetic fields are generated from moving charges (ie electrical current), motors, and from changing electric fields (Ampere-Maxwell law).
2. Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) magnetic fields refer to magnetic fields with a frequency less than 300Hz. The magnetic fields in discussion here are a result of our 60Hz AC electrical power grid.
3. MilliGauss (aka mG) - a unit of magnetic flux density. Magnetic flux density is used to denote the intensity of a magnetic field. Tesla is also a unit of magnetic flux density, and these two units are the standard for describing magnetic field intensity. 1 Tesla = 10,000 Gauss and hence why Gauss are used to quantify lower intensity magnetic fields.

Peter’s measurements and article showcase the context that his 8-9mG level is not actually indicative of levels where the players would be spending most of their time, and that it in fact could be much higher. He states potentially 10-25mG because they are much closer to the substation. I agree that the levels inside the practice facility building (which are right up against substation) should certainly be higher than 8-10mG…which is even more concerning.

§Magnetic Fields and Cancer - Not Torn Achilles

Peter’s claims are that magnetic field exposure from the next door electrical substation are the reason behind increased injury risk. Unfortunately there aren’t studies looking into magnetic fields and torn achilles, but we can infer correlation and assign a likelihood of causation based on the evidence that exists for magnetic fields impacting our health.

The best evidence that exists is actually about high magnetic field exposure from AC power lines and cancer risk. The IARC classifies ELF-magnetic fields are a “possible carcinogen”, which is lower than their classification for red meat…but it is worth noting to understand how they came to that conclusion.

In 1979 Nancy Wertheimer published a landmark study that found that children in “high current” homes (proximity to power lines combined with power line current configuration) had a statistical significant risk increase (>2x) in childhood leukemia in the Denver, Colorado area. This study did not make headline news because Wertheimer wasn’t super credible and the power line companies dismissed it…but there was a building momentum against ELF-EMFs in the public because of people like Dr. Robert O Becker mentioning the risks on 60 Minutes only a couple years earlier when he was petitioning against an ELF Antenna Project. This worried power utility companies enough.

Three Books That Provide an Eye Opening Perspective to the History + Research About Low Frequency EMFs Affecting Societal Health

The utility industry through the EPRI program then funded a (5M study, called the Savitz Study, to disprove Wertheimer’s findings. The results came out in 1988 and shocked everyone: exposure to 2mG magnetic fields or above resulted in a 50-90% risk increase in childhood leukemia. More stringent than Nancy’s study + funded by industry…yet still a significant risk increase.

This study actually led to public outcry, mostly from the work of Paul Brodeur who wrote a series of articles on the topic in The New Yorker and then a best selling book: Currents of Death. I learned from his writing that in 1990 the EPA actually recommended that ELF magnetic fields be classified as a “probable carcinogen” but at the last minute before the public release, the classification was pulled. That didn’t stop Paul from continuing to report about “cancer clusters” for the next few years.

Eventually the public outcry fatigued because the narrative was painted as “the results of research are inconclusive” and the utilities refused to do anything about it.

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§How High is 10mG of Exposure? There is No Thermal Effect - It Can’t Be Harmful

The biggest critique of Peter’s claims and all EMF claims in general are always the same two things:

1. Non-Ionizing Radiation is perfectly safe because it does not have enough energy to harm our biology.
2. The level of exposure is so low that it can no possible way have a biological effect - it is well below the safety limit set by the ICNIRP of 2000mG.

For starters, the United States has some of the HIGHEST limits for EMF exposure.

• Sweden/Netherlands - 4mG limit for new construction of schools, daycares, playgrounds

• Israel - 4mG should be the limit for continued & prolong exposure as general guidance. 4mG limit for new construction for sensitive locations

• Russia - 50mG limit for indoors / 100mG limit for outdoors

• Italy - 30mG limit for any new power line construction

• Switzerland - 10mG for “sensitive places” (hospitals, bedrooms, schools)

• New York State - 200mG “right of way” limit for power line

  

Some people may read these numbers and say that this is absolute nonsense.

• An MRI will expose you to 15 MILLION milliGauss

• your average car exposes you to 2-8mG! (article on this soon)

• planes, phones, charging cables, all expose you to at least a few mG every day

• the Earth’s Native GeoMagnetic Field = 250-650mG

  

  Earth’s Natural Geomagnetic Field Intensity Map

How could 10mG, let alone 4mG do anything to our bodies? The research shared in the section above says otherwise. And the key threshold to remember is 3-4mG is statistical significant for increase risk of cancer in children. Those numbers came from two pooled analyses done in the year 2000:

1. Ahlbom et al. (2000): Looked at 9 studies.

   1. Result: For children exposed to average fields > 4 mG, the Relative Risk was 2.00. (Exactly 2x).

2. Greenland et al. (2000): Looked at 15 studies.

   1. Result: For children exposed to average fields > 3 mG, the Relative Risk was 1.68 (~1.7x).

Relative risk increase through correlative studies is not the end all be all of course, and absolute risk of childhood leukemia is still quite low…however the difference in my opinion that drives this evidence home is that it has been repeated multiple times over now plus there is new evidence on weak magnetic fields that showcase HOW biology can be impacted. Correlative population level data + new mechanistic data combined is far more compelling then one or the other.

§Weak Magnetic Fields Can Impact Biology

Weak magnetic fields can impact our biology, disproving the non-ionizing/thermal argument completely. Here are a few reasons why that is the case:

1. Studies showcasing the importance of the Earth’s native Geomagnetic field on our biology such as a key input to drive and synchronize our circadian rhythm.

2. Dr. Wendy Beane’s lab at Western Michigan University has actually demonstrated a mechanism for weak magnetic fields impacting biology by showcasing weak DC magnetic fields can impact stem cell proliferation via Reactive Oxygen Species signaling. This is the key breakthrough for me.

   1. They showed that weak magnetic fields can alter the “spin state” of electrons in radical pairs (quantum biology), which changes the concentration of ROS (like superoxide) in the cell. Since ROS are key signaling molecules that tell stem cells when to divide or stop, altering the magnetic field directly alters tissue regeneration.

   2. The Key Paper: Weak Magnetic Fields Alter Stem Cell–Mediated Growth (Van Huizen, Beane, et al., 2019)

      • The study showed that weak magnetic fields (200 µT) could inhibit the regeneration of planaria (flatworms) by preventing the accumulation of ROS needed for stem cell signaling. Conversely, slightly different field strengths (500 µT) increased growth…which is a crazy finding and proving a non-linear relationship between intensity + end outcome!

   3. Study 2: Weak Magnetic Fields Modulate Superoxide to Control Planarian Regeneration (Kinsey, Beane, et al., 2023)

      • This follow-up identified superoxide (ROS) specifically as the molecular target.

   4. Study 3: Verification of Radical Pair Mechanism Predictions (2024)

      • More recent work confirmed that these effects follow the predictions of the “Radical Pair Mechanism” (a quantum mechanical model), providing a theoretical physics basis for how these weak fields trigger biological changes.

        

        

        Images from Research Performed by Dr. Wendy Beane’s Lab at CMU on Weak Magnetic Fields Modulating ROS + Stem Cell Regeneration Activity in Planaria

3. An older, even more fascinating theory: Cyclotron Resonance (field to field interactions) as a way for weak EMFs to impact ions in our body (Calcium, Potassium, Lithium).

   1. The Ion Cyclotron Resonance (ICR) hypothesis proposed by Abraham Liboff and others (like Carl Blackman) in the 1980s suggests that ions in our bodies (Calcium, Potassium, Lithium) move through cell channels like charged particles. If you expose them to an alternating magnetic field (AC) that matches their “cyclotron frequency” (which depends on the ion’s mass and the local static magnetic field ie from the Earth), you can effectively “energize” or disturb them.

      1. This offers a frequency-specific explanation for why some EMFs might be biologically active (hitting the “window” for Calcium) while others are not.

         • 

           Chart from Dr. Robert O Becker’s Cross Currents Highlighting the Potential Biological Effect of Cyclotron Resonance - Graph Source from a US Naval Research Program in the 1970s that found EMFs from our 60Hz AC power made rats more “docile” potentially due to Li+ resonance.

   2. Effect of weak alternating magnetic fields on planarian regeneration (Tyshchenko, 2022)

      • They found that the specific frequency of the AC field (74uT, 740mG) completely flipped the regeneration result:

        • 30 Hz field accelerated head regeneration by 25%.
        • 16 Hz field inhibited regeneration by 24% (stopped it).
        • They attributed this to the “Parametric Resonance” theory (often associated with Valery Lednev), suggesting that 30 Hz matches the resonance for Calcium (Ca2+) ions in the cell.

§What does this mean for the Niners injuries?

1. Humans aren’t flat worms but ROS signaling for cellular cleanup and restoration are vital pathways for all life on this planet. Wendy Beane’s research is the tip of the iceberg of us having a better mechanistic understanding of how ultra weak magnetic fields can impact biology. I would love to see her lab test even weaker AC fields in the 10-100mG range.
2. The strength of the earth’s natural magnetic field in Santa Clara, CA is ~0.51 Gauss, which if you extend the resonance graph above from Dr. Robert O Becker’s Book (which is originally sourced from a US Navy Study) you would find that it resonates with Calcium (Ca2+) ions at around 50-55Hz. Not an exact match, but very close and potentially could be a mechanistic reason behind lessened regeneration ability outside of the reasons below. There is such little research here but I find it to be extremely fascinating.

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§Mitochondrial Electromagnetic Interference

Outside of the above mechanisms for weak fields to impact our biology, there is also a more logical way I like to think about the impact. In Peter’s Substack, he brilliantly describeshow man made AC EMFs can act as “interference” with our mitochondria as they produce their own EMF. As an engineer I think in two terms when it comes to explaining how weak magnetic fields can impact our biology:

1. Increasing Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
2. Lowering our Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)

I have mentioned this on many podcasts, but Peter gets into the guts of it at the level of the Electron Transport Chain (ETC). For those that are now in over their head, this is where the magic happens. This is where the energy production occurs, this is where reactive oxygen species are generated (imperative for cellular communication), ATP is generated and this is where cellular water is created (hydration!).

I won’t dive too deep in this article, but the theory here is simple: we use low frequency electromagnetic fields to execute important biological functions. The “hub” of this occurs in the mitochondria, which is the centerpin for energy production + cellular communication. When exposed to a chronic amount of external low frequency fields at a certain threshold of intensity: cellular functions are affected negatively.

External Man Made Field —> Interference w/ Mitochondria —> Disrupted Cellular Communication —> Disrupted Energy Production

As Wendy Beane’s research showed, a small shift in external field can be the difference between stem cell proliferation and increased regeneration…or the opposite!

Image from Peter Cowan’s Part II Article on the Biological Mechanisms of ELF Magnetic Fields Impacting Our Cells

§Connection to Tendons & Torn Achilles

All that has been discussed so far is getting to the meat of how a weak magnetic field could negatively impact our health. Most people (fans and athletes especially) just want to know if Christian McCafferey is at a higher risk of blowing his ACL because some stronger magic invisible field exists on his practice field. I think there are a few mechanisms at play here when it comes to chronic exposure to high levels of magnetic fields:

1. Degradation of cellular respiration —> reduced energy production —> less ability to recover/restore cells

2. Degradation of cellular respiration —> reduced cellular water production —> reduced cellular hydration —> less fluid facial/collagen matrix

3. Interference with cellular communication —> reduced ability to recover/restore cells —> increased inflammation

4. Interference with cellular communication —> increase in cellular miscommunication in real time —> higher risk of injury

   

Soft tissue injuries are rampant for the 49ers, and even though most of them come at game time…a good chunk occur during practice as well (~30%). The above list is just a few potential mechanisms as to why at any given moment in time a player may have a higher risk of injury given the magnetic field exposure at the 49ers facility. This is not a set in stone item of course, or else the entire time would be on the IR. However, given the intense demand on a player’s body…if something even shifts the risk profile by 10-20% that is a big deal…and I think that is what we are seeing here.

I am of the belief that athletic movement lives in our fascia. And our fascia is a water-collagen matrix (as Peter describes in his article). Collagen can act as a wide band gap semiconductor (especially in bone when doped with Copper + combined with Apatite - as Dr. Robert O Becker researched), but in soft tissue the fascia relies on water to be properly hydrated to function optimally. Dr. James Oschman has written extensively about how the fascial matrix is the true communication web of our biology, and it is that matrix that funnels information across our body. In an athletic movement where thousands of lbs of force are put through an NFL players tendon to cut side to side, communication is everything…because if there is some misalignment in how that force is exerting or absorbed it could be the difference between a torn ACL and a first down.

49ers TE Greg Kittle Post Torn Achilles

§The 49ers Have Been Practicing at This Location Since 1988 - What Gives?

Trying my best to consider the actual impact of the substation on the 49ers injury rate, and important detail to note is that the 49ers have practiced at this exact location since 1988. However, this is not the same substation and overall electromagnetic environment from the 80s/90s/2000s. Here is a list of reasons why I think things drastically changed in 2014:

1. 2014 when the Niners moved in - a massive increase to the substations electrical power capacity was completed.

   1. This wasn’t a simple “upgrade” either, it actually was a 2000% increase in capacity from ~50MVA/MW to 1000MVA/MW (or 1GW). Basically went from a small local distribution hub to a massive regional transmission hub.

2. Silicon Valley tech growth could be hurting the Niners!

   1. Not all of this capacity was utilized immediately of course. For the greater Santa Clara area (which this is now the main substation / transmission hub for)…peak annual electrical demand was ~470MW pre substation transition (2010-2014). That number has now climbed to 713.5MW(>50%) increase in 2024 and is projected to be 1200+MW in 2026 onwards (>2.5x increase).
   2. Higher peak demand = higher electrical activity flowing through the center point of the local grid…which happens to the substation next to Niners HQ.
   3. Why all this growth? In a public letter to the California Energy Commission (CEC), Silicon Valley Power (SVP) officials explicitly admitted that their massive load growth is not coming from normal city expansion, but specifically from “hyper-scale data centers.” As of early 2025, data centers now consume over 60% of all electricity provided by Silicon Valley Power.

3. Artificial Lighting at Night in Stadiums + Local Environments Negatively Impacts Recovery + Sleep

   1. Cold LEDs (extremely high in flicker + blue light) have become the mainstay in lighting in the past decade. This is far more disruptive to our cells, recovery, and sleep - especially when exposed at night time. The NFL made the switch starting in 2014-2015 season from metal halide lighting (however Levi’s stadium did not make the switch until 2025). Even if the stadium didn’t switch towards more recently, the rest of the environment the players are exposed to did…meaning cellular recovery has taken a significant hit in the past 10 years.

      1. *Note that LEDs in stadium lighting actually has less flicker by design to not disrupt slow-mo videography. However players homes + facilities likely do have high flicker LED lighting which is where they spent more of their time.

4. Smart Phone Era Began in 2010-2014

   1. Screen time and smart phones have become the norm in the past decade, with each passing year people spending an increasing amount of time on devices. NFL players are no different. In fact they spend a lot of time watching fiulm on screens.

   2. Players exposure to RF-EMFs + screen time at night (lower sleep quality) certainly impacts cellular health and recovery ability.

      

      49ers EMF Environment Pre and Post 2014 Isn’t Just About Magnetic Fields

5. Levi’s Stadium is the Most “Advanced Tech Stadium” w/ 5G mmWave Galore

   1. Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS): Reports indicate the stadium has utilized over 770 antennas (combined cellular) hidden in handrails, under seats, and on catwalks to ensure coverage for 68,500 fans.

      1. This insane number of antenna is due to the nature of 5G mmWaves. Higher frequency = higher data throughput = worse range. mmWaves (28 GHz or 39 GHz bands) only covers about 500–1,000 feet effectively and doesn’t penetrate walls well, the “density” must be roughly one node per section or even per few rows in high-traffic areas.
      2. Game day RF exposure is at levels are easily 100x normal home RF levels (potentially higher) based on ROM calculations. I would love to measure the inside of the 49ers HQ + game day experience with multiple meters.
      3. The mmWave antennas are in “sleep mode” on non-game days, but the density of other low band 5G antennas is still insanely higher on any given day. The 49ers HQ is right next to Levi’s so the team is blasted with this low level stressor on top of the magnetic field exposure.
      4. Levi’s is newer and more tech forward than most stadiums, but it is becoming the norm so I wouldn’t point to this as a cause for increased rate but just a difference between stadiums today vs 10-15 years ago.
      5. I wrote an in depth article on 5G a couple years ago that is helpful context.

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§Conclusion

There is likely no way to prove actual causation of an electrical substation’s magnetic field exposure causing an increase in soft tissue injuries given the current body of evidence, however doing investigative work such as Peter Cowan has done opens the possibility of that being real in the future. It also brings awareness to the overall impact of our electromagnetic environment on our health, which is in my opinion a severely under discussed topic because it deals in a lot of inconvenient truths.

If you enjoy this brain dump of knowledge I have collected over the past few years studying EMFs and our biology - subscribe for more tangents like this from time to time.

My entire mission in my personal and professional work is to build technology that is more synergistic with humanity and nature. The first step in that is recognizing that real problems exist.

-Tristan

§Sources

1. Recent Research on EMF and Health Risk (2021 Report) Note: See sections on “Childhood Leukaemia” and the “Prudent Avoidance” recommendation for city planning. (Source: Swedish Radiation Safety Authority)
2. Report on EMF Activities in the Netherlands Note: Confirms the policy advising against new homes/schools in the “0.4 microtesla zone” (4 mG). (Source: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment - RIVM)
3. Policy in Israel: Electric Grids & Radiation Note: Explicitly lists “Daily average of 4 milligauss” as the target for schools and homes. (Source: Tnuda / Ministry of Environmental Protection)
4. Silicon Valley Power Comments on the Draft 2021-2022 Transmission Study Plan Note: Contains the admission that load growth is “primarily driven by hyper-scale data centers.” (Source: California ISO Stakeholder Catalog)
5. 2024 IEPR Update: Data Center Forecast Recap Note: Slide 9 confirms the Silicon Valley Power load forecast jumping to ~1,190 MW. (Source: California Energy Commission)
6. Santa Clara City Council Questions Silicon Valley Power’s Ability to Deliver Energy Note: Confirms 57 active/planned data centers and facilities sitting empty due to power shortages. (Source: Santa Clara News)
7. Legislation Text & Capacity Upgrade Details Note: Official city documents confirming the upgrade of Kifer and Scott Receiving Stations to >600 MVA capacity each. (Source: City of Santa Clara)
8. Power Demand Forecasts & Data Center Impact Note: Details how data center growth is driving over 60% of new electrical demand in specific utility regions. (Source: Grid Strategies)
9. Silicon Valley Power Plans Big Strides to Accommodate Growth Note: Covers the $448M+ investment to support load growth from data centers. (Source: Silicon Valley Voice)
10. FTN Football Almanac 2025 Note: The definitive source for “Adjusted Games Lost” data, showing the 49ers as the https://www.google.com/search?q=%231 most injured team in 2024. (Source: FTN Fantasy)
11. Injury Data Since 2018 (Turf vs. Natural Grass) Note: Supports the distinction between “Road/Turf” ACL injuries vs. “Home/Grass” injuries. (Source: NFL Players Association)
12. Red Light and the Sleep Quality of Elite Athletes Note: Scientific study on how red-light therapy aids sleep quality in elite athletes, contrasting with blue-rich LED exposure. (Source: NIH / PubMed)
13. Research Regarding Sport, Light, and Performance Note: Overview of how stadium LED lighting and late match times suppress melatonin and affect circadian rhythms. (Source: MelaMedic)
14. 49ers Unveil Levi’s Stadium Renovations for 2025 Note: Confirmation of the switch to LED field lights and new 4K video boards for the 2025 season. (Source: San Francisco 49ers)
15. Levi’s Stadium Mobile Communications Case Study Note: Technical breakdown of the 770+ antenna Distributed Antenna System (DAS) used for high-density connectivity. (Source: JMA Wireless)
16. Levi’s Stadium Renovation for Super Bowl & FIFA Note: Details on the $200 million renovation including the specific “Tech Retrofit” for connectivity and lighting. (Source: Discover Santa Clara)
17. Record-Setting Season for Sunday Night Football Note: Data confirming the record-setting viewership of night games and the expansion of primetime audience reach. (Source: NBC Sports)