Inform Performance

Warren Bradley - FIFA World Cup: Physiological Challenges & Strategies

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:03:52 -0400

Episode 221: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Dr. Warren Bradley — sports nutritionist turned co-founder of Hytro, the world's leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable used by elite teams across multiple sports worldwide.

With over a decade of experience in professional sport and a PhD in sports nutrition, Warren has spent the past six years transitioning from applied practice into building a company that delivers BFR solutions to high-performance environments around the globe. His unique perspective bridges the science of recovery with the practical realities of elite sport.

Throughout the episode, Warren explores the physiological challenges athletes face during congested tournament schedules, and how practitioners can mitigate the effects of jet lag, travel fatigue, and accumulated load. The conversation examines neuromuscular function, the role of perception in fatigue and recovery, and how emerging modalities like BFR may support tendon recovery.

The discussion also dives into how practitioners can identify which recovery strategies actually matter, how to evaluate their effectiveness, and why the human element remains central to recovery science — even as technology and data continue to evolve.

Topics Discussed:

Physiological challenges in tournaments
Mitigating jet lag and fatigue
Neuromuscular function and recovery techniques
Perception of fatigue and recovery modalities
Exploring BFR and tendon recovery
Identifying key recovery strategies
Evaluating recovery effectiveness
The human element in recovery science

Where you can find Warren:

Sponsors

Gameplan is a rehab Project Management & Data Analytics Platform that improves operational & communication efficiency during rehab. Gameplan provides a centralised tool for MDT’s to work collaboratively inside a data rich environment

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

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Sports Science Insights - Julie Gooderick: Sleep, Recovery & the female athlete

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:40:26 -0400

Episode 221: In this episode of Sports Science Insights, host Steve Barrett is joined by Julie Gooderick — a UKSCA Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach and Sports Therapist with more than 15 years of experience supporting athletes across a wide range of sports, from grassroots participation through to the Olympic Games.

Julie has led athlete scholarship programmes within schools and universities, helping to create pathways that develop talent from early participation to elite performance. With a degree in Sports Therapy, an MSc in Strength & Conditioning, and experience supporting athletes at two Olympic Games, she brings a unique perspective on long-term athlete development, performance support, and the realities of working in high-performance sport.

At the centre of the conversation is the challenge of supporting athletes beyond the training programme itself. Julie discusses the role of recovery in performance, why sleep remains one of the most underutilised tools available to athletes, and how practitioners can create environments that promote both performance and wellbeing.

The discussion also explores Julie's involvement in initiatives designed to support and develop female coaches within the profession. Drawing on her own experiences, she reflects on the progress that has been made, the challenges that remain, and the importance of creating opportunities for future generations of practitioners.

Throughout the episode, Julie shares practical examples and case studies from her consultancy work with female athletes, providing insight into the complex and individualised nature of performance support across different sporting environments.

Topics Discussed:

Julie's Background and Career Journey
Sleep, Recovery and Performance
Female Coach Initiatives Through UKSCA
Female Athlete Consultancy Case Studies
Long-Term Athlete Development
Supporting Athletes Across Different Sporting Environments

Where you can find Julie:

Sponsors

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Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

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Accelerate - Allan MacDonald: Decision Making in Sport

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:40:30 -0400

Episode 220: In this episode of Accelerate Podcast, host Nicola Graham is joined by Allan MacDonald — a decision-making specialist who has spent 15 years in elite sport before transitioning into government, and who holds a professional doctorate in judgmental forecasting and decision-making.

Allan's career has taken him across high-performance sport, public sector strategy, and academic research — giving him a rare cross-domain perspective on how decisions actually get made under pressure. His doctoral work focuses on the science of forecasting and human judgement, exploring why even experienced professionals fall short when it matters most.

ㅤ At the centre of the conversation is a question every high-performance environment faces: how do we make better decisions — not just with better data, but with better thinking? Allan unpacks the gap between having information and knowing how to weigh it, and why expertise alone is no defence against the biases that quietly shape our choices.

ㅤ The discussion also explores how the principles of judgmental forecasting and calibrated confidence translate beyond sport — into business, strategy, and any environment where decisions are made in the face of uncertainty.

ㅤ Topics Discussed:

Decision Making in High-Performance Environments
Confidence and Calibration
Team Set-Ups and How They Shape Judgement
Forecasting and Handling Uncertainty
The Crossover to Business and Strategy

Where you can find Allan:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Simon Wallace: Achilles Tendon Repair Rehab

Mon, 25 May 2026 06:31:23 -0400

Episode 219: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Simon Wallace — Senior Physiotherapist at Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital, where he leads the Foot, Ankle, and Calf rehabilitation team.

With extensive experience across elite sport and high-performance environments, Simon has developed particular expertise in lower limb rehabilitation, specialising in complex foot and ankle injuries as well as recurrent thigh muscle issues. Prior to Aspetar, Simon spent over a decade working in professional rugby, including serving as Medical Lead & Head Physiotherapist at Leicester Tigers.

Throughout the episode, Simon shares a detailed insight into the rehabilitation process following Achilles tendon rupture and repair, exploring how clinicians can effectively balance tissue healing, loading strategies, and athlete expectations throughout recovery. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding the variability within Achilles rehab and why rigid timelines often fail to reflect the realities of individual recovery.

The discussion also dives into the role of early-stage management post-surgery, common mistakes that can delay progress, and how practitioners can better integrate strength and plyometric training to prepare athletes for the demands of return to performance. Simon offers practical perspectives on navigating decision-making in elite sport while maintaining athlete confidence and long-term outcomes.

Topics Discussed:

Surgical options for Achilles repair
Early management following Achilles surgery
Understanding flexibility within Achilles rehab
Common pitfalls during Achilles recovery
The importance of plyometric training
Navigating athlete expectations and return timelines

Where you can find Simon:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

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Accelerate - Dr Naomi Myhill: Translating Elite Sport to Consumer Health

Mon, 11 May 2026 15:15:26 -0400

Episode 218: In this episode of Accelerate Podcast, host Nicola Graham is joined by Dr Naomi Myhill — Director of Applied Science at Cascaid Health, a proactive health platform applying elite sport methodology to consumer health and longevity.

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Before joining Cascaid Health, Naomi spent years working across elite women’s football with both The FA and City Football Group, helping bridge the gap between research and practice. Her work focused on translating complex performance constructs into actionable metrics and interventions — giving coaches and practitioners clearer insights to support faster, better decision-making.

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At the centre of the conversation is the challenge of applying elite sport principles outside of high-performance environments. Naomi shares why so much health data fails to create meaningful behaviour change, what it takes to build systems that genuinely move people forward, and how elite sport methodologies can shape the future of consumer health and longevity.

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The discussion also explores the female athlete landscape — from data collection and interpretation, to the broader challenges and opportunities involved in building more individualised health and performance systems.

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Topics Discussed:

What Elite Sport Can Teach Consumer Health
Why Most Health Data Fails to Change Behaviour
Building Systems That Actually Move People Forward
The Female Athlete and Data
Translating Research Into Practice
Health, Longevity and Behaviour Change

Where you can find Naomi:

Website

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

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Hannah Marchant - A Real World MPFL Case Study

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:09:11 -0400

Episode 217: In this episode of the Inform Performance, Andy McDonald is joined by Hannah Marchant — a Sports Therapist working across elite sport and clinical environments, currently with New York City FC, and formerly at Cleveland Clinic.

With a background spanning high-performance sport and advanced clinical practice, Hannah brings a detailed perspective on integrating rehabilitation, objective testing, and data-led decision-making within multidisciplinary teams. Her work centres on optimising athlete recovery while ensuring robust, criteria-based return-to-play outcomes.

Across the conversation, Hannah breaks down the complexities of managing patellar instability and MPFL injuries — from initial assessment through to long-term rehabilitation strategy. The discussion explores how anatomical risk factors influence decision-making, the importance of structured clinical workflows, and how practitioners can adapt rehab in real time based on objective feedback.

The episode also dives into the nuances of progressing patellar rehab in elite environments, highlighting how to balance tissue healing, strength development, and movement quality — while maintaining clarity across the MDT. Hannah shares practical insights into monitoring progress, refining interventions, and ensuring athletes are not just cleared to return, but truly prepared to perform.

Topics Discussed:

Assessment process for MPFL injuries
Clinical workflow and case management
Anatomical risk factors for patellar dislocation
Rehabilitation nuances for patellar injuries
Monitoring progress and adjusting rehab

Where you can find Hannah:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Accelerate - Brian Moore: The 15 Year Build: Science Leads and Tech Follows

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:24:24 -0400

Episode 216: In this episode of Accelerate Podcast, host Nicola Graham is joined by Dr Brian Moore — Co-Founder and CEO of Orreco, a company that has spent over fifteen years at the forefront of bio-analytics and AI in elite sport.

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Brian’s journey into high-performance sport began in the lead-up to the Sydney Olympics 2000, where he studied blood biomarkers under Professor Craig Sharp — widely regarded as a pioneer of British sports science. Since then, his work has spanned Olympic and World Championship medallists, NBA organisations including the Dallas Mavericks, Premier League clubs, Formula 1 teams, and the America’s Cup.

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At the core of the conversation is Orreco’s long-term vision: building a full-stack AI system for human performance. Brian shares how a science-first approach has shaped the company’s evolution — from early biomarker analysis to developing integrated systems that aim to inform decision-making across performance, recovery, and health.

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This episode explores what it really takes to build in elite sport over the long term — from maintaining scientific credibility, to navigating investment, and translating complex data into meaningful, applied insights for practitioners and organisations.

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Topics Discussed:

The Fifteen-Year Build
Science-First Strategy
The Bio-Analytics Thesis
Building the Full Stack
Capital and Credibility

Where you can find Brian:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Athletic Shoulder - Richie Gray: Bridging Rehab & Performance in Collision Sport

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:19:28 -0400

Episode 215: In this episode of the Athletic Shoulder Podcast, Ben Ashworth is joined by Richie Gray — founder of GSI Performance and one of the leading voices in contact and collision coaching globally.

With over two decades of experience across elite sport, Richie has helped shape how athletes prepare for contact at the highest level. His work spans international rugby, the NFL, and world-class environments including the Springboks, Flying Fijians, and RC Toulon — alongside ongoing contributions to global governing bodies such as World Rugby and USA Football.

Across the conversation, Richie breaks down what it truly takes to prepare athletes for the demands of collision sport — from technical precision and physical readiness to building systems that hold up under pressure. The discussion explores the intersection of coaching, equipment, and methodology, highlighting how his frameworks have redefined both performance and player welfare.

The episode also dives into the critical distinction between return to play and return to performance, offering a clearer pathway for practitioners looking to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and real-world sport. Richie shares practical insights into integrating technical skill within physical preparation, developing athlete confidence through progression, and applying innovative tools to better replicate the demands of contact environments.

Topics Discussed:

The journey of collaboration in sports rehabilitation
Return to performance vs return to play
The role of technique in injury prevention
Innovative training equipment in collision sport
Progression in rehabilitation and athlete confidence
Frameworks for effective shoulder injury management
Integrating technical skill into physical preparation
Coaching philosophy and the future of contact training
Bridging the gap between research and practice

Where you can find Richie:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Accelerate - Chris Bodman: The Psychological Perspective

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:38:53 -0400

Episode 214: In this episode of Accelerate, host Nicola Graham is joined by Chris Bodman — a Chartered Performance Psychologist who has helped guide Olympic athletes to podium performances and now works with executives and founders navigating high-pressure environments.

Chris’ career began in strength and conditioning, where he spent over a decade developing athletes physically before shifting his focus to the psychological side of performance. That transition led him to work across some of the UK’s leading high-performance systems, including the England and Wales Cricket Board, Rugby Football Union, and the UK Sports Institute, as well as supporting the England Women's Cricket Team.

In 2021, Chris founded LMNTARY Performance — a consultancy designed to translate the mental frameworks used in elite sport into the worlds of leadership, entrepreneurship, and business performance.

Across the conversation, Chris shares how the principles that underpin success in high-performance sport — clarity of purpose, adaptability under pressure, and sustainable habits — can be applied far beyond the sporting arena. The discussion explores the realities of burnout, the importance of psychological flexibility, and how individuals and organisations can build environments that support long-term performance rather than short bursts of intensity.

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Topics Discussed:

Chris’ journey from strength & conditioning into performance psychology
Lessons from working within elite sport systems
Translating sport psychology frameworks into business
Purpose, burnout, and sustaining high performance
Adaptability and decision-making under pressure
Building environments that support long-term success

—

Where you can find Chris:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Tom Clark - Mitigating the Effects of Jet Lag

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 04:55:00 -0500

Episode 213: In this episode, Andy McDonald is joined by Tom Clark — a sports scientist and performance coach with over a decade of experience working at the highest levels of elite sport.

Currently completing a doctorate focused on jet lag and circadian disruption, Tom brings rare, first-hand insight into the challenges of global travel in high-performance environments. Having coached across the world in Formula One, his work centres on understanding how travel fatigue, disrupted sleep, and circadian misalignment influence athlete readiness and performance.

Across the conversation, Tom unpacks the realities of jet lag in elite sport — exploring how travel affects physiological rhythms, why its impact varies between athletes, and how practitioners can better assess and manage it within performance systems. The discussion also examines practical interventions to minimise disruption, alongside the role of new technologies designed to support high-performance travel.

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Topics Discussed:

• Understanding jet lag
• Impact of travel and circadian disruption on performance
• Assessing jet lag in athletes
• Key interventions to reduce travel fatigue
• Phaze — a solution for high-performance travel

Where you can find Tom:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Accelerate - Jason Esseboom: Investment Capital in Sports Tech

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 06:28:31 -0500

Episode 212: In this episode of Accelerate, Nicola Graham is joined by Jason — Founder of Joyned Capital, former semi-professional footballer in the Netherlands, and a leader at the intersection of athlete identity and technology investment.

Jason’s journey spans elite sport, corporate banking, venture building, and two years designing and running the Qatar SportsTech accelerator programme — giving him a rare perspective on both sides of the performance and investment table. After transitioning out of football, he made it his mission to reshape the narrative around athletes in business and redefine how investors engage with sport and technology.

Now through Joyned Capital, Jason is focused on changing the face of investment — building bridges between high-performance sport and high-growth tech, while empowering athletes to become credible, strategic investors.

Across the conversation, Jason breaks down what the high-performance mindset really looks like beyond the pitch — exploring growth, curiosity, relentlessness and grit in the world of startups and venture capital. He shares practical insights into the different types of capital founders can pursue, and why relationships — not just capital — are the true currency in early-stage investment.

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Topics Discussed:

• From semi-pro football to founder and investor
• Designing and leading Qatar SportsTech’s accelerator
• The high-performance mindset in venture
• Understanding different types of investment capital
• The rise of the athlete investor
• Building meaningful investor–founder relationships

Where you can find Jason:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Trent Salo - Assessing & Improving Tendon Health

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:33:59 -0500

Episode 211: In this episode, Andy McDonald is joined by Trent — founder of The Tendon Lab and a specialist in Achilles and Patellar tendon health.

Trent brings nearly a decade of professional basketball experience as a physical therapist, strength coach, and former VP of Player Health and Performance into his focused clinical and research practice in Traverse City, Michigan. A former collegiate basketball player turned tendon scientist, his work now centres exclusively on evaluating and enhancing tendon structure and function.

Alongside consulting with professional teams on high-performance systems and return-to-play processes, Trent is pursuing his PhD in tendon health under one of the world’s leading tendon researchers. His mission is clear: bridge the gap between emerging tendon science and the realities of performance environments.

Across the conversation, Trent unpacks what “tendon health” really means beyond pain or imaging alone. He explores how structure, function, and symptoms interact — and why they don’t always move in parallel. The discussion dives into the role of UTC imaging, intelligent loading strategies, and how to progress athletes toward high-level stretch–shortening cycle (SSC) demands with clarity and confidence.

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Topics Discussed:

• Defining tendon health
• The role of UTC imaging in clinical decision-making
• Structure vs. function vs. pain
• Strategies for progressive tendon loading
• Targeting tendon substructure adaptations
• End-stage / SSC tendon loading in performance settings

Where you can find Trent:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Accelerate - Emma Meehan: Technical Founder in a Clinical World

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 02:35:09 -0500

Episode 210: In this episode of Accelerate, host Nicola Graham is joined by Emma Meehan — Founder, CEO, and CTO of KinetikIQ.

Emma is building technology that sits at the intersection of biomechanics, machine learning, and real-world performance. KinetikIQ turns any smartphone into a full-body 3D biomechanics system using LiDAR and AI — no wearables required — making advanced movement analysis far more accessible across sport and health.

With a background in computer science and software engineering, alongside experience as a competitive weightlifter, Emma brings both technical depth and practitioner perspective to product development. Her work has already been recognised across sport, technology, and business — including wins at the KPMG Global Tech Innovator Ireland and the Barca Innovation Challenge, Best New Sports Business of the Year at the Irish Sport Awards, recognition from SportsTechX as a European startup to watch, and features in the Sunday Business Post and Irish Independent 30 Under 30 lists.

Together, Nicola and Emma explore what it really takes to build a company as a technical founder, how the Irish startup ecosystem can support early-stage growth, and the realities of securing venture capital in sport and healthtech — alongside the lived experience of building as a female founder in a still-emerging industry.

Topics discussed:

Building a company as a technical founder
The role of the Irish startup ecosystem in early growth
Venture capital funding in sport and healthtech
The realities of being a female founder in sports technology

Where you can find Emma:

Sponsors

VALD Performance, makers of the ForceDecks, ForceFrame, HumanTrak, Dynamo, SmartSpeed, NordBoard. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Accelerate - Andy McDonald: Building Tech as a Practitioner Founder

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:26:11 -0500

Episode 209: In this first episode of Accelerate, host Nicola Graham is joined by our very own Andy McDonald — CEO & Co-Founder of Gameplan Performance and the voice behind Inform Performance.

Nicola’s work sits at the intersection of preventative health, human performance, and business strategy. With a background spanning advanced clinical practice, leadership roles across growth and M&A, and an Executive MBA, she now supports founders, funds, and performance-led organisations to translate scientific credibility into scalable strategy, measurable outcomes, and commercial growth.

Andy brings 15+ years of frontline experience across elite sport — from collegiate programmes to the NBA, UFC, and Indy500 — and shares the realities of building technology as a practitioner, not just an idea.

Together, they explore why Accelerate exists, and what it really takes to build products, platforms, and companies that sport will actually adopt.

Topics discussed:

• Why we started Accelerate
• Building tech as a practitioner-founder
• Managing multiple stakeholders in rehab environments
• Turning evidence into products teams will trust and use

Where you can find Andy:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Jake Gillies - Data-Driven Decision Making in Rehab

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:45:30 -0500

Episode 208: In this episode, Andy McDonald is joined by Jake Gillies, Lead Sports Scientist at Bristol Bears Rugby, working at the sharp end of performance data integration within English Premiership rugby.

Jake’s role centres on quantifying the physical demands of match play and translating performance technology outputs into actionable training decisions. Prior to joining the Bears, he worked as a Sports Scientist at Harlequins Rugby, alongside experience as a Strength & Conditioning coach in the British Basketball League (BBL) — giving him a broad, cross-sport perspective on how data should (and shouldn’t) be used.

Across the conversation, Jake breaks down what it really means to turn data into action. He explores how practitioners can move beyond numbers for numbers’ sake, contextualise information within rehab and performance environments, and ensure that data serves decision-making rather than complicating it. The discussion highlights the importance of athlete intent, flexible testing frameworks, and clear visualisation when bridging the gap between rehabilitation and match performance.

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Topics Discussed:

• Turning data into action
• Contextualising data in rehabilitation
• Managing complexity in rehab objectives
• Insights vs. information in sports science
• The importance of good data in rehab settings
• Athlete intent & performance metrics
• Flexibility in testing protocols
• Effective data visualisation & dashboards
• Bridging the gap between rehab and match performance

Where you can find Jake:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Dr James Morehen - Fueling Strategies for Elite Performance

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:20:33 -0500

Episode 207: In this episode, Andy McDonald speaks with Dr. James Morehen, Lead Performance Nutritionist for England Rugby and an SENr-registered practitioner working at the forefront of elite sport.

James has supported athletes across Premiership Rugby, international rugby pathways, professional boxing, motorsport, and endurance sport — previously serving as the Performance Nutritionist for Bristol Bears Rugby Union before moving into his current national-team role. Through his company, Morehen Performance Ltd, he also consults privately with athletes and high-performing individuals seeking clear, practical nutrition systems that fit real life.

James shares his journey into performance nutrition and the evolving expectations placed on practitioners — from managing game-day fuelling to navigating alcohol and recovery, and from educating players to integrating seamlessly within multidisciplinary teams. He also discusses the difference between textbook knowledge and applied practice, and how identifying simple, high-impact nutritional wins can drive meaningful performance change.

Drawing on his experience in both elite and private settings, James unpacks the realities of modern nutrition support, the myths that distract athletes, and the principles that consistently move the needle.

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Topics Discussed:

• Common nutritional challenges in athletes
• Alcohol and recovery: finding the balance
• Bridging the gap between textbook knowledge & applied practice
• Game-day nutrition: a full walkthrough
• Identifying “low-hanging fruit” for quick performance wins
• Debunking trends, myths & overcomplicated advice

Where you can find James:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Robin Thorpe - From Isolation to Integration: Unifying Rehab

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 13:11:42 -0500

Episode 206: In this episode, Andy McDonald is joined by Dr. Robin Thorpe, one of the most influential performance scientists of the modern era.
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Robin spent a decade at Manchester United (2009–2019) as a Senior Performance Scientist and Conditioning Coach, working across multiple managerial eras — from Sir Alex Ferguson through to Ole Gunnar Solskjær. As Head of Recovery & Regeneration, he supported the First Team through 10 national and international titles, developing systems to maximise player availability, manage fatigue, and reduce injury and illness risk.
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Alongside his applied PhD with Liverpool John Moores University, Robin has worked with elite athletes across football, golf, boxing, track & field, and national teams — including the Mexican National Team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His career spans leadership roles in the EPL, NBA, MLB, MLS, PGA Tour, and most recently as Director of Performance at Red Bull, supporting global high-performance environments.
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In this conversation, Robin shares how he translates first-principles thinking into real-world decision making, how teams can collaborate more effectively, and why strategic performance leadership is the future of high-performance sport.
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Topics Discussed:

Interdisciplinary team dynamics
Converting first principles into practical application
Specialist vs. generalist roles in elite sport
Decision-making frameworks for practitioners
Monitoring & measuring rehab outcomes
Outcome-based, process-guided, & adaptation-focused rehab

Where to Find Dr. Thorpe:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Sports Performance Leadership - David Bailey: Beyond Marginal Gains: From British Cycling to World Tour Leadership

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:46:35 -0500

Episode 205: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Dr. David Bailey — an internationally recognised coach, sports scientist, and performance leader whose career spans over two decades across Olympic, corporate, and professional sport.

David is currently Head of Performance Support with a World Tour professional cycling team, where he leads multidisciplinary sports science and performance teams competing at the highest level. Over the past ten years, he has helped drive innovation and integration across physiology, nutrition, technology, and data — guiding athletes and staff towards sustained world-class performance.

Before his move into cycling, David was a Senior Research Scientist at Nestlé, responsible for global sports nutrition research for PowerBar, and previously a sports physiologist with the English Institute of Sport across three Olympic cycles — Athens, Beijing, and London — supporting athletes in cycling, triathlon, and other endurance sports.

With a PhD in Exercise and Sport Nutrition from Loughborough University and more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, David continues to shape the evolution of applied sports science and performance leadership — bridging the gap between research, technology, and real-world performance.

In this conversation, David and Pete explore the art and science of performance management — from the “aggregation of marginal gains” to the power of reflection, collaboration, and human-centred leadership in complex, high-pressure environments.

Topics Discussed:

David’s journey from academic research to elite performance leadership
The real meaning behind “aggregation of marginal gains”
Balancing data-driven insights with human-centred leadership
Lessons from Olympic sport, corporate R&D, and World Tour cycling
The future of performance leadership in the age of AI and technology

Where you can find David:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

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Bryony Johnson - Cooking for Gold: The Role of a Performance Chef

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 13:17:27 -0500

Episode 204: In this episode, Andy McDonald speaks with Bryony Johnson, a Performance Chef with 19 years of experiencesupporting some of the world’s most elite athletes, including Anthony Joshua, Roger Federer, Sir Ben Ainslie, and Ellie Aldridge.

Bryony shares her journey through elite sport and the evolving role of the performance chef — bridging the gap between nutrition science and practical food delivery. She also lectures on the MSc in Sports Nutrition at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, offering future practitioners a real-world perspective on applied performance nutrition.

Drawing on nearly two decades in kitchens and high-performance environments, Bryony discusses the nuances of collaboration, the challenges of feeding athletes with individualised needs, and the impact of modern food culture on performance.

Topics Discussed:

The role and importance of a performance chef in sport
Effective collaboration between nutritionists and chefs
Challenges and strategies in adapting meals for athletes’ needs
The impact of food trends and fads on athletes’ dietary choices
Balancing whole foods and supplements in sports nutrition

Where you can find Bryony:

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Sports Performance Leadership - Richard Young: Simplify to Amplify: A Blueprint for High Performance Leadership

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 08:19:36 -0400

Episode 203: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Dr. Richard Young — an internationally respected performance leader whose career spans more than three decades across sports, science, and innovation.

Richard has been involved in 11 Olympic Games as an athlete, coach, researcher, technologist, and leader, working across over 50 sports and seven countries. His mission: to help athletes, teams, and organizations move from high potential to sustained higher performance.

Holding a PhD in physiology and biomedical engineering, Richard has applied his research to understand the human and systemic factors that underpin sustained success. He founded several influential international programmes, including the Technology and Innovation programmes for Great Britain and New Zealand, and the Performance Knowledge & Learning programme for New Zealand’s Olympic, Winter Olympic, and Paralympic teams.

Over six Olympic cycles, Richard has studied the crucial differences between medallists and non-medallists — exploring how leaders, coaches, and systems foster resilience, coherence, and repeat excellence. Today, he consults globally as a Performance Advisor, helping Olympic and professional sports teams, as well as leaders in business, health, and education, to declutter, align, and integrate performance systems for sustainable success.

In this compelling conversation, Richard unpacks the essence of leadership systems, showing how clarity, alignment, and simplicity drive long-term success — not just in sport, but across any high-performing environment.

Topics Discussed:

Richard’s Career Journey — From athlete to innovation specialist across 11 Olympic cycles
Sustained Performance — What separates one-time winners from repeat performers
The System Approach — Understanding people, places, and things and how they interact
The 3×3 Dashboard from "Simplify" — Flow, self-awareness, evidence, values, and routines
Evolving Team Models — Moving from multidisciplinary to integrated system approaches
Optimal Team Size for Repeat Success — Why three is often the magic number
Values Alignment — How personal and organizational values must connect
The Iceberg Model — Making visible the deeper systems and values beneath the surface
Distributed Leadership — Tackling the bottleneck of leadership quality
Creating “Simple, Aligned, and Well” Environments — A blueprint for repeat success
Speed of Learning — Why adaptability separates sustained winners
Mentorship for Leaders — Building the next generation of performance thinkers
Personal Insights — Books, mentors, family, and life in New Zealand

Where you can find Richard:

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Athletic Shoulder - Robbie Smyth: From Pool to Performance: Inside the Swimmer’s Shoulder

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 06:46:00 -0400

Episode 202: In this episode of the Athletic Shoulder Podcast, host Ben Ashworth is joined by Robbie Smyth, a Sports Physiotherapist currently working with the Sport Ireland Institute, where he serves as Lead Physiotherapist for the national swimming program.

Robbie has extensive experience across elite sport, having previously worked with Athletics Ireland, the Ireland National Team at the Paris Olympics, and as a Senior Physiotherapist with Meath GAA. His work focuses on bridging the gap between performance and rehabilitation for athletes competing at the highest level.

In this conversation, Robbie shares insights from his experience supporting world-class swimmers and discusses the nuanced demands of managing shoulder health in aquatic athletes.

Topics Discussed:

Challenges in Olympic-level swimming
Screening and assessment techniques
Injury prevention strategies for swimmers
Integrating dry-land and water-based training
Managing shoulder pain and hypermobility
Kinetic chain and force transfer in swimmers
Surgical vs conservative management
Future directions in swimmer rehabilitation

Where you can find Robbie Smyth:

Sponsors

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Sports Performance Leadership - Jeremy Sheppard: Character First: Leading Beyond the Hierarchy

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 03:33:31 -0400

Episode 201: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Jeremy Sheppard — an internationally respected performance coach, sport scientist, and leader in athlete development.

Jeremy has spent over two decades working at the highest levels of sport, from the Australian Institute of Sport to Canada Snowboard, where he currently serves as Performance Coach within the Slopestyle program. His work integrates movement, mindset, and medicine, creating high-performing environments where athletes thrive.

Across his career, Jeremy has held key roles with Surfing Australia, Australian Volleyball, and consulted with organisations including the New York Jets, Newcastle United FC, and Melbourne Storm. Having contributed to athlete success at eight Olympic Games, multiple X Games, and World Championships, his experience spans continents, cultures, and disciplines.

In this conversation, Jeremy offers deep reflections on leadership, authenticity, and performance — exploring how character, creativity, and relationships drive sustainable achievement in sport and beyond.

Topics Discussed:

Background & Career Journey — From athlete to sports scientist/coach, working at Australian Institute of Sport and Canada Snowboard
Character as Leadership Foundation — Character drives behaviour and sustainable achievement; contrasting childhood influences shaped this philosophy
Anti-Hierarchical Leadership — Dynamic team structures, circular decision-making, “captain in the dressing room” approach, leadership shifts based on context
Personal Before Team Leadership — Self-development and authentic identity required before effectively leading others
Team Development — Empowering autonomy, creating belonging, working with limited resources through creativity and relationships
Redefining Success — Success as behaviours matching values rather than outcomes; process over results focus

Where you can find Jeremy:

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Dr Enda King - Key Principles of Athletic Hip & Groin Pain Rehab

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:47:26 -0400

Episode 200: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Dr. Enda King PhD MSc, one of the world’s leading sports physiotherapists and rehabilitation experts. Enda is currently the Aspetar Head of Elite Performance and Development.

Enda King PhD MSc has combined his roles as a sports physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach, researcher, and educator through his work with individual athletes and elite teams across a spectrum of sports and disciplines.

Through role as Head of Performance, Sports Surgery Clinic, Dublin led the development and delivery of their ACL and Athletic Groin Pain clinical and research pathways and their Elite Athlete Program Rehabilitating catering for players from Premier League, NBA, NFL, NHL, Premiership Rugby, European Tour Golf, National Hunt Racing, AFL and UFC.

Over 40 peer review publications and book chapters in the management of Athletic Groin Pain, Biomechanical Analysis after ACL reconstruction and the role of biomechanics in rehabilitation and athletic performance.

As an educator, has presented at scientific conferences, courses and workshops and consulted for elite teams world wide, in particular in relation to ACL rehabilitation, Athletic Groin Pain and Chronic and Recurrent Lower limb muscle and tendon issues.

Topics Discussed:

Understanding Athletic Hip & Groin Pain
Challenges in Diagnosis and Management
Functional Assessments & Key Considerations
North Star Principles of Effective Rehabilitation
Rehab Insights from the Sportsmith Conference

Where you can find Dr. Enda King:

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Jess Elis - Navigating Ethics & Improving Athlete Data Processes

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 09:34:15 -0400

Episode 199: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Jess Elis, founder of Rehab Code and one of the sharpest minds in elite sports medicine.

Elis earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy before pursuing a PhD and multiple board certifications in orthopedics and sports. His career spans leadership roles as Director of Physical Therapy at EXOS and later as Vice President of Player Health for the New York Knicks. With a career dedicated to blending science, ethics, and athlete welfare, Elis offers a unique perspective at the intersection of research and practice.

Topics Discussed:

Exploring Ethics in Sports
Themes from the Research
Communication and Consent
Team Data Strategy
Ethical Considerations in Testing
The Human Element in Data Collection

Where you can find Jess Elis:

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Jeff Reipe - 360° Testing: Connecting Kinetic, Kinematic & Metabolic Data

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 09:58:43 -0400

Episode 198: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Jeff Riepe, a distinguished expert at the intersection of sports science, rehabilitation, and human performance.

Riepe earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California, followed by a fellowship in Clinical & Sports Biomechanics at the Movement Performance Institute under the mentorship of Chris Powers. His career spans elite sports medicine roles with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, numerous collegiate athletic programs, and the EXOS NFL Combine Training Program.

Specializing in advanced movement analysis, Riepe integrates cutting-edge technologies such as 2D and 3D high-speed motion capture, force plate analysis, and wireless electromyography (EMG) to optimize rehabilitation and performance outcomes.

Topics Discussed:

MoveLab's Advanced Biomechanics Lab
Data-Driven Rehabilitation Strategies
Integration of Clinical Research and Normative Data
Challenges in Late-Stage Rehabilitation
The Role of VO₂ Max

Where you can find Jeff Riepe:

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Sports Performance Leadership: Nick Grantham - “Batman or Alfred? Humility, Influence, and Action in High Performance Sport

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:18:03 -0400

Episode 197: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Nick Grantham — a leading authority in athletic preparation and performance enhancement, with over two decades of experience at the highest levels of elite sport.

Nick’s career has taken him from professional football to Olympic and Commonwealth Games programs, national governing bodies, and consultancy roles across a wide range of sports. Renowned for his no-nonsense, evidence-informed approach, Nick has helped shape the careers of athletes in football, gymnastics, netball, and beyond. As a published author and sought-after speaker, he is known for challenging conventional thinking and championing sustainable, athlete-centred development.

In this conversation, Nick shares candid insights on the evolving landscape of sports performance leadership, exploring what it truly takes to lead effectively in high-pressure, results-driven environments.

Topics Discussed:

Career Journey — From early S&C roles to consultancy and Premier League experience
Olympic & Multi-Sport Work — Coaching insights across gymnastics, netball, and professional football
Leadership Development — Lessons from mentors, management courses, and pivotal career moments
Leadership Philosophy — Values-based leadership, authenticity, integrity, and influence over hierarchy
Metaphors for Leadership — “Batman vs Alfred” and the power of tactical withdrawal
Building Trust & Influence — Humility, listening, onboarding quickly, and asking “silly questions”
Self-Development & CPD — Audiobooks, TED Talks, 360 feedback, and key reads like Dare to Lead and Radical Candor
Team & Talent Development — Reverse mentoring, psychological safety, and avoiding poor leadership promotions
Strategic Trends in Sport Leadership — Balancing “superstars” and “rock stars,” short-term vs long-term performance, and learning sideways from F1, business, and healthcare

This episode delivers a thought-provoking conversation filled with practical takeaways, leadership lessons, and reflections from one of the most respected voices in the performance community.

Where you can find Nick:

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Sports Science Insights - Julia Donnelly: What Does Support for Athletes’ Menstrual Health Look Like?

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 08:37:47 -0400

Episode 196: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast, powered by Inform Performance and hosted by Steve Barrett, we’re joined by Julia Donnelly — Head of Performance at Athletes Focused, where she provides performance services across multiple sports and professional organisations.

Julia’s applied work includes supporting the Scottish Women’s National Team age groups, Glasgow City Women, and other elite athletes. She recently completed her PhD exploring the menstrual cycle in football, adding valuable research to an underrepresented but vital area of sports science.

Topics Discussed:

Julia’s background and applied performance work across sport
Her PhD research on menstrual health in female athletes
How growing knowledge in this area can shape better athlete support
Insights from her recent published papers

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in athlete health, applied performance support, and the integration of research into practice for female athletes.

Where you can find Julia:
• LinkedIn
• ResearchGate
• X

Julia’s Papers:
🔗 Menstrual cycle perceptions in professional football
🔗 Menstrual health support in elite women’s sport

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Maggie Bryant - Integrating Health & Performance Assessments During Player Acquisition

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:36:50 -0400

Episode 195: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Maggie Bryant, a residency-trained Sports Physical Therapist who currently serves as Vice President of Medical for the LA Clippers.

Maggie studied Physical Therapy at the University of Minnesota (DPT) before completing her Sports residency training at the University of Southern California. Her career has included positions with the Orlando Magic and Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine, leading to her current leadership role in the NBA.

Maggie’s professional interests include optimizing performance-driven rehab, advancing leadership and communication in medical teams, and refining the biomechanical profile of elite athletes.

Topics Discussed:

Examination of medical assessments in evaluating NBA recruits
Analysis of performance metrics and their impact on player selection
Integration of health data in recruitment decisions
The role of sports science in player evaluation
Case studies of successful recruitment strategies in the NBA

Where you can find Maggie:

Sponsors

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Sports Performance Leadership: Mark Adamoulas - Coach Up or Fall Behind: Building High-Performing Teams

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:36:54 -0400

Episode 194: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Mark Adamoulas — a performance leader whose 20-year career has spanned across sport, education, and the corporate world.

Mark’s track record is both diverse and exceptional: he has worked with Manchester United, the FA, Red Bull, and numerous global corporates, supporting C-suite leaders, Premier League managers, Olympic gold medalists, and VC/PE companies. His mixed heritage and multilingual background allow him to connect authentically with people from varied cultures and contexts, bridging high-performance environments across industries and geographies.

As co-founder of coachup, Mark leads on coach development, bringing the latest behavioural science into the world of sports coaching. Where traditional coaching development often focuses on skills, drills, and tactics, Mark and his team shine a spotlight on the most critical driver of sustained success: the team environment.

Topics Discussed:

Mark’s background — Greek heritage, move to the UK, and path into sports psychology
Professional experience — Work with Manchester United, the FA, Rugby League, Red Bull, and more
CoachUp — Neuroscience-based psychometric tools for team function
The Infinity Model — Core pillars for building high-performance environments
Practical applications — Lessons from the Crusaders and elite teams worldwide
Benefits for leaders — Improving team alignment, collaboration, and performance
Barriers — Overcoming skepticism, poor prior assessment experiences, ego and fear of feedback
Evidence base — Validation by Oxford and Harvard neuroscientists
Leadership ecosystems — Why building systems matters more than hiring experts alone
Future trends — Rising pressures on athletes and staff, and the urgent need for better psychological environments
Call to action — How leaders can engage with CoachUp in both sport and corporate settings

This conversation delivers a rare insight into the science and practice of team performance, blending psychology, neuroscience, and leadership to show how high-performing cultures are built — and sustained — in today’s most demanding environments.

Where you can find Mark:

Sponsors

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Sports Science Insights - Warren Bradley: To infinity and Beyond... with BFR! From Practitioner to Global Business

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 10:59:54 -0400

Episode 193: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast, powered by Inform Performance and hosted by Steve Barrett, we’re joined by Dr. Warren Bradley — a performance nutritionist turned entrepreneur, who has spent over a decade working within elite sport.

Warren earned his PhD in sports nutrition and spent the early part of his career supporting top-level athletes across multiple sports. In recent years, he has transitioned into the world of innovation and business, co-founding a company that now delivers cutting-edge Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training solutions to elite teams worldwide.

Topics Discussed:

The truth behind working as a consultant sports nutritionist across multiple clubs
Developing ideas to transition out of full-time sport to business owner
Building a business and network that scales beyond your comfort zone

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in performance nutrition, career transitions in sport, and the growing intersection of sports science and entrepreneurship.

Where you can find Warren:

•⁠ LinkedIn
•⁠ Instagram
•⁠ X

Sponsors

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Where to Find Us

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Sports Performance Leadership: Duncan French - Building People, Systems and Legacies

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 05:06:29 -0400

Episode 192: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we speak with Duncan N. French, PhD, CSCS*D, RSCC*E, FUKSCA — Senior Vice President of the UFC Performance Institute and one of the most respected leaders in global high-performance sport.

Since joining the UFC in 2017, Duncan has overseen the delivery of high-performance services to over 700 world-class MMA fighters worldwide, managing a multidisciplinary team of 68 professionals across three state-of-the-art UFC Performance Institutes in Las Vegas, Shanghai, and Mexico City. With over 25 years of experience in elite professional sport, Duncan’s career spans coaching Olympic medalists, World Champions, world-record holders, and NCAA National Champions.

His leadership journey has taken him from national lead roles in the British Olympic system and the English Premier League, to directing performance sciences at the University of Notre Dame, and now shaping the global performance strategy of the UFC. Alongside his practical leadership, Duncan is a prolific contributor to the field — with over 60 scientific manuscripts, 9 book chapters, and as lead editor of the NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science textbook. In 2014, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the UKSCA for his outstanding service to the strength and conditioning profession.

Topics Discussed:

Career Path — From British Olympic teams and Premier League football to NCAA and the UFC
Leadership Evolution — Transitioning from technical expert to organisational leader
Core Skills — Communication, influence, situational awareness, and emotional intelligence
Building High-Performance Systems — Designing infrastructure and protocols from the ground up
Leadership Models — Holacracy, situational leadership, and empowering teams
Team Culture — Managing egos, fostering psychological safety, and leading with authenticity
Personal Development — Staying technically sharp while reflecting on leadership behaviour
Wellbeing — Strategies for sustaining energy, including surfing, meditation, and cold exposure
Future Trends — The growing role of AI and technology alongside the enduring need for human connection

This episode offers rare insight into building world-class performance environments, sustaining leadership impact at scale, and balancing technical expertise with human-first leadership in elite sport.

Where you can find Duncan:

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Fearghal Kerin - T-Junction Hamstring Management

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 21:08:35 -0400

Episode 191: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Dr Fearghal Kerin. Fearghal is a chartered physiotherapist with extensive experience in elite sports. He has worked across Irish sports, including as Rehabilitation Physiotherapist at Leinster Rugby for nine seasons, before transitioning to Chelsea Football Club in the English Premier League, where he held the same position. At Chelsea, he worked with international athletes including Premier League, Champions League and World Cup winners. In this episode Andy and Fearghal discuss the management of T-Junction hamstring Injuries.

Topics Discussed:

Evolving Perspectives on Strength and Injury Prevention
Understanding T-Junction Hamstring Injuries
Diagnostic Challenges and Testing for T-Junctions
Establishing a Competency-Based Pathway
Understanding Loading and Injury Prevention
Revising Traditional Approaches to Hamstring Injuries
The Importance of Execution in Rehabilitation
Exploring the Role of Ankle and Hip Mechanics
Identifying Contributing Factors to Hamstring Injuries
Innovations in Rotational Testing and Rehabilitation

Where you can find Fearghal:

Sponsors

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Sports Science Insights - Jamie Salter: Growth, Maturation & Bio-Banding- Challenges, Insights & Solutions

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 10:04:02 -0400

Episode 190: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast, powered by Inform Performance and hosted by Steve Barrett, we’re joined by Dr. Jamie Salter, a researcher and applied sport scientist currently serving as a Senior Lecturer at York St John University.

Jamie’s work focuses on training load management in youth athletes, with a particular emphasis on growth, maturation, and injury risk. Drawing from both academic research and applied experience, he explores how practitioners can better support developing athletes through tailored strategies that align with biological age rather than chronological age.

Topics Discussed:

Jamie’s background and journey into youth sport science
The relationship between injuries and maturation in young athletes
Managing training load across different maturity statuses
An introduction to and practical insights on Bio-Banding

This episode is essential for coaches, practitioners, and researchers working in youth development and long-term athlete performance planning.

Where you can find Dave:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ ResearchGate

•⁠ X

Sponsors

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Teambuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.

Where to Find Us

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Sports Science Insights - Dave Carolan: Internal & External training loads - The Evolution of Sport Science Over 30 Years

Mon, 26 May 2025 10:41:48 -0400

Episode 189: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast, powered by Inform Performance and hosted by Steve Barrett, we’re joined by Dave Carolan, a highly experienced Head of Performance, strategy advisor, and entrepreneur, currently leading the first team performance program at Derby County.

With over 30 years in elite professional sport, Dave brings a wealth of knowledge on the evolution of performance departments, athlete monitoring, and the changing landscape of sport science. From his early days pioneering innovation in football to his current strategic leadership role, Dave offers both historical context and forward-thinking insight.

Topics Discussed:

The evolution of performance departments in elite sport
How internal and external load monitoring has changed over three decades
What innovation looked like in the early days of sport science
Why players today are playing fewer games than 10–20 years ago

This is a must-listen for practitioners, coaches, and leaders seeking to understand the past, present, and future of performance strategy in elite sport.

Where you can find Dave:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Website

•⁠ X

Sponsors

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Stephanie Mock Grubbs - How to Implement New Systems in Team Sports

Mon, 19 May 2025 10:25:21 -0400

Episode 188: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Stephanie Grubbs, a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Sport Scientist currently working with the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball. With prior experience across top-tier programs including the University of Pittsburgh, Clemson Athletics, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stephanie brings a diverse and practical perspective on applied sport science in elite sport.

In this conversation, Stephanie shares her journey through high-performance environments and reflects on the strategies, systems, and relationships that have shaped her approach to athlete development.

Topics Discussed:

The evolution of sports science in the U.S. high-performance landscape
Building strong relationships and implementing impactful ideas
Designing effective systems and processes in sports science programs
The use of microdosing in strength training
Adapting training methods to the unique demands of baseball
The importance of intent and communication in daily training
Exploring innovative recovery strategies
Thoughts on career development and mentorship in elite sport

Whether you're a coach, practitioner, or sports science student, this episode delivers valuable insights into optimizing performance support in team sports.

Where you can find Stephanie:

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Athletic Shoulder - Annelies Maenhout: Applied Practice Through a Research Journey

Mon, 12 May 2025 05:30:15 -0400

Episode 187: In this episode of the Athletic Shoulder Podcast, we’re joined by Annelies Maenhout, a visiting professor at Ghent University’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and a leading researcher in shoulder rehabilitation. As a core member of the university’s Upper Limb Research Team, Annelies has contributed significantly to the field through her work on EMG, motor learning, and kinetic chain mechanics.

Her research bridges cutting-edge science with clinical practice, offering insights into how shoulder rehab can be refined through eccentric loading, implicit motor learning, and neuromechanics. With a forward-thinking approach, she explores how VR, brain activity, and reaction time play a role in optimizing rehab for overhead athletes.

Topics Discussed:

EMG research on kinetic chain and plyometric exercises
How her view on GIRD (glenohumeral internal rotation deficit) evolved over time
Key findings from eccentric training research
Transitioning from internal to external attentional focus in rehab
Applying implicit motor learning in shoulder rehabilitation
The current gap in research on reaction time in overhead athletes
Exploring the potential of VR and neuroscience in shoulder rehab
Future directions in shoulder research: muscle synergies and brain activity

Whether you're a clinician, coach, or researcher, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of evidence-based shoulder rehabilitation.

Where you can find Annelies:

Sponsors

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Sports Performance Leadership: Perry Stewart - From the Pitch to the Plan: Perry Stewart on Leading Beyond the Sidelines

Mon, 05 May 2025 06:38:13 -0400

Episode 186: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we speak with Perry Stewart, Head of Academy Performance at Arsenal Football Club, and a highly respected leader in elite sport. With over a decade of experience across high-performance environments, Perry brings a unique blend of practical coaching expertise, strategic leadership, and a deep focus on developing high-trust, high-performing teams.

Perry holds an MSc in Strength & Conditioning, is pursuing a PhD at Loughborough University focusing on performance support teams, and is accredited by both the UKSCA and BASES. He was also named UKSCA Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year for Youth Sport, recognizing his outstanding work in athlete development.

Topics Discussed:

Unconventional path to leadership – From community fitness roles to elite sport
Transitioning from practitioner to strategic leader at Arsenal
The importance of people over process in high-performance environments
How to build high-trust teams through empowerment and collaboration
Learning leadership through experience and reflection, not just formal training
Influences from organisational psychology and practical leadership frameworks
The enduring impact of classic leadership models like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

This episode provides powerful insights for anyone interested in building culture, leading teams, and elevating athlete development within elite sport.

Where you can find Perry:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Instagram

•⁠ X

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Remaker: The Portable Strength Tracking Ecosystem. Remaker provides real-time insights to optimise your performance, making even the smallest improvements in your strength training visible in an engaging and powerful format. Remakers integrate seamlessly with the exercise equipment you already use, and the app provides meaningful metrics for every rep, of every set, of every exercise.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

ORKA Performance - MDT ACL Workflows & Developing a High Performance Facility

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 05:40:21 -0400

Episode 185: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, hosted by Andy McDonald, we’re joined by Travis Gaudet and Taylor Evernden — two leaders in integrated rehab and performance systems.

Travis is a highly credentialed physiotherapist with a Master’s from Dalhousie University, a Fellowship with the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapists (FCAMPT), and advanced certifications in IMS, acupuncture, diagnostic imaging, and manual therapy techniques. His work focuses on evidence-based rehab, injury reduction, and leveraging sport science analytics to help athletes truly return to performance.

Taylor is a Strength and Conditioning Coach and founder of ORKA Performance, with over a decade of elite-level coaching experience across the Premier League, NHL, MLS, CFL, and more. Holding a Master’s in Strength and Conditioning from Edith Cowan University, Taylor brings a high-performance, sport-specific lens to athlete development and is also a coach educator with Canada Soccer.

Topics Discussed:

Introduction to ORKA Performance and the founders’ backgrounds
Their ACL rehabilitation process and overall philosophy
Key phases of ACL rehab and metrics used to monitor progress
How they are revolutionizing traditional rehab protocols
The critical importance of objective testing in return-to-performance decisions
Navigating the unique challenges of the Canadian rehab landscape
Building a standout strength and conditioning model for post-rehab success
Major lessons learned from years of clinical and performance practice

Tune in for a deep dive into next-generation rehab and performance strategies that bridge science, therapy, and coaching to build resilient, elite athletes.

Where you can find Travis and Taylor:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Athletic Shoulder - Ian Horsley: Not the Shoulder!

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 10:36:31 -0400

Episode 184: In this episode of the Athletic Shoulder Podcast, powered by Inform Performance and hosted by Ben Ashworth, we’re joined by Hon. Professor Ian Horsley, a renowned Chartered Physiotherapist and Athlete Health Lead at the UK Sports Institute. With over 25 years of experience in elite sport, Ian has worked with England Rugby, Rugby League, professional football clubs, and was part of Team GB’s HQ physiotherapy team at four Olympic and two Commonwealth Games.

Ian is internationally recognized for his expertise in shoulder dysfunction, upper limb rehabilitation, and dysfunctional breathing. He also serves as Clinical Director at Back in Action Rehabilitation and holds an honorary professorship at the University of Salford, where he contributes to the MSc in Sports Rehabilitation program.

Topics Discussed:

The importance of respiratory health in movement and rehab
Assessing thoracic shape and breathing patterns to support shoulder function
How cranial nerves and eye movements influence pain and range of motion
Using the brain’s activation to enhance rehabilitation exercises
Case studies from elite sport showcasing holistic assessment techniques
The 'not the shoulder' approach to shoulder treatment
The role of proprioception in athlete performance and recovery
Innovative methods like sensory input and non-threatening assessments
Gaps in current functional and overhead testing for athletes
The value of collaborative research in advancing shoulder rehab

Tune in for a masterclass in shoulder performance and rehabilitation, combining neuroscience, biomechanics, and decades of elite sport experience.

Where you can find Ian:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Sports Science Insights - Mitch Cholewinski: College Football & the Science of Recovery

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 06:15:00 -0400

Episode 183: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast, powered by Inform Performance and hosted by Steve Barrett, we’re joined by Mitch Cholewinski, Coordinator of Football Sports Science at the University of Nebraska. Now in his second season with the Cornhuskers, Mitch plays a key role in collaborating with strength & conditioning, athletic medicine, and coaching staff to monitor workload and enhance athlete performance.

Before Nebraska, Mitch served as Associate Director of Applied Sports Science at the University of Texas, where he helped shape data-driven performance systems for the Longhorns' football program.

Topics Discussed:

What sports science looks like in college football
The importance of recovery strategies in a demanding football environment
Blood flow restriction training (BFR) – how it’s used and why it matters

Tune in for a unique behind-the-scenes look at how sports science is integrated into elite college football programs to maximize athlete performance and recovery.

Where you can find Mitch:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Google Scholar

•⁠ X

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Sports Performance Leadership: Luke Passman - Don’t Just Wear the Badge – Build the Culture

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 11:31:12 -0400

Episode 182: In this episode of the Sport Performance Leadership Podcast host Pete McKnight speaks to Luke Passman, a seasoned performance leader with experience across rugby, tennis, baseball, and football at the elite level. Luke is currently the Head of Performance Sciences – Academy at Chelsea FC, where he oversees S&C, sport science, and nutrition.

Luke’s career spans top roles including Strength & Conditioning Coordinator for the New York Mets, where he oversaw player development systems in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, and Head of Sport Science Support at SotoTennis Academy, leading multidisciplinary teams. He’s also a private performance consultant on the WTA Tour, working with players at Grand Slam and WTA 250/500 events.

Topics Discussed:

Career journey – From coaching in Spain to leadership at the Mets and Chelsea FC
Transition to leadership – Moving from S&C delivery to managing multidisciplinary teams
Leadership at the Mets – Navigating decentralised systems and empowering staff
Strategic performance impact – Leading initiatives like performance scouting for the MLB Draft
Learning to lead – Mentorship, reflection, and executive leadership training at Oxford
Navigating change – Managing staff and culture through leadership turnover
Core leadership principles – Authenticity, clarity, autonomy, and honest feedback
Cultural adaptability – Leading across Spain, the U.S., and the UK
Future of performance leadership – Data-driven systems, generational shifts, and staff development
Advice for aspiring leaders – Be self-aware, seek support, work hard, and own your growth

Where you can find Luke:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Instagram

•⁠ X

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Dr Chris Bramah - Using the S-MAS for Objective Sprint Mechanics Assessment

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 10:53:10 -0400

Episode 181: In this episode of the Inform Performance podcast host Andy McDonald speaks to Dr. Chris Bramah, a leading physiotherapist specializing in running injuries and biomechanics. With vast experience in elite-level sport, Chris has worked with British Athletics and Team GB, supporting endurance athletes at the Tokyo 2020 & Rio 2016 Olympics, the 2017 London World Championships, IAAF Diamond League events, and global altitude training camps.

Topics Discussed:

The importance of movement quality assessment in injury prevention
Sprint technique: Balancing risk vs. reward for performance and injury reduction
Understanding the S-MAS (Sprint Mechanics Assessment Score) and its key parameters
The workflow of an S-MAS assessment – How it’s used in practice
Case studies demonstrating real-world applications of S-MAS
Limitations and future directions of sprint mechanics assessment
The role of AI in revolutionizing movement analysis

Tune in for expert insights into biomechanics, sprint mechanics, and the future of movement assessment in elite sports.

Where you can find Chris:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Output: is a faster, cheaper and more efficient way to test, analyze, report and program athletic performance - all in a single platform and sensor. Provide comprehensive performance evaluations with 200+ assessments spanning VBT, strength, power and movement. Validated by 10+ years of scientific research.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sports Science Insights: Aman Singh Shergill - Tech in Sport: The What, Why and How to Select What's Appropriate

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:32:53 -0400

Episode 180: In this episode of our Sports Science Insights Podcast, powered by Inform Performance, host Steve Barrett speaks to Aman Singh Shergill, Head of Innovation and Performance Scientist for a Premier League & Champions League club. With a background in both applied and academic sport science, Aman is also completing his PhD at the University of Chester, making him a leading expert in technology-driven performance solutions.

Topics Discussed:

Aman’s journey into sport science and innovation
The evolution of sport science and its impact on elite performance
The role of technology in modern sport science practice
Are we using too much technology? – Finding the right balance
The 4 Pillars of implementation for effective tech use in sport
The future of technology in sports – Where are we headed?

Where you can find Aman:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ ResearchGate

•⁠ X

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sport Performance Leadership: Barry Shillabeer - How to Implement Models of Leadership

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 13:42:18 -0400

Episode 179: In this episode of our Sport Performance Leadership Podcast, host Pete McKnight speaks to Barry Shillabeer, a globally experienced sports performance leader with over two decades in elite sport. As Head of Performance at Aspire Academy of Sporting Excellence in Qatar, Barry leads multidisciplinary teams, optimizing athlete development, strategic planning, and performance evaluation.

Previously, Barry played a key role in British high-performance sport, holding leadership positions with the English Institute of Sport, British Swimming, UK Athletics, and the Rugby Football Union. He also served as Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for Team GB at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, contributing to legacy facility design and long-term performance strategies.

Topics Discussed:

Leadership in elite sports performance – Managing high-performance programs in the UK and Qatar
The evolution of leadership – Adapting leadership styles to different teams and challenges
The importance of human connection and trust – Building strong relationships with athletes, coaches, and staff
Organizational structures and processes – Ensuring efficiency in performance support, sport science, and data analytics
Transformational leadership and impact – Creating positive sports cultures and inspiring future generations
The value of continuous learning – Seeking mentorship, embracing new perspectives, and evolving as a leader
Practical advice for aspiring leaders – Technical proficiency, work ethic, and proactive goal-setting

Tune in for expert insights on leadership, athlete development, and the future of high-performance sport.

Where you can find Barry:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Instagram

•⁠ X

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Athletic Shoulder: Danny Wilson - The Need for Boxing Science

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:04:04 -0400

Episode 178: In this episode of the Athletic Shoulder Podcast, Ben Ashworth sits down with Danny Wilson, a UKSCA accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach with extensive experience in the world of boxing. Danny has worked with hundreds of boxers, ranging from junior amateurs to world champions, and developed the Boxing Science strength and conditioning program. His innovative approach has reached over 10,000 customers worldwide, making a significant impact in the world of combat sports.

During this conversation, Danny shares his insights on the critical role of strength and conditioning in boxing, with a particular focus on shoulder health and performance. From the importance of the kinetic chain in delivering powerful punches to addressing the prevalence of shoulder injuries among boxers, Danny dives deep into the essential aspects of conditioning for combat sports.

Topics Discussed

The critical role of strength and conditioning in boxing, focusing on shoulder health and performance
Danny's journey into the world of boxing and the importance of the kinetic chain in delivering powerful punches
The prevalence of shoulder injuries among boxers
The need for individualized testing and training to address specific weaknesses and improve overall performance
The intricacies of shoulder-specific training for boxers, with an emphasis on stability and strength
Innovative testing methods for assessing punch power
The critical role of core strength in enhancing boxing performance
The importance of individualized training approaches and future exploration in the field

Where you can find Danny:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

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Tom Tombleson - Correcting Biomechanics: Risk v Reward Decision Making

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:44:49 -0500

Episode 177: Join host Andy McDonald on our Inform Performance Podcast, for an in-depth conversation with Tom Tombleson, a renowned Strength & Conditioning Coach with extensive experience in professional rugby and elite sports. As a former professional rugby player and a lead Strength & Conditioning Coach for England Rugby, Australian Rugby Union, Manchester City FC, and GB Rugby 7’s, Tom shares expert perspectives on conditioning, rehabilitation, movement mechanics, and the evolving demands of high-performance sport.

Topics Discussed

Understanding Tendinopathy and Movement Mechanics
Case Studies in Athlete Rehabilitation
Navigating Movement Patterns in Athletes
Identifying Subtle Signs of Athletic Issues
Individualizing Player Preparation
Evolving Conditioning Strategies
Common Conditioning Approaches in Rugby
Leveraging Strengths in Conditioning
Minimum Standards & Metrics in Conditioning

Where you can find Tom:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sports Science Insights: Naomi Myhill - Answering Performance Questions Using R&D Strategies in Sport

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:01:03 -0500

Episode 176: Join host Steve Barrett on our Sports Science Insights podcast powered by Inform Performance, where cutting-edge research meets real-world application in elite sports. This episode features Naomi Myhill, a Sports Science & Research Consultant with a PhD in Sports Performance, specializing in the locomotor demands of women’s football. With extensive experience working with elite organizations such as The FA and City Football Group, Naomi shares evidence-based insights into the ever-evolving landscape of women's high-performance sport.

✏️ Key Topics Discussed:

▪️From Research to Performance – How performance questions shape research directions

▪️Women’s Football Insights – Training & match demands in English women’s domestic football

▪️Peak Intensities vs. Averages – Rethinking training prescriptions for female athletes

▪️ Volume vs. Intensity – Are players under-exposed to the game’s demands?

▪️Speed Thresholds in Women’s Football – Why aren’t they standardized yet?

▪️ Optimizing Performance Impact – Fast vs. methodological research approaches

▪️The Internal vs. External Load Conundrum – Managing female athlete workloads effectively

Where you can find Naomi:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ X/Twitter

•⁠ ResearchGate

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sports Performance Leadership: Raj Thiruchelvarajah - Beyond The Pitch: Leadership Lessons from Startup Life

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 09:56:02 -0500

Episode 175: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast powered by Inform Performance, Pete McKnight sits down with Raj Thiruchelvarajah—Co-Founder & CEO of Hytro, a leading human performance company specializing in Blood Flow Restriction (BFR). From his transition out of the corporate world to building a groundbreaking sports-tech company, Raj shares his journey of leadership, resilience, and growth. With Hytro now serving over 150 professional sports teams and even partnering with SpaceX, Raj reflects on the challenges of scaling a startup and the lessons learned along the way.

✏️ Topics Discussed:

▪️ Leadership Evolution from Corporate to Startup

▪️ Navigating the Challenges of Early-Stage Startups

▪️ Building High-Performance Culture Inspired by Elite Sports

▪️ Decision-Making Under Pressure and Risk Management

▪️ The Power of Constant Learning and Adaptation

Where you can find Raj:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Instagram

•⁠ Hytro

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sports Science Insights: Kelsey Vinson - Creating a Sport Science Program in College Football

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:23:47 -0500

Episode 174: In this episode of the Sport Science Insights Podcast powered by Inform Performance, Steve Barrett sits down with Kelsey Vinson, Sports Scientist for Virginia Tech Football, to explore the evolving role of sports science in American football. Kelsey, now in her second season with the Hokies, brings a wealth of experience from her time working with teams across the ACC, SEC, and Big 12, and shares her insights on the latest trends in sports science.

✏️Topics Discussed:

▪️What a sports science role looks like in a university football setting.

▪️The impact sports science can have on a football program, from injury prevention to performance optimization.

▪️The innovations in sports science that are shaping her work.

▪️The future of sports science in American football and where it’s headed.

Where you can find Kelsey:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Twitter

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sport Performance Leadership: David Lasini - How to Lead in Performance Institutes

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:36:36 -0500

Episode 173: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast powered by Inform Performance, Pete McKnight speaks with David Lasini, a highly respected leader in strength & conditioning with 30 years of experience across Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth, and professional sports. Currently Head of S&C at Sport Northern Ireland Sports Institute, David leads a team of coaches supporting over 20 elite sports.

His career spans the Victorian, Australian, UK, and Northern Ireland Institutes of Sport, with expertise in field hockey, athletics, rowing, netball, Australian Rules Football, Gaelic football, judo, soccer, bobskeleton, and more. He was also Senior S&C Coach for Australia’s National Hockey Teams (2009-2013) and played a key role in Team GB’s Performance Science for Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024.

✏️Topics Discussed

▪️Key leadership experiences—from early mentorship to leading national programs

▪️ How his leadership style evolved—balancing collaboration with decisiveness

▪️Why self-awareness and emotional intelligence are crucial in high performance

▪️The importance of authenticity—staying true to your values as a leader

Future trends in sports leadership—tech, business acumen & well-being

Where you can find David:

•⁠ LinkedIn

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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David Clancy - How To Assess & Design High-Performance Cultures

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:11:42 -0500

Episode 172: In this episode of the Inform Performance podcast, Andy McDonald speaks with David Clancy, a highly accomplished Chartered Physiotherapist with extensive experience across clinical, consultation, pitch-side, and research settings. David has worked with high-performance cultures and both professional athlete and non-athlete populations, employing evidence-based practices. He also maintains strong international research connections in both industry and academia. Our discussion dives into the essential skills for becoming an effective practitioner and supporting high performance teams with recruitment and learning and development.

✏️Topics Discussed:
▪️ Learning and Development in Teams
▪️ The Essential Skills Book and Event
▪️ Collaboration and Humility in High Performance
▪️ The Role of Technology in Sports Medicine
▪️ Future Trends in Sports Performance

Where you can find David:

•⁠ ⁠David Clancy's Website

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Instagram

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sport Science Insights: Tzlil Shushan - Sub-maximal Testing - What's Left to Understand?

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 12:05:18 -0500

Episode 171: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast, Steve Barrett sits down with Dr. Tzlil Shushan — a postdoctoral research fellow in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Wollongong. Tzlil brings a wealth of experience as a sport scientist and strength & conditioning coach, having worked with elite team-sport organizations and published extensively in the field. Specializing in monitoring, programming, and evaluating performance strategies, Tzlil combines cutting-edge research with practical expertise to consult and mentor athletes and organizations worldwide.

✏️ Topics Discussed:
▪️ Cultures of Sport Science in Different Countries
▪️ Studying a PhD in Australia
▪️ Diving into Sub-Max Fitness Testing
▪️ Internal Responses to Sub-Max Testing
▪️ External Responses to Sub-Max Testing
▪️ Challenging Technologies for Measuring the Session

Where you can find Tzlil:

•⁠ ⁠University of Wollongong

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Instagram

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sport Performance Leadership: Dan Taylor - Leadership Lessons with Dan Taylor

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:23:46 -0500

Episode 170: This week on the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, Pete McKnight speaks to Dan Taylor, a visionary leader and 'systems architect' in human performance with a career spanning elite sports and academia.

Dan has been at the forefront of creating high-performance systems for teams like the Charlotte Hornets, guiding Georgia Tech to an ACC Championship, and shaping performance strategies at the Joe Gibbs Human Performance Institute. His innovative approach to leadership, blending collaboration and cutting-edge strategies, has driven transformative changes in the sports world.

Topics Discussed:

▪️ Building High-Performance Systems Across Elite Sports

▪️ Leadership Strategies for Success in Professional Sports

▪️ The Power of Collaboration in Driving Performance Innovation

▪️ Shaping Future Leaders and Mentoring in High-Pressure Environments

▪️ The Role of Innovation in Transforming Sports Performance

▪️ Navigating Challenges and Pushing Boundaries in Leadership

Where you can find Dan:

•⁠ ⁠Instagram

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ X

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Bernard Condevaux - Designing Effective Physio Departments

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:11:59 -0500

Episode 169: In this episode of the Inform Performance podcast, Andy McDonald chats to Bernard Condevaux, a highly experienced Physical Therapist in elite sport. Bernard has worked with professional and collegiate athletes across multiple sports and has been a member of numerous USA Olympic and Pan-American Sports Medicine teams. Most recently, he served as the Senior Director of Medical and Performance for the Detroit Pistons. The conversation delves deep into Bernard's philosophy of leadership, emphasizing trust, open communication, and collaborative problem-solving.

✏️Topics Discussed:

▪️ Building a Strong Team in Professional Sports

▪️ Navigating Job Security and Staff Dynamics

▪️ Transitioning Between Sports: Learning & Leading

▪️ The Future of Sports Medicine Staffing

Where you can find Bernard:

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

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Our Team

Sport Science Insights: Andy Guard PhD - Adapting Sport Science to Different Organisations & Philosophies

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 12:22:59 -0500

Episode 168: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast powered by Inform Performance, Steve Barrett sits down with Andy Guard—a seasoned sports scientist with extensive experience across elite football, including roles at Celtic FC, U.S. Soccer Federation, and Atlanta United FC. Andy combines academic expertise with practical insights, emphasizing the integration of performance monitoring and player development strategies.

✏️Topics Discussed:

▪️ Practitioner vs. Academic Approaches
▪️ Transitioning Sports Science Across Age Groups
▪️ Innovations in Sports Performance
▪️ Andy Guards Sport Science Philosophy

Where you can find Andy:

•⁠ ⁠ResearchGate

•⁠ Twitter

•⁠ LinkedIn

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sports Performance Leadership: Chris Tombs - Cultivating Relationships for Team Success

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:39:26 -0500

Episode 167: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast powered by Inform Performance, we sit down with Chris Tombs —a seasoned coach and leader with 29 years of experience in human performance across sports, military, and corporate sectors. Renowned for his innovative approach to coaching and leadership, Chris has supported individuals and teams at all levels, from aspiring athletes to world-class performers. His expertise lies in integrating cutting-edge strength and power training with Velocity-Based Training (VBT) technology while fostering resilience and collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.

✏️Topics Discussed
▪️ Experiential Leadership Development
▪️ Empowering Collective Intelligence
▪️ Trust Through Honesty and Vulnerability
▪️ Self-Awareness and Reflection
▪️ Authentic Relationship Building

Where you can find Chris:

•⁠ ⁠Instagram

•⁠ Twitter

•⁠ LinkedIn

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Mike Robertson - Building a Non-Centralized MDT in High Performance Sport

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:56:20 -0500

Episode 166: In this episode of the Informed Performance Podcast we sit down with Mike Robertson—one of the most sought-after coaches, consultants, and educators in the fitness industry. Known for his “no-nonsense” approach to coaching, Mike has worked with elite athletes across all major sports, with a special focus on basketball. As President of Robertson Training Systems and co-owner of the award-winning Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST), Mike has redefined how athletes train and coaches evolve.

✏️Topics Discussed
▪️ The Evolution of Coaching and Education in Modern Fitness
▪️ Understanding Non-Centralized Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT)
▪️ The Role of Geography in Shaping Athlete Training Strategies
▪️ How to Create a Unique and Impactful Training Experience

Where you can find Mike:

•⁠ ⁠Instagram

•⁠ Youtube

•⁠ LinkedIn

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Sport Science Insights: Dr Michael King - Effective Applications of Talent ID

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:15:15 -0500

Episode 165: In this episode of the Sports Science Insights Podcast powered by Informed Performance, Dr. Michael King, a Lecturer in Sports Science at the University of Glasgow and Physical Performance Coach at the Scottish FA, shares his unique perspective at the intersection of academia and applied practice. With a PhD focused on talent identification in youth players, Michael discusses the evolution of talent development, the challenges of sport science education, and his contributions to advancing the field through initiatives like the UEFA fitness courses and the World Congress of Science and Soccer.

✏️Topics Discussed

Michael’s Journey in Sport Science
Academic vs. Applied Practice in Sport Science
Talent ID Strategies in Scottish FA Performance Schools
Innovations in Sport Science Education: UEFA Fitness Courses
Insights on Organizing the World Congress of Science and Soccer

Where you can find Mike:

•⁠ ⁠ResearchGate

•⁠ X/Twitter

•⁠ LinkedIn

Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

Our Team

Research Unpacked: Scott Hulm - Unraveling Aponeurotic Strain Injuries

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 12:01:34 -0500

Episode 164: In this episode of the Informed Performance Podcast, Scott Hulm, a Senior AFL Rehabilitation Physiotherapist at the Western Bulldogs, shares insights from his extensive experience in sports physiotherapy and his ongoing PhD research. A recognized expert in injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance optimization, Scott delves into the complexities of muscle-tendon unit injuries, with a focus on the aponeurosis, hamstring strain injuries, and high-speed running biomechanics.

✏️Topics Discussed
▪️ Anatomy and Function of the Aponeurosis
▪️ Adaptations of aponeurosis
▪️ Challenges in Managing Soleus and Rectus Femoris Injuries
▪️ Differentiating Aponeurosis and Typical Muscle Strain Injury
▪️ How we can use principles of physiotherapy management to accelerate aponeurosis injury

Where you can find Scott:

•⁠ ⁠ResearchGate

•⁠ X/Twitter

•⁠ LinkedIn

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Sports Performance Leadership: Rich Hunwicks - Leadership Lessons From Two Decades in Pro Sports

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 13:46:21 -0500

Episode 163: In our first episode of the Sports Performance Leadership show powered by Inform Performance, Pete Mcknight interviews Rich Hunwicks, an established authority in applied high-performance sport & leadership. Rich is a World Cup Finalist, Challenge Cup and Super League winning performance coach, who currently delivers as keynote speaker in the corporate sector whilst coaching high-level executives in lifestyle & leadership principles to maximise productivity & function in both sport & business.

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Topics Discussed
•⁠ ⁠Transformational Leadership in Action
•⁠ ⁠Resilience: The Key to Leadership
•⁠ ⁠Seeking Support and Building Connections
•⁠ ⁠The Importance of Care in Leadership
•⁠ ⁠Transitioning from Sports to Corporate Leadership
•⁠ ⁠The Role of Family and Personal Connections

Where you can find Rich:

•⁠ ⁠Website

•⁠ ⁠Instagram

•⁠ LinkedIn

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Romain Tourillon - Assessing & Training Foot & Ankle Function

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:16:58 -0500

Episode 162: In this episode of the Inform Performance podcast, Andy McDonald interviews Romain Tourillon, a Physiotherapist, Researcher, Educator and Consultant on the foot and ankle complex. He is currently leading the foot-ankle service at the Swiss Olympic Medical of La Tour Hospital in Geneva (Switzerland). Romain is also involved in a PhD thesis on the role of foot muscles strength in sports performance kinetics under the supervision of JB Morin at the University of Saint-Etienne (France). In this episode Andy & Romain discuss assessing and training foot and ankle function in athletes.

Topics discussed

Understanding forces in Foot and Ankle biomechanics
Force absorption assessment & training
Propulsive force assessment & training
Normative Standards in foot & ankle assessment
Developing the spring-mass-system

Where you can find Romain:

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Athletic Shoulder: Dr Margie Olds - Managing Recurrent Shoulder Instability

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 13:05:22 -0500

Episode 161: In this episode of the Athletic Shoulder podcast, Ben Ashworth interviews Dr Margie Olds, a leading physiotherapist specialising in shoulder instability. Margie has extensive international experience, she has worked as a physiotherapist in New Zealand, the USA, and the UK and she was the lead therapist for British Canoeing and attended the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Topics discussed

Predicting recurrent shoulder instability
Shoulder instability risk assessment tools.
Conservative vs. surgical management for first-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocations.
The significance of kinesophobia during athlete recovery.
Assessing shoulder readiness & confidence

Where you can find Margie:

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Sport Science Insights: Paul Schaffran - Sport Science Initiatives for Player Development - Borussia Dortmund Insights

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:36:11 -0500

Episode 160: In this episode, Steve Barrett talks to Paul Schaffran, the executive assistant of the managing director and head of strategy and youth development for Borussia Dortmund, sharing his unique journey in sports science and youth development. Paul discusses his educational background, the challenges of balancing family and career, and the innovative sports science initiatives implemented at Borussia Dortmund Academy, including bio-banding. Paul emphasizes the importance of collaboration between science and coaching, the need for a holistic approach to player development, and the significance of measuring success through both subjective and objective metrics. He also highlights the competitive landscape of German football and the club's commitment to nurturing talent from within.

Topics discussed

⁠•⁠ Self-Development within Sports Science
•⁠ Transitioning into leadership roles
•⁠ ⁠⁠Effective Bio-Banding
•⁠ ⁠⁠Sports Science initiatives to support the MDT

Where you can find Paul:

LinkedIn
Paul.schaffran@bvb.te
ResearchGate
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Jo Clubb - Implementing Change in Sports Science

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 21:03:20 -0400

Episode 159: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Jo Clubb. Jo is an international Sports Science Consultant with extensive experience in elite professional team sports through her company Global Performance Insights. Jo has over a decade in applied sports science, she has worked with top teams including the Buffalo Bills (NFL), Buffalo Sabres (NHL), and Premier League clubs Chelsea FC and Brighton and Hove Albion FC. In this conversation Andy & Jo discuss the fundamentals of Sports Science and how to implement new technology or systems in high-performance environments.

Topics Discussed

Role of a Sport Science Consultant
Bringing clarity to Sport Science
Implementing technology
Cultural readiness to change
Athlete data ownership

Where you can find Jo:

Sponsors

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Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Output Sports: is a faster, cheaper and more efficient way to test, analyze, report and program athletic performance - all in a single platform and sensor. Provide comprehensive performance evaluations with 200+ assessments spanning VBT, strength, power and movement. Validated by 10+ years of scientific research.

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Research Unpacked: Bryan Heiderscheit - Hamstring Strain Risk, Profiling & Return-to-Play

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:21:23 -0400

Episode 158: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dylan Carmody chats to Bryan Heiderscheit. Bryan is a Physical Therapist, Biomechanist and Professor/Vice Chair of research in the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, he is also the director of UW Badger Athletic Performance.

Topics Discussed

Hamstring Injury Risk Factors
Methods of Profiling and Monitoring Hamstring Performance
Guiding Principles for Hamstring Rehabilitation
Screening and Assessment of Hamstring Strength
The Impact of Detraining on Hamstring Health
Nuances in Nordic Hamstring Curl Analysis

Where you can find Bryan

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Sport Science Insights: Shaun McLaren - Understanding Training Load, Exposure & Dose Using RPE

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 16:54:20 -0400

Episode 157: Steve Barrett chats to Shaun McLaren. Shaun is a S&C coach at Newcastle Falcons. Through employment and consultancy, he has previously worked with UEFA, England and GB Rugby League, The NBA, MLS Next, The Premier League, Aston Villa FC, Brisbane Broncos, and Nottingham Rugby, to name a few. Shaun is also a Professor in Practice with Durham University and a Visiting Research Fellow with Manchester Metropolitan University. He is an editor for Science and Medicine in Football and BASES, having published over 60 research papers in applied sports physiology and performance.

Topics Discussed

Practitioner v Academic
Applications and Misconceptions of RPE
RPE vs. Differential RPE
Understanding Training Load as Exposure & Dose paper
Pitfalls of Terminology in Sport Science

Where you can find Shaun:

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Athletic Shoulder: Jo Gibson - The Kinetic Chain & Much More

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 20:52:44 -0400

Episode 156: Ben Ashworth chats to Jo Gibson. Jo is a Clinical Physiotherapy Specialist working at the Liverpool Upper Limb Unit at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and a Consultant for R4P. She has worked as a Shoulder Specialist since 1995 and lectures nationally and Internationally about assessment and rehabilitation of the shoulder complex. Jo has co-developed Masters modules with Liverpool University for the diagnosis and treatment of upper limb pathology and has co-authored national guidelines for the management of different shoulder pathologies. Jo’s recognized expertise has resulted in consultancy work with many elite sports teams in varying sports including football, rugby, cricket, gymnastics, swimming, boxing, canoeing and tennis.

Topics Discussed

Addressing Communication Challenges
The Role of the Kinetic Chain in Shoulder Function
Parallels in Assessment and Treatment Approaches
Individualisation in Shoulder Rehabilitation

Where you can find Jo:

Check Out Jo's Shoulder Course

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Dr Steve Thompson - Enhancing Performance with VBT

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:45:31 -0400

Episode 155: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Dr Steve Thompson a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for the MSc in Strength and Conditioning (S&C) Coaching at Sheffiled Hall University. In this episode Steve and Andy discuss the current state of VBT research and application, including profiling and velocity loss. They also explore the use of VBT in machine-based exercises and its utility in rehab. Steve highlights the importance of feedback and monitoring in VBT, as well as the potential for using VBT to assess stability and balance

Topics Discussed

Velocity Loss and Profiling in VBT
The Power of Feedback and Monitoring in VBT
VBT in Machine-Based Exercises
Objective Assessment of Strength Improvements with VBT

Where you can find Steve:

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Athletic Shoulder: Edel Fanning - Return to Performance Testing

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 20:31:37 -0400

Episode 154: Ben Ashworth chats to Dr Edel Fanning, BSc, MSc, PhD. Edel is a chartered physiotherapist and leads the upper limb rehabilitation service at the Sports Surgery Clinic, Dublin. Prior to working in Dublin, she worked as a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in the UK National Health Service. She has a keen interest in shoulder biomechanics, the sporting shoulder and injury prevention and has worked with elite athletes from a wide range of sporting disciplines. She completed her PhD at the University College Cork investigating the use of return to play criteria post glenohumeral joint stabilisation. Her work explores the role of 3D biomechanics and the use of novel upper limb functional tests in assisting return to play decision making post shoulder reconstruction in contact athletes.

Topics Discussed

The Role of Isokinetic Testing in Shoulder Rehabilitation
Objective Markers for Return to Play in Shoulder Rehabilitation
Go-To Exercises for Shoulder Rehabilitation
The Role of Psychological Readiness and Confidence

Where you can find Eden:

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Simon Harries - Return-to-Running Frameworks

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:58:39 -0400

Episode 153: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Simon Harries. Simon holds PhD and is the Head of Strength & Conditioning at the NSW Institute of Sport and has also worked at GSW Giants, Australian Rugby and Newcastle Knights. In this episode Andy & Simon discuss the opportunities available for coaches working in rehab roles, how to blend S&C and physio in rehab and his approach to return-to-running.

Topics Discussed

Rehabilitation Roles
Delineation of Roles and Collaboration
Planning the Return to Running
Starting with a Technical Approach
Incorporating Drills to Improve Running Technique

Where you can find Simon:

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Research Unpacked: Brady Green - Calf Muscle Strain Injury Management

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 22:02:05 -0400

Episode 152: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dylan Carmody chats to Brady Green. Brady is a Senior Lecturer of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy at the University of Notre Dame, Australia. He has extensive experience working in elite sport and has completed his PhD on calf muscle strains in sport.

Topics Discussed

Structural Differences of Calf Muscles
Comprehensive Rehab: Vertical and Horizontal Strengthening
The Expert Examination of Calf Injuries
Preparation for Elementary Run Prescriptions
Minimizing Ground Contact Times for Soft Tissue Injuries

Where you can find Brady

Inform Performance - Comprehensive Calf Force Profiling E-Book

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Athletic Shoulder: Karl Denvir - The Contact Shoulder

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 18:06:54 -0400

Episode 151: Ben Ashworth chats to Karl Denvir the Head physiotherapist for Queensland Reds. Karl has a proven track record in delivering high quality clinical outcomes and accelerated return to performance. Karl was previously the lead physiotherapist at European Rugby Champions Leinster, and worked for Ireland Rugby and Worcester Warriors. In this conversation Ben and Karl delve into the most common shoulder injuries in rugby and strategies for prevention and rehabilitation.

Topics Discussed

Top 3 shoulder injuries Karl is managing
Thoughts on managing the collision shoulder
Holistic approach to return-to-play decisions
The role of the neck in upper quadrant injury

Where you can find Karl:

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Alan Murdoch - A Speed-Based Approach to Rehab and Training (Elevate Speed & Rehab)

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 20:18:40 -0400

Episode 150: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Alan Murdoch. Alan Murdoch is Founder and Head Coach at Elevate: Speed & Rehab. Elevate are an end stage rehab consultancy, specialising in helping elite athletes return from long term injuries better than ever. Prior to this, Alan was Head Coach at Speedworks Bath. Having spent almost a decade in professional rugby union, specialising in speed and agility development and rehabilitation. In this conversation Alan and Andy discuss Alan's approach to rehab and using objective tools to guide his process.

Topics Discussed

Fast-to-Fit rehab approach
Key principles in rehab
- No pain
- No response
- Prepare with purpose
- Forgotten heroes
Using Rehab Frameworks
Practical objective markers in rehab
Assessing movement skill

Where you can find Alan:

Fast > Fit Course - 10% Discount Code "andyoutput"

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Research Unpacked: Dan Lorenz - Mechanisms and Benefits of Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 21:34:43 -0400

Episode 149: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dylan Carmody chats to Dan Lorenz, DPT, PT, ATC, LAT, CSCS. s the director of sports medicine at Lawrence Memorial Hospital/OrthoKS in Lawrence, KS. He has served as a rehabilitation consultant for numerous local sports teams, including Sporting Kansas City, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Kansas City Mavericks, and also many local colleges, including MidAmerica Nazarene University and University of Missouri-Kansas City. In this episode Dylan and Dan discuss Individualized Treatment Approaches in Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training.

Topics Discussed

Implementing Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training
Mechanisms and Benefits of BFR Training
Training to Failure in BFR
Safety Considerations and Best Practices for BFR
Individualized Treatment Approaches in BFR

Where you can find Dan

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Research Unpacked: Filippo Picinini - Quantifying Workload in On-Field Rehab after ACL Reconstruction (Isokinetic)

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 20:03:01 -0400

Episode 148: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Alistair McKenzie chats to Filippo Picinini MSc, MS. Filippo is a Rehab and Performance coach Currently employed as Head of late-stage rehabilitation and Sport science at Isokinetic Medical Group London. His areas of expertise are ACL and Hamstring injuries in football players and he is completing a part-time PhD in workload management and RTP in football players recovering from long-term injuries with St Mary’s University, Twickenham. In this conversation, Ally interviews Filippo Picinini about his research on workload quantification during on-field rehab with football players after ACL reconstruction.

Topics Discussed

Objective on-field rehab
The Importance of Deceleration Workload in ACL Rehab
Challenges of replicating high-intensity deceleration in rehab
Quantifying Workload in On-Field Rehab after ACL Reconstruction

Where you can find Filippo

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James King - Preparing for Pressure & Democratising Access to Psychological Skills

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 22:35:32 -0400

Episode 147: Dr Andy McDonald chats to James King. James holds a first class degree in Applied Sports Science, and an MSc in Performance Psychology, both from the University of Edinburgh. James has counselled government agencies and specialist military units. He also provides guidance to coaches, managers and athletes within the English Premier League (EPL), Team GB, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) and has presented case studies on his work for the MBA programs at the University of Oxford, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In this conversation, James and Andy discuss the importance and application of psychological skills in sports performance

Topics Discussed

Assessing Performance in Sports Psychology
Personalising Development
Bouncing Back: Recovering Quickly from Setbacks
Understanding the Problem Before Implementing Solutions
Democratizing Access to Psychological Skills

Where you can find James:

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Research Unpacked: Snehal Patel - The Evolution of Rehabilitation & Return to Sport Following Cartilage Surgery

Sun, 19 May 2024 21:12:21 -0400

Episode 146: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Snehal Patel the Clinical Supervisor for Sports Rehabilitation at Hospital for Special Surgery NYC. The main focus of the conversation is on his paper titled 'The Evolution of Rehabilitation and Return to Sport Following Cartilage Surgery.' Snay explains the differences between operative and non-operative management of cartilage injuries and the importance of strength training in the rehabilitation process. Snay also discusses BFR, the psychological aspect of returning to sport and the use of force plate testing and motion capture to assess jump height, landing mechanics, and force attenuation.

Topics Discussed

Operative vs. Non-Operative Management of Cartilage Injuries
Range of Motion & Loading Progressions in Post-Surgery Rehabilitation
Psychological Aspect of Returning to Sport
Assessing Jump Height, Landing Mechanics & Force Attenuation
Staying Updated on Emerging Surgical Techniques

Where you can find Snehal:

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Rich Willy - Bone Stress Injury Rehab (Montana Running Lab’s Scientist & Educator)

Mon, 06 May 2024 21:00:06 -0400

Episode 145: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Rich Willy from Montana Running Lab. Rich is an internationally known speaker on the treatment of running-related injuries who has more than 20 years’ experience as a PT. His expertise is in treating runners of all ages and ability levels, including professional and elite runners. Rich’s research aims to develop clinically effective treatments for common running-related injuries, such as patellofemoral pain, Achilles tendon injuries, and bone stress injuries. In this episode Rich and Andy discuss how Rich manages and rehabs LE bone stress injuries.

Topics Discussed

Bone Stress Injury detection
Rehab progressions
Signs of rehab success
BSI loading according to structure

Where you can find Rich:

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David Grey - Movement Competency for the Foot, Ankle & Achilles Complex

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:20:20 -0400

Episode 144: Dr Andy McDonald chats to David Grey a Rehab Coach based in Ireland. David regularly rehabs some of the the best athletes in the world, and he has delivered workshops and seminars internationally regularly consults with top Coaches & Therapists to help them get even better results with their own clients. In this conversation David and Andy discuss Davids movement based approach to assessing and training the foot, ankle and achilles complex.

Topics Discussed

Training Considerations for the Foot & Ankle
Importance of Hip Extension and Positive Shin Angle
The Connection Between Foot and Hip
Movement Competency in Achilles Function
The Importance of Movement Coaching

Where you can find David:

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Stephania Bell: The Complexity of Surface Selection (ESPN Injury Analyst & Senior Writer)

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 08:36:19 -0400

Episode 143: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Stephania Bell an Injury Analyst & Senior Writer for ESPN. Stephania is a license Physical Therapist, board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist emeritus and certified strength and conditioning specialist with an extensive clinical background prior to joining ESPN. In this conversation, Stephania discusses the importance of interdisciplinary experience in the field of sports medicine. She also dives into the ongoing debate on turf as a playing surface, highlighting the complexity of the issue and the need for more research. The conversation emphasises the importance of considering player feedback, performance, safety, and fiscal factors when selecting a playing surface.

Topics Discussed

Transition to Media and ESPN
Finding the best 3rd party practitioners
The complexity of surface selection
Objective assessment of playing surface

Where you can find Stephania:

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Research Unpacked: Colin Griffin - Achilles Injury Rehab & Lower Limb Biomechanics

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 20:52:58 -0400

Episode 142: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Colin Griffin, a Strength and Conditioning Coach and lower limb Rehabilitation Specialist. In this episode they discuss Colins work at the UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic and his experience as an elite athlete. He emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and continuous professional development in his clinic. Griffin explains his assessment process for Achilles tendon issues, considering factors such as the patient's background, training history, and goals. He also discusses the use of isokinetic testing and alternative testing setups. Griffin provides insights into the gastrocnemius run out and the tensile demands placed on tendons and muscles during various activities and explores various aspects of Achilles tendon rehabilitation.

Topics Discussed

Pathoanatomy
Force profiling with IKD, Force Plates, HHD
Realistic achilles loads
Plyometric exercises for the achilles
Achilles tendinopathy assessment

Where you can find Colin:

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Luke Passman - Flexible Leadership & Performance Modeling (New York Mets Strength & Conditioning Coordinator)

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 22:05:49 -0400

Episode 141: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Luke Passman. Luke has over 13 years of experience working within multidisciplinary teams and has led departments in multiple sports, across various countries and cultures. These include professional Baseball, elite level Tennis and Rugby Union, in the USA, Dominican Republic, Spain and England. Most recently Luke has been the New York Mets Strength & Conditioning Coordinator requiring him to lead a team of 11 coaches, working with 7 teams across the USA and Dominican Republic.

In this conversation, Luke discusses his approach to developing coaches and setting department goals. He emphasizes the importance of day-to-day interactions and listening to coaches' needs. Luke highlights the significance of having clear department goals and aligning individual roles with the collective purpose. He then explains the process of performance modeling and identifying key metrics for performance in different sports. He then emphasizes the need for a robust framework and statistical analysis to determine the physical determinants of performance. Finally he discusses how he organizes his thoughts for programming and the balance between training for capacity and training for transfer

Topics Discussed

Leadership

Listening as a leader
Flexible leadership
Goal setting/reviewing

Performance Modelling

- Identifying what matters
- Aligning game metrics & physical metrics
- Capacity v training transfer

Where you can find Luke:

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Research Unpacked: Kate Yung PhD - RTP Through a Complex Systems Approach (Director of Medical and Performance Innovations - Kitchee Sports Club)

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 09:38:19 -0400

Episode 140: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Physio and Researcher Kate Yung. Kate has a PhD focused on enhancing return-to-play methodologies through a complex systems approach, Kate's background as a sports physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach spans collaborations with professional football teams and Olympic athletes across Hong Kong and Australia. She played a significant role as the lead coordinator and lecturer for the MSc Sports Medicine and Health Science - Team Physician and Physiotherapist module, nurturing the next wave of professionals in this field. Drawing from her experience working at the Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology for a data science project funded by the Australian Institute of Sport, she has experience bridging the gap between data experts and sports practitioners in research and practice. In this episode, Kate Young discusses her research on complexity and return to sport decision making.

Topics Discussed

Defining Complexity
Nonlinear Systems
Emergence and Adaptation
Goodhart's Law and KPIs
Benefits and Drawbacks of Algorithms and Frameworks
Expected Utility Theory
Bayesian Networks

Paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358789227_Characteristics_of_Complex_Systems_in_Sports_Injury_Rehabilitation_Examples_and_Implications_for_Practice

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Erik Meira - Scientific Principles in Elite Sports Rehab (Sports Medicine Consultant & Educator)

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 20:16:06 -0500

Episode 139: Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Erik Meira. Erik discusses his background in physical therapy and his approach to rehab and sports medicine. He emphasises the importance of applying scientific principles to practice and the need for critical thinking and generating alternative hypotheses. He highlights the importance of collaboration between different professions in the field of rehabilitation and the need to focus on objective outcomes and force production. Erik also provides insights on practicing in a more scientific manner in elite settings, emphasising the focus on building capacities rather than recreating specific tasks.

Topics Discussed

Bringing Science to Practice
Causal Models and Hypotheses
Machine Learning and Rehab
Practicing Scientifically in Elite Settings

Where you can find Erik:

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Research Unpacked: Matthew DeLang - Role of Adductor Strength Monitoring in Football (Head of Medical - FC Nordsjaelland) ·

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 18:39:32 -0500

Episode 138: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Matthew DeLang a PhD student under the supervision of Professor Kristian Thorborg (Copenhagen University) examining youth football hip & groin performance and pathology. Matt's currently works at Right to Dream Academy (Old Akrade, Ghana) and partner club FC Nordsælland in the Danish Superliga. Matt has also previously worked at FC Dallas (MLS), Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) and The Toronto Blue Jays (MLB). In this episode Dylan and Matt discuss the critical role of adductor strength monitoring in football.

Topics Discussed

Early Detection
Interpreting Adductor Monitoring
Individualising Adductor Interventions
Challenges in Research

Where you can find Matthew:

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Research Unpacked: Judd Kalkhoven - Modeling for Proactive Injury Management (Associate Lecturer at WSU)

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 18:25:42 -0500

Episode 137: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Judd Kalkhoven an Associate Lecturer at Western Sydney University. Judd has recently completed his PhD with a thesis focused on the complexities of the muscle-tendon unit and athletic injury. In his current research he is seeking to determine the optimal muscle-tendon architectural and mechanical characteristics for elite athletes depending on their specific sporting demands. In addition, he has a keen interest in understanding injury causation and will produce further academic papers in this area.

Topics Discussed

What is Injury Modeling
Limitations of relying on cumulative load metrics
Tissue Specific Injury Susceptibility
Estimating load induced damage to tissues
Using Imaging to gauge tissue health

Where you can find Judd:

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Dan Howells - The grey area between Physiotherapy & Strength & Conditioning (Director of Collaborate Sports / Lead Mentor)

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 21:15:46 -0500

Episode 136: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Dan Howells founder of Collaborate Sports. Dan is a high performance coach, with a career spanning over 15 years of work in elite sport, both in the UK and the USA. Dan is a certified Strength & Conditioning coach with the UKSCA aad NSCA, and has worked with Olympic and Paralympic Programmes, The US and GB Ski Teams, The English Institute of Sport, Wasps Rugby Club, England Rugby 7s, Team GB Rugby 7s (2016 and 2020) and the Houston Astros MLB Club. As well as focusing on creating impact and success within performance sport organisations, Dan is passionate about creating real world learning opportunities for developing coaches and practitioners. Coaching coaches is something he is heavily invested in. If you are looking for personal development, the opportunities provided across the Collaborate Sports platform are unique and will be able to provide development for you in varied and exciting ways. Todays conversation between Andy and Dan is focussed on the grey area between Physiotherapy & Strength & Conditioning and how practitioners can work with other disciplines effectively.

Topics Discussed

Outcome led & principle based rehab
Creating an environment for teamwork
Co-planning rehab
Athlete perspective in rehab

REHAB SIMPLIFIED GROUP MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

Where you can find Dan:

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Research Unpacked: Dr Dustin Willis - Compassionate Care of Elite Athletes (Quantum Performance)

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 21:37:46 -0500

Episode 135: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Dustin Willis PT, DPT. Dustin is an Assistant Professor in the West Coast University Doctor of Physical Therapy program, where his focus is on teaching all the musculoskeletal content and injecting some of the humanities into healthcare through his Sociocultural Aspects of Human Interaction course. When he is not in the classroom, he treats patients with Quantum Performance, a private concierge service provider that focuses on helping professional athletes to perform at the highest level possible.

Topics Discussed

Compassion in elite sports medicine
Understanding clinical empathy
Building rapport
Imposter syndrome working with elite athletes

Where you can find Dustin:

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Maggie Awad - Using Biomarkers to Improve Athlete Health & Performance (NP & Elevate Performance Medicine Founder)

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 20:08:19 -0400

Episode 134: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Maggie Awad, FNP-BC. Maggie is a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in personalized-based Functional Sports Medicine for the Pro and Corporate Athlete. Maggie personally trained under world renown and sought-out physician, Dr. Ara Suppiah- Who coined the term, Functional Sports Medicine™ model which uses a holistic, proprietary approach by leveraging the sciences of functional medicine, allopathic medicine and Eastern medical philosophies to limit the amount of inflammation within athletes’ bodies. The focus of this episode today is how Maggie uses biomarkers to assess and advise athletes health and immunity.

Topics Discussed

How blood lab information benefit athletes
Common deficiencies
Gut health for athletes
Athlete Immunity
Preparing athletes systemically for surgery

Where you can find Maggie:

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Research Unpacked: Jay Hertel - Chronic Ankle Instability

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 20:11:43 -0400

Episode 133: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Dr Jay Hertel. Jay holds an academic appointment in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery (courtesy) & serves as co-director of the Exercise & Sport Injury Lab at the University of Virginia. His research interests are at the intersection of lower extremity injury prevention and rehabilitation, clinical biomechanics, and the use of wearable sensors to monitor training loads in team sport athletes and distance runners. He has authored or co-authored over 250 peer-reviewed journal articles and presented at numerous national and international sports medicine conferences. Hertel is a fellow of both the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainers' Association. He currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Athletic Training. In this episode Dylan and Jay discuss ankle instability an area of expertise for Jay.

Topics Discussed

Mechanical v sensory-motor ankle Instability
C.A.I Inclusion criteria
How to assess C.A.I
Assessing muscle Inhibition
C.A.I effect on gait

Where you can find Ola Eriksrud:

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Jonas Dodoo - Coaching Return-to-Running (Head Coach & Founder Speedworks Training)

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 22:25:18 -0400

Episode 132: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Jonas Dodoo the Head Coach & Founder Speedworks Training. Jonas developed as a coach through his passion for speed and power and was lucky enough to be under the tutelage of Master Coach Dan Pfaff for four years. Jonas has worked with many elite performers across a range of sports but with his main successors and main role within Track and Field. Jonas currently has an Elite Group of Sprinters based out of the National Institute at Loughborough and he is also currently Consulting at Premiership and Championship Football and Rugby clubs working with their staff and first team players. This conversation between Andy & Jonas focusses on what and how Jonas coaches return-to-running for high speed athletes.

Topics Discussed

Early Sprint Training Post Injury
Technical Sprint Competencies
What is Projection, Switching & Reactivity
Develop a Coaching-Eye for Speed

Where you can find Jonas:

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Research Unpacked: Ola Eriksrud - Deceleration Mechanics

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 22:37:05 -0400

Episode 131: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Ola Eriksrud. Ola is an Associate Professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, doubles as a consultant and physical therapist at Olympiatoppen, affiliated with the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic committee and Confederation of Sports. Over the past decade, he has provided consultation to athletes at national and international levels, spanning sports such as PGA, LPGA, NHL, NFL, ATP, WTA, NBA, and EPL, in addition to working with non-athletes. Currently holding the position of Head of Research and Development at 1080 Motion. This episode with Ola focusses mainly on deceleration mechanics

Topics Discussed

Deceleration Mechanics
Horizontal Force Production
Addressing Asymmetries
Future S&C Strategies

Where you can find Ola Eriksrud:

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Dr Ben Rosenblatt - Intentional Coaching (CEO & Founder of 292 Performance)

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 21:31:23 -0400

Episode 130: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Dr Ben Rosenblatt. Ben is an incredibly experienced and knowledgeable Physical Preparation Coach who has enjoyed a diverse career that has included roles at the British Olympic Association, The FA, EIS, Birmingham City Football Club and more! In this episode with Ben the conversation covers the professional lessons he has learnt over his career with a a focus on intentional coaching from planning and programming through to delivery and reflection.

Topics Discussed

Parallels between sales & coaching
Using athlete stories in analysis
Intentional session design
Gamification of training
Structured reflection & evaluation in coaching

Where you can find Ben:

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Research Unpacked: Danny Lum - Isometrics v Traditional Resistance: Comparative Analysis

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 02:00:00 -0400

Episode 129: In this Research Unpacked Episode Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Danny Lum. Danny Lum serves as the Head of Strength & Conditioning at the Singapore Sport Institute, where he plays a pivotal role in training athletes from various sports disciplines such as bowling, track and field, canoeing, diving, kayaking, judo, and track cycling. With a focus on pushing the boundaries of isometric strength training, Danny is actively engaged in pioneering research in this field. Notably, he recently achieved a significant milestone by obtaining his PhD, which delved into exploring the impacts of isometric strength training on sports performance. In addition to his doctoral studies, Danny is actively involved in investigating the application of variable resistance exercises for the induction of post-activation potentiation, contributing further to the realm of Sports Science and S&C.

Topics Discussed

Fatigue effects of Isometrics v traditional resistance
Repetition Duration Reserve: Timing Considerations for Isometric Training
Isometrics - Position specific or not?
Impulse and Recovery: Exploring Isometric Training Benefits

Where you can find Danny Lum:

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Research Unpacked: Dr Mathew Cuthbert - Implementing Microdosing In Physical Preparation

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 02:00:00 -0400

Episode 128: In this Research Unpacked Episode Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Dr. Mathew Cuthbert. Matt is a seasoned sports scientist & researcher who currently works for The Football Association where he is a Physical Performance Coach. Matthew is also an honorary research fellow at the University of Salford, Manchester. In this episode Dylan and Matt engage in a comprehensive conversation about Matt's work on Microdosing in sports training.

Topics Discussed

What is Microdosing
How it differs to other programming trends
Residual effects of microdosing
How to periodise Microdosing
How to prime resistance training
Repeated-bout-effects

Where you can find Dr Mathew Cuthbert:

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James Collins - Optimal Nutrition Service Provision (Managing Director of INTRA Performance Group)

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 02:00:00 -0400

Episode 127: Dr Andy McDonald chats to James Collins. James is recognised as a leading Sport & Exercise Nutritionist. In elite sport he has worked with Team GB Olympic teams and athletes over three Olympic Games. He joined Arsenal Football Club in 2010, where he spent seven seasons as the club’s first performance nutritionist.

He has worked as a consultant with England Football, France Football (2018 World Cup winners), and is currently a consultant with Chelsea FC. He was a project lead of an international team of 31 authors to produce the ‘UEFA Expert Group Statement on Nutrition in Elite Football‘, the best practice guidelines within the sport, published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM).

James is Managing Director of INTRA Performance Group working with talent from elite sport and entertainment from their Harley Street clinic. He was previously elected President of The Royal Society of Medicine’s Food and Health Forum and is author of the acclaimed book ‘The Energy Plan‘ (Penguin Random House).

Topics Discussed

Evolution of professional sports nutrition
UEFA expert group statement on nutrition in elite football
What should progressive nutrition look like
How to periodise behaviour change
How should service provision function
Future direction of nutrition in professional sport

Where you can find James:

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Research Unpacked: Dr Stephanie Filbay - Non-Surgical ACL Management with Cross Bracing Protocol

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 11:29:20 -0400

Episode 125: In this Research Unpacked Episode Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Dr Stephanie Filbay. Dr Filbay is a Physiotherapist, NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow, Dame Kate Campbell Fellow and Senior Research Associate in the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne. Dr Filbay leads a team aiming to improve outcomes for people with ACL injury across the lifespan. Her team are evaluating non-surgical strategies to facilitate healing of ACL rupture, creating a patient decision aid and training resources to educate clinicians and inform patients about evidence-based ACL injury management options, and developing a novel intervention to improve quality of life and health outcomes for people who develop osteoarthritis after ACL injury. She has presented her research over 80 times to a variety of stakeholders, chairs and serves on national and international committees.

Topics Discussed

Can the ACL heal?
What is ACL cross bracing?
How effective is ACL cross bracing?
What really qualifies an ACL coper?

Where you can find Dr Stephanie Filbay:

Research Discussed:

Filbay SR, Dowsett M, Chaker Jomaa M, et al Healing of acute anterior cruciate ligament rupture on MRI and outcomes following non-surgical management with the Cross Bracing Protocol British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 14 June 2023. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-106931

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Research Unpacked: Tyler Yearby - Ecological Dynamics

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 01:00:00 -0400

Episode 125: In this Research Unpacked Episode Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Tyler Yearby. Tyler was a former Running Backs and Strength & Conditioning coach at Northeastern State University and former Strength & Conditioning coach in American football at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Tyler is currently pursuing his doctorate in sport and exercise at the University of Gloucestershire (UK), exploring the perceived impact on the professional work of sports coaches and practitioners after interacting with online coaching education underpinned by an ecological dynamics rationale, with a particular focus on the theory-practice link and understanding the strengths and limitations they perceive in their craft after applying the ideas in practice.

Topics Discussed

What is Ecological Dynamics
Are you coach-centred or learning-centred
How to use shared language with athletes
Creating a technical drill based on movement SWOT analysis.

Where you can find Tyler Yearby:

Tylers Research:

Applying an ecological approach to practice design in American football: some case examples on best practice

Being Water: how key ideas from the practice of Bruce Lee align with contemporary theorising in movement skill acquisition

(Re)conceptualizing movement behavior in sport as a problem-solving activity

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How a Tech Layer Under a Players Insole/Foot In Real Environments Can Inform Rehab & Performance (Andrew Gray, Phil Graham-Smith & Daryl Carter)

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 124: Dr Andy McDonald chats Andrew Gray, Phil Graham-Smith and Daryl Carter. Todays panel discussion focusses on emerging technology from Sportscientia that harnesses the power of AI and machine learning to seamlessly capture gait analysis in real-world conditions and provide 3D depictions of the foot during both swing and stance phases of the gait cycle. This enables them to further break down the analysis of running into multi-directional movements including lateral, backwards, turning actions and more. Within the conversation case studies and examples of how this technology can benefit hamstring and lower limb injuries and monitoring is discussed.

Topics Discussed

What is Sportscientia
How does a tech layer function?
Lab v field based biomechanics assessment
Managing hamstring injuries with Sportscientia
How & why we should measure swing phase
Using a tech-layer to objectively assess footwear

Where you can find Sportscientia:

Sportscientia Website
daniel.vale@sportscientia.com

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Claire Robertson - Managing Patellofemoral Pain in Athletes (Consultant Physiotherapist)

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 02:00:00 -0400

Episode 123: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Physiotherapist Claire Robertson. Claire has worked in the NHS, academia and private practice, and currently runs a specialist patellofemoral clinic at Wimbledon Clinics spending an hour per patient and liaising closely with their treating clinician. Claire is also the physiotherapist for the Warren Smith ski academy. Claire has lectured internationally and has many research papers and editorials published in internationally peer-reviewed journals. She is also a reviewer herself for Physiotherapy Research International, Physical Therapy in Sport, Clinical Anatomy and Physiotherapy. Claire runs her own post-graduate course on patellofemoral problems for physiotherapists.

Topics Discussed

Diagnosing patellofemoral pain
Early rehab of PFP
How strong is strong enough
Return-to-running for patellofemoral pain

Where you can find Claire:

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Ciara Burgi - Houston Texans Return-to-Play Philosophy (Return to Performance Lead Houston Texans NFL)

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Episode 122: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Physical Therapist Ciara Burgi PT DPT SCS OCS, FAAOMPT CSCS. Ciara is a Duke educated PT who has continued her professional training at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and Australian Catholic University prior to working at the Houston Texans NFL team, where she has been since 2020.

Topics Discussed

Should Physical Therapists do sport residencies?
How the Texans department is philosophically organised
How Physios and S&C Coaches can collaborate effectively
Houston Texans rehab process for ACL & hamstring RTP examples

Where you can find Ciara:

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Nick Kane - Hamstring Rehab For Field Sports (Head Physiotherapist at Essendon Football Club & Managing Director of the Sports MAP Network)

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 13:22:48 -0400

Episode 121: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Physiotherapist Nick Kane. Nick is the founder & Managing Director of the Sports MAP Network as well as Head Physiotherapist at Essendon Football Club. He is a Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist having completed a Masters in Sports Physiotherapy from La Trobe University. He completed is undergraduate Physiotherapy degree at Notre Dame University in Fremantle. Nick excels in working with sporting injuries and rehabilitation with a particular interest in troublesome hip & groin pain, recurrent hamstring injuries, tendon pain & post surgical rehab.

Topics Discussed

Physical demands of AFL
Structure of performance teams in AFL
Key steps planning a hamstring muscle injury rehab
Progressing return-to-running with hamstring injuries
How to monitor hamstrings post injury
How to problem solve tough cases as a Physio

Where you can find Nick:

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#Highlight - Putting Evidence-Based-Practise In Perspective with Sue Falsone

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:35:15 -0400

Sue Falsone was our guest on episode #7 of the Inform Performance Podcast. Sue is the owner of Structure and Function and since we spoke to her she has become the Director of Movement and Return to Performance at the Houston Texans NFL team. This highlight clip takes an insightful segment from her episode where she discussed how to appraise what evidence-based-practise truly means and how to pragmatically include methods or tools in your practise when there is gaps in the academic literature.

Listen to the full episode here

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Daniel Bodkin - How & Why You Should Use Isokinetic Systems In Rehab (PT, AT & Director of clinical education for CSMi)

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:06:38 -0400

Episode 120: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Daniel Bodkin a Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer. Daniel is an expert on using Isokinetic systems in rehab for testing and training athletes. Daniel is the Director of clinical education for CSMi maker of the Humac NORM Isokinetic System, Owner of ProActive Athletic Performance in Atlanta Georgia and an Associated Faculty Member for enTandem DPT. This episode focusses in its entirety on how to use Isokinetic machines during knee rehab.

Topics Discussed

Key tests on Isokinetic machines
- Eccentric & Isometric testing
- Testing under fatigue
- RFD testing
Motor learning of force-profiling tests
Key Interventions
Removing quadriceps inhibition through ROM

Where you can find Daniel:

Instagram

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#Highlight - How to Effectively Educate & Empower Professional Athletes with Mike Reinold

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 21:16:32 -0400

Mike Reinold was our guest on episode #20 of the Inform Performance Podcast. This highlight clip takes an insightful segment from that episode where he discussed

Educating & empowering athletes
Managing Increasing complexity within our roles
Athletes taking ownership of their data

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Max Lankheit- Bridging The Gap Between The Front-Office & Performance Dept (Philadelphia Union MLS Head of Performance and Innovation)

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 10:21:00 -0400

Episode 119: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Max Lankheit the Head of Performance and Innovation at Philadelphia Union MLS team. Max is a highly experienced coach and leader and has worked in both coaching and leadership roles at San Jose Earthquakes MLS, Seattle Sounders FC, San Francisco Giants, Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning, FC Nürnberg, FC St. Pauli von 1910 e.V and Exos. In this episode with Max we discuss his journey from coaching to performance management and how an MBA enabled him to bridge the gap between the front-office and the backroom at teams.

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Topics Discussed

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Why you should work as a private trainer prior before working at a team
Aligning professional development with club needs
Benefits to completing an MBA for performance practitioners
How to align your actions to team values
Strategies for change management

----more----

Where you can find Max

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----more----

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Cici Murray - Technical v Physical Qualities in Sprinters (Spellman Performance Coach & More Her Speed Founder)

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 22:13:55 -0400

Episode 118: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Speed Coach Cici Murray. Cici has worked with hundreds of athletes including some of the top NFL, Olympic, and MLB athletes as a speed performance and recovery specialist over the last 3 years. She has recently trained nearly half of the projected NFL Draft 1st-round picks for the combine. Cici currently works at Spellman Performance and also runs a newsletter and resource for female coaches called "More Her Speed".

Topics Discussed

Expectations v reality working as a female coach
Assessing technical & physical qualities in sprinters
Use of technology in speed training
Relationship building with young athletes

Where you can find Cici

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Keir Wenham-Flatt - Protect Your Coaching Income (Founder of Strength Coach Network)

Sat, 20 May 2023 17:09:30 -0400

Episode 117: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Keir Wenham-Flatt. Keir is a highly experienced Strength & Conditioning Coach based in the USA, but has worked in 5 different countries at the highest level of rugby union and rugby league, including 4th place finish at 2015 Rugby World Cup. During his coaching career Keir has worked with 50+ international level athletes including world cup winners and also been an NCAA Div 1 Coordinator of Football Performance. Keir outside of coaching is the Founder of Strength Coach Network and more recently has turned his attention to supporting and educating coaches to protect their income via business development.

Topics Discussed

Differences in performance internationally
The fragility of working in sport
Why you should protect your Income as a coach
How Keir educates coaches to develop a business

*** STRENGTH COACH MONEY MOVES COURSE ***

Where you can find Keir

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Raphael Brandon - Effective Data Strategy in Elite Sport (Head of Performance Science at BreakAway Data)

Sun, 07 May 2023 17:57:41 -0400

Episode 116: Dr Andy McDonald and Ben Ashworth chat to Raph Brandon. Raph has enjoyed an extraordinary career with 12 years at the English Institute of Sport as both Director of Performance Solutions and as the Head of Strength & Conditioning during his time there. Raph has also been the Head of Science, Medicine and innovation at the England and Wales Cricket Board. Raph is currently working for Breakaway Data as the Head Of Performance Science in Europe and much of this episode is focussed on his current activity supporting elite teams and athletes with data and technological solutions.

Topics Discussed

What is Breakaway Data
Why should we collect data
Player centred Approach to Data
Creating meaningful performance questions
Identifying Signal v Noise

Where you can find Raph

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Dan Howells - Coach Development & Career Periodisation (Founder of Collaborate Sports)

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:52:03 -0400

Episode 115: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Dan Howells founder of Collaborate Sports. Dan is a high performance coach, with a career spanning over 15 years of work in elite sport, both in the UK and the USA. Dan is a certified Strength & Conditioning coach with the UKSCA aad NSCA, and has worked with Olympic and Paralympic Programmes, The US and GB Ski Teams, The English Institute of Sport, Wasps Rugby Club, England Rugby 7s, Team GB Rugby 7s (2016 and 2020) and the Houston Astros MLB Club. As well as focusing on creating impact and success within performance sport organisations, Dan is passionate about creating real world learning opportunities for developing coaches and practitioners. Coaching coaches is something he is heavily invested in. If you are looking for personal development, the opportunities provided across the Collaborate Sports platform are unique and will be able to provide development for you in varied and exciting ways.

Topics Discussed

Professional pathway to elite sport
What is Collaborate Sports
Identifying needs and wants in your career
Career periodisation

Where you can find Dan

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Dave Hancock - Art v Science of Using Data to Improve Performance (CEO of Apollo)

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 22:13:37 -0400

Episode 114: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Dave Hancock a Physiotherapist (PT), Strength and Conditioning Coach, Performance Director, Atherapy Clinics Founder and the CEO of Apollo. Dave's career has taken him to be the Head Physiotherapist of Leeds United Football Club, Chelsea Football Club and the Performance Director of the New York Knicks Basketball Team. He has also attended the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the 2012 European Finals. Working for the English Senior Men’s National soccer team for five years. In more recent years Dave's focus has been as the CEO of Apollo, a sport software company.

Topics Discussed

Blind screening an athlete
Current use of data in teams
Does your data impact competitive success
Prioritising meaningful tests and data

Where you can find Dave

Ben Ashworth's - Athletic Shoulder Course

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Scot Morrison - Energy System Development & Tissue Specific Rehab (Consultant Sports Physical Therapist)

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 21:41:25 -0400

Episode 113: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Scot Morrison a board-certified Physical Therapist who specializes in high performance sports medicine. He has experience working and consulting across elite sport and tactical communities and currently works within special operations. Scot serves as the chair of the AASPT Sports Performance enhancement SIG and is pursuing a PhD under Franco Impellizzeri. In this episode Andy and Scot discuss psychometric properties, energy system development and tissue specific rehab considerations.

Topics Discussed:

Psychometric properties
Tissue specific rehab
Energy system development
When can we use evidence

Where you can find Scot

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Mike Guevara - High Performance Coaching in the Private Sector (Strength & Conditioning Coach & Founder of GBG Hoops)

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 17:59:22 -0500

Episode 112: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Mike Guevara a Performance Coach with over 10 years experience. Coach Mike G has worked privately with some of the world’s top NFL and NBA players, including Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Mike James. In this episode Andy and Mike discuss how to work effectively with players in the private sector or as an external practitioner at teams. This episode also covers how Mike went private and leveraged social media from a business perspective to shine some light on a side of the industry many professionals consider transitioning into.

Topics Discussed:

Transition form team to Pelicans
Working effectively inside a team as an external coach
How can teams integrate external coaches.
Considerations for starting a private client business
Leveraging social media platforms as a coach

Where you can find Mike

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Dr. John Kiely - A Modern Perspective on Periodization (Senior Lecturer in Performance and Innovation, University of Limerick)

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 16:24:18 -0500

Episode 111: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Dr John Kiely a Strength & Conditioning Coach, Performance Consultant and Senior Lecturer. John has a wealth of experience and has enjoyed a career with roles at UK Athletics, Munster Rugby, Irish Rugby, Egypt Football World Cup Squad 2018, various Irish NGB’s and more! Currently John is a Senior Lecturer in Performance and Innovation, PE and Sports Sciences at The University of Limerick, where he is supervising PhD candidates working within professional multi-disciplinary performance environments and pursuing practice-based post-graduate qualifications. Among John's well known academic contributions he has published an article titled "Periodization Theory: Confronting an Inconvenient Truth" - This article combined with Johns present day perspective is the basis for this podcast conversation.

Topics Discussed:

Origins of periodisation
Has planning of training changed?
Are there key fundamentals when organising training?
Biopsychosocial considerations to physical preparation

Where you can find John

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Research Unpacked: Matthew Buckthorpe PhD - Part 2 - On Field Rehabiliation

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 15:55:26 -0500

Episode 110: In this Research Unpacked episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Matthew Buckthorpe PhD. Matt is a British Sport Scientist, S&C Coach, University lecturer and Researcher specialising in late-stage and on-field rehabilitation. He completed his PhD at Loughbourgh University looking into the neural determinants of Rate of force development. In this second of three episodes Matt will discuss his paper - 4 Pillars of High-Quality On-field Rehabilitation are Restoring Movement Quality, Physical Conditioning, Restoring Sport-Specific Skills, and Progressively Developing Chronic Training Load.

Topics Discussed:

The 4 Pillar approach to on-field rehabilitation
Restoring movement quality
Developing physical conditioning
Restoring technical and tactical skills
Building chronic training load

Paper Discussed in Part-Two: Buckthorpe et al, (2019) 4 Pillars of High-Quality On-field Rehabilitation are Restoring Movement Quality, Physical Conditioning, Restoring Sport-Specific Skills, and Progressively Developing Chronic Training Load.

Where you can find Matt:

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Research Unpacked: 2022 Bern Consensus Statement - Part 1 (Ben Ashworth, Ariane Schwank & Paul Blazey)

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 18:02:59 -0500

Episode 109: In this Research Unpacked episode Ben Ashworth chats to Physiotherapists Ariane Schwank & Paul Blazey who contributed on the 2022 Bern Consensus Statement on Shoulder Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Return to Sport for Athletes at All Participation Levels. This episode covers a lot of content and will therefore have a part-2 to follow this first conversation.

Topics Discussed:

Advise for writing articles
Shoulder Consensus Paper
Screening or monitoring for shoulders?
Shoulder specific RPE?
Should pathoanatomic diagnosis drive rehab?
Does pain equal an injury?
Where does psychology fit into injury management

Papers Discussed in Part-One: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34972489/

Where you can find Ariane:

Twitter

Where you can find Paul:

Instagram

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Darcy Norman (Performance Coach - US Men’s National Soccer Team & Lead Performance Strategist at Kitman Labs)

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 21:09:50 -0400

Episode 108: Ben Ashworth chats to Darcy Norman a qualified PT, AT and S&C with over 20 years experience in the human performance industry. He is currently a performance coach for the US Mens National Soccer Team and the Lead Performance Strategist at Kitman Labs. Darcy has previously enjoyed roles at the German Mens National Team, A.S. Roma, FC Bayern Munich, EXOS and many other roles as a PT, AT and S&C Coach. This episode between Ben and Darcy was recorded a little ago whilst Ben was still at AC Sparta, with the conversation covering nuances of effectively working in soccer managing workload & recovery in elite environments.

Topics Discussed:

Communication between club and national team
Individualisation within team settings
Collaborating on technical & tactical information with coaches
Optimal on-field volume & Intensity
Maximising Recovery

Where you can find Darcy:

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Research Unpacked: Matthew Buckthorpe PhD - Part 1 - Rate of Force Development

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 09:45:34 -0400

Episode 107: In this Research Unpacked episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Matthew Buckthorpe PhD. Matt is a British Sport Scientist, S&C Coach, University lecturer and Researcher specialising in late-stage and on-field rehabilitation. He completed his PhD at Loughbourgh University looking into the neural determinants of Rate of force development. In this first of three episodes Matt will begin by discussing his PhD research RFD and its implications for rehab and performance. In parts two and three Matt will discuss his more recent clinical commentary about high-quality on-field rehabilitation which combine with his academic and practical experience through 3 great conversations.

Papers Discussed in Part-One: Buckthorpe & Roi, (2019) The time has come to incorporate a greater focus on rate of force development training in the sports injury rehabilitation process Buckthorpe et al., (2014) Central fatigue contributes to the greater reductions in explosive than maximum strength with high intensity fatigue Folland et al., (2013) Human capacity for explosive force production: Neural and contractile determinants

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Ben Ashworth - Shoulder Monitoring & Rehabilitation (High Performance Consultant & Athletic Shoulder Specialist)

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 10:46:18 -0400

Episode 106: Dr Andy McDonald chats to fellow Inform Performance Host Ben Ashworth. Ben is a Performance consultant for elite teams abs individuals. Shoulder specialist with a Master of Science (MSc) in Strength & Conditioning & UKSCA accreditation. “Physio-coach” with experience in elite rugby, Olympic Sports, baseball & Professional football. Ben provides consultancy & education for MLB teams based on original research in Athletic Shoulder strength monitoring developed in Premiership Rugby

https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000365

This work is currently applied in MLB & NFL teams, Premier League football, Olympic swimming, British tennis and other upper limb sports worldwide. Ben has successfully developed and implemented monitoring processes in a number of challenging environments to minimise injury risk and support high performance programmes. Providing independent consultancy services to the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, London, UK and in the development of their shoulder assessment and research pathway. Her has also worked across 4 seasons as Director of Performance in European Football at Sparta Prague 2019-2022 and over 20 years experience in elite sport environments.

Topics Discussed:

What is the Ashtest
Comparing lower limb performance with the upper limb
Comparing peak force with RFD in the shoulder
Case studies where monitoring informs a shoulder strategy

Athletic Shoulder Courses

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Philipp Jacobsen - Dealing With Backroom Pressure & Taking Care Of Athletes (Physiotherapist & Performance Consultant)

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 22:30:40 -0400

Episode 105: Ben Ashworth chats to Philipp Jacobsen a Physiotherapist and Performance Consultant. Philipp is has an extensive background in sport with previous roles in Physiotherapy and Performance Management at Liverpool Football Club, Aspetar, Portsmouth FC, Panathinaikos FC and Eden Reha. This easy listening episode explores Philipps journey through professional sport with Ben and Philipp exchanging experiences.

Topics Discussed:

Phil’s background working in Greece, Aspetar and the EPL
Working with external practitioners
Play or not play pressure
Functioning as a ‘caretaker’
Who should be a Director of Performance
Workflow of a typical day in professional football

Where you can find Philipp:

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JB Morin - Sprint Training - Using GPS, Programming Resisted Sprints & Postural Considerations (Professor, Consultant and Running Coach)

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 15:36:07 -0400

Episode 104: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Jean-Benoit (JB) Morin a Professor in Sport Sciences and Physical Education at University Jean Monnet, Saint-Etienne in France. Outside of academia JB is also an established Running Coach and Consultant to both athletes and professional sports teams alike on sprinting and biomechanics. In this episode Andy and JB discuss JB's work and perspectives on GPS usage, programming resisted sprints and postural considerations in sprinting.

Topics Discussed:

Using GPS to assess high speed events
How to efficiently program resisted sprinting
How running posture effects posterior chain loading
The process of assessing an athlete run

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Research Unpacked: Nick Cross - Achilles Tendinopathy

Wed, 18 May 2022 21:28:29 -0400

Episode 103: In this Research Unpacked episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Nick Cross. Nick is an Australian sports physiotherapist and exercise physiologist based in Melbourne. Nick has worked in high performance sport across different football codes, athletics and ballet. His key clinical interest is lower limb injuries and rehabilitation that supports optimal performance. Nick is currently undergoing a global research project with la Trobe University to understand how clinicians who work in sport diagnose achilles tendinopathy and in todays episode, Nick shares his clinical insights into his practice. If you are a sports or musculoskeletal physiotherapist you can help by contributing to this global research project. All that is required is to compete a 10-minute survey with the link below.

Topics discussed:

Defining AT
Key subjective indicators relating to the diagnosis of AT
The role of the peritendon in AT
The role of tissue compression in assessment
Auscultation
Progressive loading for AT.

Survey link for research

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Wayne Diesel - Reflections of a career at the highest levels of International sport (Sports Physiotherapist)

Mon, 02 May 2022 10:20:55 -0400

Episode 102: Ben Ashworth chats to Wayne Diesel a Sports Physiotherapist with a lifetime of working at the highest level of sport around the world. Wayne is a South African educated Physiotherapist who during his Physio career has worked with The Sports Science Institute of South Africa, Gloucester Rugby Football Club, Charlton Athletic Football Club, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, Springboks Rugby and more! On top of this international multi-sport experience Wayne has also worked in the USA as Sports Performance Director at the Miami Dolphins and as the Director of Player Care at the San Antonio Spurs. In this episode Ben and Wayne will reflect on Waynes incredible career journey, where the Physiotherapy profession is going and the technical differences between different sports and leagues.

Topics Discussed:

Embracing different approaches for player care
Where is sports Physiotherapy going?
Injury prognostic expectations across different sports/leagues
Risk assessment and communication
Perspective on being a specialist v generalist

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Research Unpacked: Tim McGrath - Part 3 - Nordic Dosage & Return-to-Running

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 12:26:49 -0400

Episode 101: In this Research Unpacked episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Tim McGrath for a Part-3 conversation on Hamstring rehab. Tim is an Australian Sports Physio based in Canberra, with over 15 years experience in professional sport and 20 in clinical practice. He completed his PhD from the Research Institute of Sport & Exercise at the University of Canberra on ACL rehabilitation and return to sport in 2016 and is the clinical & research director of Pitch Ready which focuses on blending clinical insights with data science, squad-based injury prevention and return to sport testing following lower limb injury. In this episode Alistair and Tim hamstring training, nordics and return-to-running.

Topics discussed:

Nordic Hamstring curls
High speed running exposure
Time under Tension vs Break angle
Minimal Dose
Prioritising strength or speed
Returning to running following a hamstring injury

Reference McGrath, T. M., Hulin, B. T., Pickworth, N., Clarke, A., & Timmins, R. G. (2020). Determinants of hamstring fascicle length in professional rugby league athletes. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 23(5), 524–528. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31928881/

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Jerry Flannery (Harlequins Rugby Lineout & Defence Coach)

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 23:20:31 -0400

Episode 100: Ben Ashworth chats to Jerry Flannery the current Lineout and Defence coach at Harlequins Rugby. Jerry is a former Irish rugby union player who during his playing career enjoyed great success with both Munster and Ireland. As a coach Jerry has a diverse background from Arsenal Football Club in the Premier League as an Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach to of course rugby where he has been a technical coach at both Munster and Harlequins. This episode will at large discuss Jerry's journey from player to coach and some of the key lessons or experiences that have shaped his coaching career thus far.

Topics Discussed:

Transitioning from player to coach
Getting buy-in
Recognising team culture

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Dan Lewindon -Technical & Professional Development (Head of Performance Science & Medicine for the LTA)

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 19:23:22 -0500

Episode 99: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Dan Lewindon the Head of Performance Science and Medicine for the LTA (National Governing Body of Tennis in the UK). He is responsible for the leadership, management and integration of sports science and medicine in support of elite players, coaches and performance programmes. His role also includes the development of research and innovation strategies and partnerships associated with health and performance. Prior to Tennis, Daniel worked for 13 years in professional Rugby, 7 of which as the Senior Team Physiotherapist for England, where he was responsible for player recovery, injury prevention and rehabilitation. Dan holds postgraduate Masters degrees in both Sports Medicine and Exercise Science and is the co-editor and contributing author of 2 internationally best-selling textbooks, High Performance Training For Sports and Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation.

Topics Discussed:

Evolving into leadership
High Performance Training for Sports
Mentoring technical development
Periodising professional development
Reflective communication

Where you can find Dan:

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Research Unpacked: Tim McGrath - Part 2 - ACL Rehabilitation

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 23:36:33 -0500

Episode 98: In this Research Unpacked episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Tim McGrath for a part-2 conversation on ACL rehab. Tim is an Australian Sports Physio based in Canberra, with over 15 years experience in professional sport and 20 in clinical practice. He completed his PhD from the Research Institute of Sport & Exercise at the University of Canberra on ACL rehabilitation and return to sport in 2016 and is the clinical & research director of Pitch Ready which focuses on blending clinical insights with data science, squad-based injury prevention and return to sport testing following lower limb injury. In this episode Alistair and Tim continue discussing his insights and work on ACLR Rehab.

Topics discussed:

Key Functional testing in correlation to return to sport following ACLR
Functional testing at different stages of ACLR rehabilitation
Pillars of ALCR rehabilitation
Pitch-ready.com

Reference McGrath, T. M., Waddington, G., Scarvell, J. M., Ball, N., Creer, R., Woods, K., Smith, D., & Adams, R. (2017). An Ecological Study of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Part 2: Functional Performance Tests Correlate With Return-to-Sport Outcomes. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 5(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315235/#

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Research Unpacked: Tim McGrath - ACL Rehabilitation

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 22:18:28 -0500

Episode 97: In this Research Unpacked episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Tim McGrath. Tim is an Australian Sports Physio based in Canberra, with over 15 years experience in professional sport and 20 in clinical practice. He completed his PhD from the Research Institute of Sport & Exercise at the University of Canberra on ACL rehabilitation and return to sport in 2016 and is the clinical & research director of Pitch Ready which focuses on blending clinical insights with data science, squad-based injury prevention and return to sport testing following lower limb injury. In this episode Alistair and Tim discuss his insights and work on ACLR Rehab.

Topics discussed:

Undergoing a PhD and completing applied research
Clinical tests used in ACLR rehab and relevance to practise
The Influence graft type has on ACLR recovery

Reference McGrath, T. M., Waddington, G., Scarvell, J. M., Ball, N., Creer, R., Woods, K., Smith, D., & Adams, R. (2016). An Ecological Study of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Part 1: Clinical Tests Do Not Correlate With Return-to-Sport Outcomes. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 4(11) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27900339/

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Nigel Walker OBE - Managing Change (Performance Director of Welsh Rugby Union)

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 23:10:01 -0500

Episode 96: Ben Ashworth chats to Nigel Walker OBE The Performance Director of the Welsh Rugby Union. Nigel is a former international athlete and rugby union player who has represented Great Britain as a high hurdler before switching to rugby, earning 17 international caps for Wales. Nigel is the first guest we have spoken to that has be awarded an OBE which for him was an honour he received in 2019. On top of a successful athletic career and an OBE he has enjoyed professional roles at the English institute of Sport and the BBC prior to his current role in Rugby. In this episode Ben and Nigel predominantly discuss managing change as an overarching topic.

Topics Discussed:

Nigel's background
Fundamentals of change
Identifying strategies for different environments
Managing reluctancy to change

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Research Unpacked: Dr Andras Hegyi - Part 3 - Nordic Hamstring Research

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 08:53:40 -0500

Episode 95: For this third Research Unpacked episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Dr Andras Hegyi a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Nantes, France. For part two Alistair and Andras continue discussing his hamstring muscle research on Nordics

Part two topics discussed:

Optimal technique of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise
Perspectives one the limitations of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise
The effect of hip angle one joint torque and muscle activity
Contraction dynamics of NHE with different hip angles
Future research

Hegyi et al., 2019 'The Impact of Hip Flexion Angle on Unilateral and Bilateral Nordic Hamstring Exercise Torque and High-Density Electromyography’ The journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 49(8), 584-592. Research link https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30913969/

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Johnny O’Connor - Implementing Heavy Eccentrics (Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach at Connacht Rugby)

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 23:38:17 -0500

Episode 94: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Johnny O'Connor a Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach at Connacht Rugby in Ireland. As a professional player Johnny played for Connacht, Wasps and made his Ireland debut in 2004 going on to earn 12 caps, helping the national side to Triple Crown success in 2006. As an S&C Coach Johnny has worked at Galway United, Arsenal and he is of course now back coaching at Connacht his former club again. In this episode Andy & Johnny discuss planning, monitoring and using heavy eccentrics to prepare rugby players in pre-season.

Topics Discussed:

Background as a player
Planning physical preparation
Monitoring on & off the field
Heavy eccentrics usage

Where you can find Johnny:

Twitter

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Prav Mathema - Physiotherapy across elite rugby environments (Physiotherapist for the Welsh National Men‘s Squad & The British & Irish Lions)

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 21:32:04 -0500

Episode 93: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Prav Mathema the National Medical Manager for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and an honorary lecturer on the Cardiff Metropolitan University MSc Sports & Exercise Medicine Programme. Prav has collectively spent over a decade as the Head of Medical Services at Queens Park Rangers Football Club, and London Wasps. In addition to his duties as the National Medical Manager, he is also a Senior Physiotherapist for the WRU National Men's Squad. Impressively Prav has also been selected as a Physiotherapist to the British and Irish Lions Rugby team, touring with them in 2009 to South Africa and again in 2013 on the tour of Australia. He is also a member of World Rugby's Sevens World Series Injury Prevention Working Group and acts as the Chair to the WRU's Medical Advisory Committee and leads several steering groups within the WRU.

Topics Discussed:

Professional Skill set changes between Club, country and the Lions
The role of medical governance in rugby
Player Welfare
Creating Independent athletes
Influencing performance during competition events

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Dr Ryan Crotin - Baseball Special (Organisational Strategist, Baseball Scientist, Coach, Research Author & Educator)

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 22:25:45 -0500

Episode 92: Ben Ashworth chats to Dr Ryan L. Crotin, an Organisational Strategist, Baseball Scientist, Coach, Research Author and Educator. Ryan has enjoyed a wealth of experienced both academically and professionally. He has notably worked as an Research Associate Louisiana Tech University & Auckland University of Technology as well as being a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Penn Throwing Clinic within the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Pennsylvania. In professional sport he has enjoyed roles in Professional Baseball at the Los Angles Angels, Baltimore Orioles and The St. Louis Cardinals. In this episode Ben and Ryan talk all things shoulders, pitching and baseball as it relates to high performance.

Topics Discussed:

Background
Ryans’s academic work on pitching
Training the pitchers shoulder
Testing positions for shoulder profiling
Direction specific force development
Session cost for high velocity throwing
Bodyweight targets for upper body force production

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Research Unpacked: Dr Andras Hegyi - Part 2 -Hamstring Research

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 20:46:42 -0400

Episode 91: For this second Research Unpacked style episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Dr Andras Hegyi a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Nantes, France. For part two Alistair and Andras continue discussing his hamstring muscle research.

Part two topics discussed:

Regional differences in a various of hamstring exercises typically used in rehab and strength and conditioning
Overall muscle activity vs between muscle activation vs within-muscle differences
Perspectives on hamstring training for sprint performance and injury rehab - what are we trying to achieve?
The affect if velocity on muscle activity
Clinical implications and from both studies and how they may influence decision making when prescribing exercises
Future research

Hegyi, A., Csala, D., Péter, A., Finni, T., & Cronin, N. J. (2019). High-density electromyography activity in various hamstring exercises. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 29(1), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13303 Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30230042/

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Jesse Wright - Soft skill development (High Performance Consultant, Founder of the Balance The Bar Initiative & Author)

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 16:21:38 -0400

Episode 90: Andy McDonald chats to Jesse K. Wright, founder of the Balance The Bar initiative, is a high performance consultant, Amazon best-selling author, coach, and public speaker. His career has spanned over two decades in the team sport culture, including working with organizations in the NBA, NFL, NCAA, and in private sports training. Jesse has recently published a book The Intent Is To Grow - A fictional tale about a young coach embarking on a strength and conditioning career. This book forms the line of questions and conversation for this episode focussed on soft skill development.

Topics Discussed:

The intent is to grow book
Soft skill requirements in elite sport
Multi-planar communication model
Identifying personal soft skill needs
Intercultural sensitivity

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Research Unpacked: Dr Andras Hegyi - Region-dependent hamstrings activity in Nordic hamstring exercise & stiff-leg deadlift

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:58:59 -0400

Episode 89: For this first Research Unpacked style episode Alistair McKenzie chats to Dr Andras Hegyi a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Nantes, France. For part one Alistair and Andras discussed his work on region-dependent hamstrings activity in Nordic hamstring exercise and stiff-leg deadlift

Part one topics discussed:

Regional distribution of muscle activity of the hamstrings in the Nordic Hamstring Exercise and Stiff-leg deadlift
Methods of assessing muscle activity during different exercises
Normalsation techniques in EMG studies and how to interpret methods
Limitations and future research

Hegyi, A., Péter, A., Finni, T., & Cronin, N. J. (2018). Region-dependent hamstrings activity in Nordic hamstring exercise and stiff-leg deadlift defined with high-density electromyography. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 28(3), 992–1000. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29143379/

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Ian Gatt - The Sporting Hand & Wrist (GB Boxing Head of Performance Services / Lead Physio and Anthony Joshua‘s Physio and Cutman)

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 18:50:30 -0400

Episode 88: Andy McDonald chats to Ian Gatt the GB Boxing Head of Performance Services / Lead Physio. Ian is also the Physio and Cutman for boxer Anthony Joshua and an experienced sports Physio with a background working for the EIS prior to boxing as well as lecturing at Sheffield Hallam University and UCL. In this episode Ian provides us with tips and insights on managing hand and wrist injuries in sport ahead of the Sporting Hand & Wrist Webinar Series he will be presenting on the 26th of October.

Topics Discussed:

Becoming an expert on the hand & wrist
Sporting Hand & Wrist Webinar Series
Tips for treating the hand & wrist
Assessing athletic function of the hand & wrist

Sporting Hand & Wrist Webinar Series

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Dr .Matt Jordan - Force velocity Individualisation & changing post-Injury movement patterns (Director of Sports Science at the Canadian Sports Institute Calgary)

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 20:44:27 -0400

Episode 87: Andy McDonald chats to Matt Jordan the Director of Sports Science at the Canadian Sports Institute Calgary, an S&C Coach, Consultant and Educator. Over his career, Matt was the personal strength coach to 30 World and Olympic medalists, and has worked with elite athletes in many sports including speed skating, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, hockey, football, volleyball and mixed martial arts. In this episode Andy & Matt discuss force velocity profiling, program design and considerations for changing injured athletes movement patterns.

Topics Discussed:

Force Velocity - The ideal slope / curve for an athlete
Cross-comparing kinematics / technique against kinetics and output
Identifying human factors during testing
Identifying & influencing internal constraints in post-injury movement patterns.

Where you can find Matt:

25% JordanStrength.com course code discount for Inform Performance Listeners: INFORMPOD2021

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Dr. Kelly Starrett - Diagnosing & optimising athlete readiness (Coach, Physical Therapist, Author, Speaker, and Co-Founder of The Ready State)

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 16:21:09 -0400

Episode 86: Ben Ashworth chats to Dr. Kelly Starrett - A Coach, Physical Therapist, Author, and Speaker. Along with his wife Juliet, Kelly is co-founder of The Ready State. The Ready State began as Mobility|WOD in 2008 and has gone on to revolutionize the field of performance therapy and self-care. Kelly received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2007 from Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, California. Kelly’s clients include professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. He also works with Olympic gold-medalists, Tour de France cyclists, world-and national-record-holding Olympic lifting and power athletes, CrossFit Games medalists, ballet dancers, military personnel, and competitive age-division athletes. Kelly is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers Becoming A Supple Leopard and Ready to Run. Kelly and his work have been featured on 60 Minutes, The View, The Joe Rogan Experience, CBS Sports, Outside Magazine, Men's Health, Men's Journal and dozens of other podcasts, magazines, and books — including Tim Ferriss' The 4-Hour Body and Tools of Titans.

Topics Discussed:

Getting athletes ready to perform
Scaling Individualisation
Diagnosing readiness
Scaling 1-2-1 services on remote tools
Built to move book

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Cory Schlesinger - Paradigm shifts through coaching experiences (Phoenix Suns Director of Performance / Head of Strength & Conditioning)

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 18:34:17 -0400

Episode 85: Andy McDonald chats to Cory Schlesinger the Director of Performance / Head of Strength Strength & Conditioning at NBA team the Phoenix Suns. Cory has over 20 years of experience in basketball beginning as an athlete, collegiate level S&C coach and now NBA level coach. In this episode Andy and Cory use Cory's coaching career as the timeline and narrative to discuss what ideas, methods and beliefs have changed or stood the test of time in his coaching practise.

Topics Discussed:

Being a college athlete & coach simultaneously
What is ‘holistic’ coaching?
Olympic lifting
Changing methods & perspectives through experience
- Sport Specificity
- Resistance Machines
- Monitoring
- Workload Timing
- Micro Dosing

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Daniel Bove (Director of Performance and Sports Science for the New Orleans Pelicans)

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 20:04:26 -0400

Episode 84: Andy McDonald chats to Daniel Bove the New Orleans Pelicans Director of Performance and Sports Science. After receiving a B.S. in Kinesiology from Penn State University and an M.S. in Exercise Science from University of South Florida, Daniel began his career as an NBA physical preparation coach. Daniel has also spent time with both the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns prior to his move to the Pelicans. Most recently Daniel wrote a book titled - The Quadrant System: Navigating Stress in Team Sport. In this text you Daniel explains the principles behind systematizing sport training and physical preparation. In this episode Andy and Daniel will uncover some key concepts from his book.

Topics Discussed:

The reason behind the Quadrant system
Consolidated v non-consolidated training approaches
Training on game day
Monitoring training volume and intensity

Where you can find Daniel:

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Laura Penhaul (Performance Manager & Consultant for Expeditions/World Record Attempts/Elite Sport)

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 14:37:06 -0400

Episode 83: Ben Ashworth chats to Laura Penhaul a Physiotherapist who is also impressively a double World Record holder, Performance Manager and Consultant for Expeditions/World Record Attempts/Elite Sport and Corporate Speaker. Laura as Physiotherapist has worked in Paralympics, rowing, private practise all before testing herself as an athlete leading a team to achieve two world records rowing across the Pacific in 2015/16.

Topics Discussed:

Background
Lessons from ocean rowing
Human centred performance approach
Athlete empowerment
Key considerations managing female athletes
Working outside of sport

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Dr Steve Ingham (Supporting Champions Director And Performance Consultant)

Sat, 31 Jul 2021 18:11:40 -0400

Episode 82: Ben Ashworth chats to Dr Steve Ingham a Performance Consultant and the Director of Supporting Champions. Steve earlier in his career was the British Olympic Association Sports Science Manager and then English Institute of Sport as the Head of Physiology and then Director of Science and Technical Development where he led a team of 200 scientists in support of Team GB and Paralympics GB. He is the host of the Supporting Champions podcast, exploring aspects of human performance and an author, having written the best selling ‘How to Support a Champion: The art of applying science to the elite athlete’, discussing and inspiring the importance of learning and adapting to reach our maximum potential. Recently he also released a second book, The First Hurdle: A guide to searching, applying and interviewing for jobs in sports performance. In this episode Ben and Steve will discuss how Steve's Supporting Champions venture is developing high performance teams in both elite sport and corporate cultures.

Topics Discussed:

Developing effective practitioners
Creating psychological safety
Delivering difficult conversations
Scaling strategies to improve performance

Where you can find Dr Steve Ingham:

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Dr Hugh Fullagar - Recovery Special (Lecturer - Sports & Exercise Science - University of Technology Sydney)

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 18:46:56 -0400

Episode 81: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Hugh Fullagar (PhD) a Lecturer in Sports & Exercise Science at the University of Technology Sydney. Hugh is an experienced applied sport scientist who has worked in the Southern Hemisphere, Europe and also the U.S.A, including roles at the University of Oregon and the Raiders NFL team. In this episode Andy and Hugh will discuss all things recovery an area Hugh is very knowledgeable on.

Topics Discussed:

Non-negotiable factors in recovery
Educational deficiencies
Sleep
Cognitive recovery
Selling recovery
Utilising EBP in elite sport

Where you can find Hugh:

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Tyler Williams (Los Angeles Rams Director of Sports Science/Asst Athletic Trainer)

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 22:45:28 -0400

Episode 80: Andy McDonald chats to Tyler Williams the Director of Sports Science/Asst Athletic Trainer at the Los Angeles Rams. Tyler has been with the LA rams NFL team for over 14 years working in both Athletic Training and Sport Science. In this episode Andy and Tyler discuss sport science, rehab and building an AMS system.

Topics discussed:

Applying sport science in rehab
Key metrics using forceplates
Why build your own AMS System
Pros and cons of building AMS systems
Strategies for implanting change based on data

Where you can find Tyler:

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Martin Buchheit & George Perry (Authors of EGOals Book)

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 21:04:16 -0400

Episode 79: Andy McDonald chats to Martin Buchheit and George Perry who recently authored EGOals. Martin is the former head of performance at Paris Saint Germain Football Club and currently works for Kitman labs. He is based in Spain. George is a Sports performance specialist and sports businessman and writer based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. EGOals brings together over 100 of the world’s top high-performance sports practitioners, in addition to their own experiences in the sports industry. They explore the nature, role and importance of ego in the workplace, along with sharing insights into ego's successes and failures behind the scenes of elite sport.

Topics discussed:

Why write a book about ego
Differences of opinion
When is ego needed
Assessing your own ego
Dealing with other professionals ego
Writing your own book

https://egoalsbook.com

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Michael Giakoumis (Physio & Medical Lead for the British Athletics Futures Program)

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:44:56 -0400

Episode 78: Andy McDonald chats to Michael Giakoumis a Physiotherapist & the Medical Lead for the British Athletics Futures Program. Michael is an Australian trained but London based Sports Physiotherapist who specialises in hip, groin, and lower limb muscle injuries. He currently works at British Athletics and the Centre for Health & Human Performance (CHHP). In this episode Andy and Michael will be discussing muscle injuries.

Topics discussed:

Why are muscle injuries a problem?
Why do muscle injuries occur?
British Athletic Muscle Injury Classification
Principles of rehabilitating muscle injuries
Using a framework to guide muscle injury rehabilitation

Where you can find Michael:

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Phil Glasgow (Performance Consultant and IRFU Head of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation)

Sat, 22 May 2021 21:53:59 -0400

Episode 77: Ben Ashworth chats to Dr Phil Glasgow the Head of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at the Irish Rugby Football Union having previously held the position of Head of Sports Medicine at the Sports Institute Northern Ireland for 14 years. He was Chief Physiotherapy Officer for Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games where he led the physiotherapy team of the most successful British Olympic Team in history. In this episode Ben and Phil have a pragmatic discussion about performance, decision making, effective learning and more.

In this episode Ben and Phil discuss:

How do we make good decisions
Shifting from an injury prevention mindset to a performance mindset
Are we actually communicating effectively?
Optimal tissue loading
Knowing verses doing
Becoming a better learner

Where you can find Phil:

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Dr Daniel Coughlan (PGA European Tour - Head of Strength & Conditioning)

Wed, 05 May 2021 23:50:27 -0400

Episode 76: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Daniel Coughlan the Head of Strength & Conditioning for the PGA European Tour and National Lead for Sports Science and Medicine for England Golf. Daniel is an S&C Coach, Physio and Sport Scientist demonstrating his high skilled generalist capabilities. Daniel has worked at UCL as a Senior Clinical Teaching Fellow in sports medicine, Exercise and Health and has also worked in both lacrosse and football. In this episode Daniel and Andy will discuss how Daniel approaches profiling, rehabilitating and developing elite level golfers.

In this episode Andy and Daniel discuss:

Support team behind elite golfers
Physical assessment of professional golfers
Kinetics and Kinematic profiling
Golf injuries

Where you can find Daniel:

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Matt Howley (Director of Performance at Real Salt Lake MLS Club)

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 20:41:55 -0400

Episode 75: Andy McDonald chats to Matt Howley the Director of Performance at Real Salt Lake in the MLS. Prior to joining Real Salt Lake Matt was the Director of Sports Science at the University of Notre Dame and before moving to the US he was employed by the Eastern Ranges Football Club as High Performance Manager. In this episode Andy and Matt discuss conditioning, GPS and wellness data.

In this episode Andy and Matt discuss:

Matt’s background
Conditioning MLS soccer players
GPS - Making it reliable
Implementing running technique
Do we need wellness data?

Where you can find Matt:

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Sean Smith (Performance Coach at University of Louisville)

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 21:49:11 -0400

Episode 74: Andy McDonald chats to Sean Smith a Performance Coach at the University of Louisville. Sean heads up the internship program at Louisville so in this conversation both he and Andy discuss how he runs and organises coach development at the University.

In this episode Andy and Sean discuss:

Sean's background
Strength & Conditioning Internships
Understanding the demands of sport
Coding in coaching

Where you can find Sean:

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Véronique Richard (Cirque du Soleil - Mental Performance Consultant)

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 23:59:24 -0400

Episode 73: Ben Ashworth chats to Véronique Richard a Mental Performance Consultant for Cirque du Soleil. Véronique has also worked for the INS Quebec, Water Polo Canada, and many other elite organisations. Véronique has a Ph.D in sport sciences and her applied expertise is in performance psychology. Through risk friendly environments to encourage people to navigate through discomfort and grow psychologically - Véronique uses movement improvisation as a method to stimulate creative mindset and set the stage for creative problem solving, creative ideation and creative performance.

In this episode Ben and Véronique discuss:

Véronique’s background
Creativity in performance
Implementing creativity for athletes
Coaches using creativity exercises

Where you can find Véronique:

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Nic Gill (All Blacks Strength & Conditioning Coach)

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 21:47:08 -0400

Episode 72: Andy McDonald chats to Nic Gill the All Blacks Strength & Conditioning Coach. Nic has been with the New Zealand Rugby Union / All Blacks for 13 years and is also an Associate Professor of Human Performance at the University of Waikato. In this episode Andy and Nic will cover coaching reflections, Nic's role at the All Blacks and his philosophies around coaching and performance.

In this episode Andy and Nic discuss:

Nic's Background
His current developmental focus
Transferable professional qualities across sports
Including athletes in decision making
Training with the national team
Looking after yourself on the road
Recent research and projects

Where you can find Nic:

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Ian Gatt (GB Boxing Head Of Performance Services)

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 19:07:58 -0400

Episode 71: Andy McDonald chats to Ian Gatt the GB Boxing Head of Performance Services. Ian is an experienced sports Physio with a background working for the EIS prior to boxing as well as lecturing at Sheffield Hallam University and UCL. In this episode Ian provides insights into the sports science and sports medicine workings of elite boxing.

In this episode Andy and Ian discuss:

Ian’s background
The fighters entourage: MDT collaborations
Physical profiling boxers
Monitoring load in boxing
Ian’s research

Where you can find Ian:

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Clive Brewer - Part 2 (Performance Specialist)

Sat, 06 Mar 2021 17:41:31 -0500

Episode 70: Andy McDonald & Ben Ashworth chat to Clive Brewer for a part-2 conversation following the part-1 we recorded for episode 65. Clive is a Performance Specialist in Applied sports science, strength and conditioning and integrated sports medicine. Clive has a wealth of experience delivering high performance programs over a 20+ year career applying evidence-informed practise in elite sports. Clive has enjoyed multiple roles in the UK and more recently stateside at the Toronto Blue Jays and Columbus Crew. This episode with Clive focusses on evidence based practice, technology and more using practical case studies for context.

In this episode Andy, Ben and Clive discuss:

Evidence based practise applied in sport
Matching the level of evidence to the level of performance
Implementing change
Early adoption verses sunken cost fallacy
Force diagnostics for performance
Absence of longitudinal data
Using typical asymmetry to benchmark RTP / KPI’s

Where you can find Clive:

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Eric Cressey (NY Yankees Director of Player Health & Performance / President & Co-Founder of Cressey Sports Performance)

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 22:42:05 -0500

Episode 69: Following the Inform Performance X Elite Baseball Development Podcast Swapcast last week, this week Eric Cressey is the guest on the Inform Performances podcast. In this episode both Andy McDonald and Ben Ashworth ask Eric the questions as the second edition of a two part series. Eric is one of the best know S&C coaches globally, he’s the president and co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance and the current Director of Player Health & Performance at the New York Yankees.

In this episode Andy, Ben and Eric discuss:

Lowerbody & Upperbody standards in thowing athletes
Scaling Programs
Strategies to protect players from Injury
Rotation strength in perspective
Cervicothoracic relationship with the throwing shoulder
VBT & RFD in throwers
Workload management in throwing athletes

Where you can find Eric:

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Eric Cressey - Part 1 (Inform Performance x Elite Baseball Development Podcast Swapcast)

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 17:00:00 -0500

Episode 68: Inform Performance X Elite Baseball Development Podcast Swapcast. In this episode Eric Cressey chats to Inform Performances own Ben Ashworth the Director of Performance for AC Sparta Prague and Director of the Athletic Shoulder. Eric is one of the best know S&C coaches globally, he’s the president and co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance and the current Director of Player Health & Performance at the New York Yankees. Eric chats to Ben about the lessons he has learned through his experience in European football and rugby and highlights how coaches can more effectively monitor the workload of their athletes. We will be following this episode up with a second part where Inform Performance will be hosting Eric Cressey.

Where you can find Eric:

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Jesse Green (Sacramento Kings - Head of Sport Science)

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 22:57:15 -0500

Episode 67: Andy McDonald chats to Jesse Green the Sacramento Kings Head of Sport Science. Jesse is an experienced practitioner who before taking on the head role at the Kings was a Performance Analyst for the team. Prior to working in the NBA Jesse worked at both University of Louisville Athletics and also the Brisbane Lions AFL team back home in Australia.

In this episode Andy & Jesse discuss:

Role at the Kings
Identifying the most impactful data
Ecological Validly between training & competitive data sets
Load management
- Distribution of load relative to peak intensities
Comparing data sets - apples and oranges
Implementing change
Blending technical and tactical data
Periodisation & adaptation in the NBA

Where you can find Jesse:

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European Shoulder Series Panel Discussion (Ben Ashworth, Stig Andersson, Martin Asker & Fredrik Johansson)

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 21:21:27 -0500

Episode 66: Andy McDonald hosts Ben Ashworth, Stig Andersson, Martin Asker & Fredrik Johansson to close the Inform Performance European Shoulder Series. All of the panelists for this discussion all recently recorded episodes with Ben leading into this group conversation.

In this episode Andy & the panel discuss:

Biggest challenges working with shoulders
Objective tests depending on sport
Velocity based training assessment of the shoulder
Tests for assessing the scapula
Assessing the transfer of force from the lower-body to the upper-body
Assessing trunk contribution to the shoulder in the kinetic chain
Testing considerations for ACJ injuries

Where you can find the panel:

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Clive Brewer (Performance Specialist)

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 22:08:32 -0500

Episode 65: Andy McDonald chats to Clive Brewer a Performance Specialist in Applied sports science, strength and conditioning and integrated sports medicine. Clive has a wealth of experience delivering high performance programs over a 20+ year career applying evidence-informed practise in elite sports. Clive has enjoyed multiple roles in the UK and more recently stateside at the Toronto Blue Jays and Columbus Crew. This episode with Clive focusses on problem solving and departmental design.

In this episode Andy & Clive discuss:

Clive's background
Current trends in problem solving
Defining sport science
Aligning MDT collaboration
Structuring a dept during Covid
Lessons from Covid

Where you can find Clive:

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Martin Asker - Shoulder Series (Director of Handball Research Group at Sophiahemmet University)

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 00:00:44 -0500

Episode 64: Ben Ashworth chats to Dr Martin Asker the Director of Handball Research Group at Sophiahemmet University. Martin is a Clinician, lecturer and PhD in sports medicine epidemiology who is specialized in shoulder injury rehab & prevention. This episode is a part of the Inform Performance European shoulder series.

In this episode Ben & Martin discuss:

Martins background
Common throwing shoulder diagnoses
Causes of shoulder overload
Clinical diagnostics
Testing athletes shoulder
Scap dyskinesia thoughts
AC-Joint rehabilitation

Where you can find Martin:

Twitter

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Daniel Greenwood - Skill Acquisition (Director of the Human Performance Center at the University of Memphis)

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 22:25:48 -0500

Episode 63: Andy McDonald chats to Daniel Greenwood a skill acquisition specialist from the University of Memphis. Daniel is currently Director of the Human Performance Center at the University of Memphis, but was previously a Senior Scientist at the Australian Institute of Sport, Singapore Sports Council and Queensland Academy of Sport. Daniel has over a decade of international applied sport science experience with a variety of team and individual sports. His career highlight was being embedded with, and contributing to, multiple Australian Medalists at the London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.

In this episode Andy and Daniel discuss:

Daniels background
Skill acquisition - how do people learn
Does perfect technique exist?
Balancing test sterility and transferability
Force profiling for skill acquisition

Where you can find Daniel:

Twitter

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Stig Andersson - Shoulder Series (Physiotherapist - Norwegian Institute of Sports Medicine)

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 17:16:20 -0500

Episode 62: Ben Ashworth chats to Stig Andersson a Physiotherapist, PhD. Clinician, lecturer and researcher. Stig works at the Norwegian Institute of Sports medicine in Oslo with an interest in the prevention and rehabilitation of shoulder injuries in overhead athletes. This episode is a part of the Inform Performance European shoulder series.

In this episode Ben and Stig discuss:

Stig’s background
Handball demands
Preparing the shoulder for handball
Determining readiness after injury
Benchmarking late stage rehab force profiles
Early stage rehab
Offloading the shoulder via the kinetic chain

Where you can find Stig:

Twitter

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Dr Fredrik Johansson - Shoulder Series (Tennis Research and Performance Group)

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 07:41:38 -0500

Episode 61: Ben Ashworth chats to Dr Fredrik Johansson from Soffiahemmet University Musculoskeletal & Sports Injury Epidemiology Center & the Tennis Research and Performance Group. Freddy as you’ll hear has a background and special interest on the shoulder so who better to interview or chat to him than inform Performances own Mr Ben Ashworth.

In this episode Ben and Fredrik Johansson discuss:

Fredrik’s background
Balancing performance and risk mitigation
Preparing high velocity movements
Efficiency of movement
Specificity v general preparation
Strength training for tennis
Monitoring in tennis
Resilience
The melting candle analogy

Where you can find Fredrik:

Twitter

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Paudie Roche (Arsenal Lead Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach)

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 00:20:53 -0500

Episode 60: Ben Ashworth chats to Paudie Roche the lead S&C for the under 23's and under 18's at Arsenal. Paudi has a wealth of experience and before moving to Arsenal in 2013, Paudie worked with the Irish National rugby union team, Munster Rugby and also with University College Cork. He was also crowned Coach of the Year (Youth Sport) by the UKSCA in 2015. In this episode Paudie and Ben discuss LTAD for academy players with Paudie providing very transparent examples and stories from his experience at Arsenal.

In this episode Ben Ashworth and Paudie Roche discuss:

Paudie’s background
How S&C has changed over Paudie’s career
Bench marking player development
Academy gym based markers
Transitioning players from academy to senior team
Training alongside fixture congestion

Where you can find Paudie:

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Chris Tombs - Velocity Based Training (Seattle Seawolves Performance Lead / S&C Coach and Educator)

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 08:39:04 -0500

Episode 59: Andy McDonald chats to Strength & Conditioning Coach and educator Chris Tombs. Chris's expertise lies in both rugby and cricket where he has worked in Elite sport for the last 16 years. He is best known for the physical development of some of Welsh rugby’s highest profile current players. Since we last spoke Chris has been the performance lead for Seattle Seawolves rugby in the MLR and has found Pegasus 85 an in-person coach education provider. We had Chris on the show in December 2019 for episode 9 to discuss VBT and this episode will progress that conversation.

In this episode Andy McDonald and Chris Tombs discuss:

Chris’s background
Pegasus85 Education & face-to-face education
25 years in 250 words
Camera based VBT systems
Continuous athlete monitoring
VBT verses percentage based training
VBT and managing fatigue
When to monitor velocity in a session

Where you can find Chris:

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Dr David Opar (Director of the Sports Performance, Recovery, Injury and New Technologies (SPRINT) Research Centre at ACU)

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 20:33:44 -0500

Episode 58: Ben Ashworth hosts his first episode of Inform Performance. On this episode Ben chats to Dr David Opar the Director of the Sports Performance, Recovery, Injury and New Technologies (SPRINT) Research Centre at Australian Catholic University. David completed his undergraduate degree in Human Movement at RMIT University in 2008. He commenced his doctoral thesis (PhD) in the area of hamstring strain injuries at the Queensland University of Technology in 2010. He also heads up the ACU Hamstring Injury Group and is leading the way in hamstring injury research. Dr Opar and his team are in close consultation with professional sporting codes both nationally and internationally to deliver evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies for their athlete group.

In this episode Ben Ashworth and Dr David Opar discuss:

David’s background
Hamstring Injury risk mitigation
Minimal dose for hamstrings
Optimal sprint dosage
Timing training stimuli within competitive schedules
When & how to use nordics
Load tolerance
RTP Criteria’s

Where you can find David:

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Tom Farrow (Physical Performance Specialist & Founder / Co-Director of Areté Performance)

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 21:56:03 -0500

Episode 57: Andy McDonald chats to Tom Farrow a Physical Performance Specialist who is the Founder & Co-Director of Areté Performance. Until August, when the programme was unfortunately cut due to losing funding, he was the Head of Physical Performance for England & Team GB 7s Men’s teams. Tom was also a Contact Skills Specialist with the Men’s 7s programme and has worked in this capacity with the 2016 Team GB Women’s 7s team, Tokyo Toshiba Brave, Fulham FC Academy and Richmond Rugby Club. He has previously worked as a strength and conditioning coach with the English Institute of Sport, GB Canoe, & Speedworks. Until Sept 2014, Tom was a Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach with Wasps Rugby and co-led their First XV programme. After starting his own business Tom also spent time working with the Wasps Academy programme as both a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Contact Skills Specialist. In this episode Andy and Tom discuss speed and agility training and program management.

In this episode Andy and Tom discuss:

Tom’s background
Starting his own business
Tom’s interest in speed training
Tom’s approach to training:
- Acceleration
- Max speed
- Change of direction
Implementing technical standards in open skill environments
Program management

Where you can find Tom:

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Jesse Elis (Director of Health and Performance at the Portland Trail Blazers)

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 14:00:35 -0500

Episode 56: Andy McDonald chats Jesse Elis the Director of Health and Performance at the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team. Jesse is a PT with a background in professional tennis in the WTA and was formerly the Director of Physical Therapy at EXOS. In addition to this he is also the co-owner of Phoenix Manual Therapy. This conversation with Jesse is focused around communication, collaboration and biomechanics through Jesse's broad knowledge and appreciation for performance, leadership and sports medicine.

In this episode Andy and Jesse discuss:

Jesse’s background
Current role at the Trail Blazers
Communicating with players as a PT
Communicating with management
Risk management
PT S&C’ collaboration
Communicating diagnosis with S&C’s
Biomechanics

Where you can find Jesse:

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Sérgio T Fonseca (Professor at the University Federal de Minas Gerais and Editor in Chief of the Brazilian Journal of Physiotherapy)

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 21:55:42 -0400

Episode 55: Andy McDonald chats to Sérgio T Fonseca. Sérgio is from a clinical background originally and currently works at the Department of Physical Therapy of the University Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. Sérgio teaches and advises in the areas of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. His main research focus is on human movement, applying concepts of ecological approach and dynamical systems to human perception and action. This episode will focus on the philosophy of patient or athlete management as it relates to his work on systems.

In this episode Andy and Sérgio discuss:

- Sérgio's background
- Reductionism, complicated and complex systems
- Equifinality
- Evidence based practise
- Synergetic’s
- Evaluating your own systems

Where you can find Sérgio:

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Mike Friday (USA Rugby Mens 7's Head Coach)

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 17:29:39 -0400

Episode 54: Andy McDonald chats to Mike Friday USA Rugby Mens 7's Head Coach. Mike began his sporting career as a player transitioning from the amateur rugby years into the professional era, before becoming renowned as a coach. He has enjoyed multiple coaching roles across the UK, Kenya and more recently USA. In this episode with Mike we will discuss his journey from player to coach and pick out some of the key lessons he has learnt along the way.

In this episode Andy and Mike discuss:

Mike’s playing career
Athlete retirement transitions
Effects of Covid on Rugby
Current state of World Rugby 7’s
Mike’s coaching background
Role at USA Rugby Sevens
Working for Kenyan 7’s
Lessons learnt coaching in different cultures
Sharing medical information with coaches

Where you can find Mike:

Tendon Research Survey

The aim of this survey of physiotherapists is to identify criteria for diagnosis of tendinopathy. This study aims to establish the key clinical questions and tests physiotherapists use during clinical examination of Achilles tendinopathy. Establishing a set of clinical questions and objective measures for Achilles tendinopathy will allow the validity of these criteria to be investigated in future projects.

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Jarrod Antflick - Tendon Management (Consultant Sports Physiotherapist & Founder of Total Performance)

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 22:21:18 -0400

Episode 53: Andy McDonald chats to Jarrod Antflick a Consultant Sports Physiotherapist in elite sport. Jarrod is the founder of Total Performance and has been working in elite sport for over 15 years as a consultant Sports Physiotherapist. His work resides in the UK consulting to teams in the English Premiere League and Premiership Rugby, and to NBA teams in the USA. Jarrrod also works as consultant physiotherapist at The Fortius Clinic London, as a specialist in tendinopathy undertaking research in the management and diagnosis of tendinopathy. In addition to this his expertise expands to profiling and motion analysis through biomechanical screening utilising IMU data and triaxial force platforms to provides context into how human force is produced. This conversation with Jarrod focusses on his approach to managing tendons in both a clinical and high performance context.

In this episode Andy and Jarrod discuss:

His background or interest in tendons
Optimal tendon function
Assessing tendons
Risk factors
Ultrasound Tissue Characterisation (UTC)
Using kinematics and kinetics to solve problems
RTP criteria for tendons

Where you can find Jarrod:

Tendon Research Survey

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James Moore - Hamstring Special (Co-Founder of The Health Development & Performance Network - HDPN)

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 21:46:09 -0400

Episode 52: Andy McDonald chats to James Moore the Co-Founder of the Health Development & Performance Network (HDPN). James also currently holds the position of Clinical Director of Sports & Exercise Medicine at the Centre for Health & Human Performance (CHHP). One of the highlights of James’ career, to date, was to be awarded the Deputy Chef de Mission Performance Service for Team GB at the Rio2016 Olympic Games. He has previously held titles such as Head for Performance for TeamGB, Manager for the Intensive Rehabilitation Unit for the British Olympic Association (BOA), Head of Medical at Saracens RFC, Consultant Clinical Lead Physiotherapist for UK Athletics for two Olympic cycles(Beijing & London), Consultant Physiotherapist for the RFU to the England Men’s Senior team in preparation for RWC2011 and Medical team leader for Gloucester County Cricket Club. James has worked with multiple sports throughout the UK, USA and Australia at the highest level and has expertise on hip & groin as well as hamstring injuries.

In this episode Andy and James discuss:

James’s background
Muscle Injury classifications
Communicating classifications & diagnosis
Communicating with radiology
Neuromuscular loading strategies for short & long head of Biceps Femoris
Adductor Magnus as a functional hamstring
Putting nordics in perspective
Torque ratios at the hip

Where you can find James:

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Mick Hughes - ACL Rehab (Co-founder of the Melbourne ACL Rehabilitation Guide & @learnphysio)

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 22:23:58 -0400

Episode 51: Andy McDonald chats to Mick Hughes a Physiotherapist and Exercise Physiologist who consults at The Melbourne Sports Medicine Centre, Collins St Melbourne. During his Physio career Mick has worked with elite junior sporting teams such as the NQ Cowboys U20s rugby league team and the Newcastle Jets National Youth League and Emerging Jets Academy soccer teams. In this episode Andy and Mick discuss ACL rehab following Mick recently presenting to England Rugby on the topic. Mick has a large following online and is a reputable educator in this space.

In this episode Andy and Mick discuss:

Updates in ACL rehab
Strength & Conditioning for ACL’s
Re-considering the term “Conservative Management”
Implementing OKC earlier
Moon registry of ACL’s
Baseline performance Data

Where you can find Nick:

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Nick Winkelman (Head of Athletic Performance & Science for Irish Rugby Football Union)

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 20:21:57 -0400

Episode 50: Andy McDonald chats to Nick Winkelman the head of athletic performance & science for the Irish Rugby Football Union. His primary role is to oversee the delivery and development of strength & conditioning and sports science across all national (Men's and Women's XV’s and 7’s) and provincial teams (Leinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster). Nick was previously the director of education and training systems for EXOS (formerly Athletes' Performance), located in Phoenix, AZ. At EXOS Nick oversaw the speed and assessment component of the EXOS NFL Combine Development Program and supported many athletes across the NFL, MLB, NBA, National Sports Organizations, and Military. Nick has also completed his Ph.D. through Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions with a dissertation focus on motor skill learning and sprinting. In this episode Andy and Nick will be primarily discussing topics from his recent book - The Language of Coaching.

In this episode Andy and Nick discuss:

Nicks background
The language of coaching
Discussing how rather than what
The coach & athlete relationship
Cueing
Understanding athletes information needs
Monitoring language
Moving to Ireland

Where you can find Nick:

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Andrew Gray (Founder & Director of Athletic Data Innovations and High Performance Manager at Wests Tigers Rugby)

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 19:37:45 -0400

Episode 49: Andy McDonald chats to Andrew Gray the High Performance Manager at Wests Tigers Rugby. Andrew's performance roots were in Physiotherapy and over his career he has worked extensively in the NRL. He has enjoyed previous roles at Cronulla Sharks and St.George Illawarra Dragons. Andrew is also a thought leader on GPS in sport as the creator of Athletic Data Innovations (ADI), a software product which processes tracking data to provide insight into sports performance to clubs and teams, to assist with coaching, scouting and player performance. This episode focuses on staff development, structure and pivots to the changing requirement of tech during Covid and finally Andrew's journey using GPS.

In this episode Andy and Andrew discuss:

Andrew's background and origins as a Physio
Working in the NRL
Carrying skills forward to management
Developing your staff
Multi-skilled staff
Strategising broader development
Potential Covid effects on staff structure
Athletic Data Innovations GPS

Where you can find Andrew:

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Adam Loiacono (Director of Rehabilitation at Phoenix Suns)

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 21:03:47 -0400

Episode 48: Andy McDonald chats to Adam Loiacono the Director of Rehabilitation at the Phoenix Suns NBA team. Adam has a wealth of experience and has enjoyed previous roles at Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Pride and New England Revolution. In this episode we will be discussing some of the principles behind a recent presentation that he delivered via the Altis platform.

In this episode Andy and Adam discuss:

Adam’s background in sport
Approach to performance therapy
Role at the Phoenix Suns organisation
Developing return to sport principles
Injury causation and analysis
'The bank' heuristic of MDT involvement
Technical and tactical drills

Where you can find Adam:

Sponsor

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Mike Tucker (Head Athletic Performance Coach Villanova University Football)

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 17:51:49 -0400

Episode 47: Andy McDonald chats to Mike Tucker the Head Athletic Performance Coach at Villanova University Football. Mike has previously enjoyed S&C roles at San Jose State University, Clemson University, Kuztown University and North Dakota State University. This episode focusses on Mike's program and problem solving through Covid, Speed Development and 'Sprintember' a program both him and Ken Clarke have released to support coach development through September 2020.

In this episode Andy and Mike discuss:

Mikes background in collegiate sport
College Football situation during Covid-19
- Being better generalists
The physical preparation at Villanova Football
Wishlist’s
Coaching level entering collegiate sport
Speed training kinogram
Sprintember

Where you can find Mike:

Sponsor

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Navin Hettiarachchi (Director of Health, Wellness and Performance for the Washington Wizards)

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 21:01:08 -0400

Episode 46: Andy McDonald chats to Navin Hettiarachchi the Director of Health, Wellness and Performance for the Washington Wizards at the time of recording. Navin began his career interning at the Washington Redskins NFL team, followed by spells at Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation INC and the Washington Mystics. This episode and the conversation is largely centred around Navin's holistic and broad consideration of care.

In this episode Andy and Navin discuss:

Navins background and role
His holistic approach to athlete care
Empathy and human factors
PRI

Where you can find Navin:

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Elliott Clarke (Harlequins Rugby Senior Rehabilitation Physiotherapist)

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 23:04:37 -0400

Episode 45: Andy McDonald catches up with Elliott Clarke at Harlequins Rugby. Elliott is a Senior Rehabilitation Physiotherapist who has been with Harlequins rugby for over 5 years beginning as the Academy Physiotherapist. Prior to Quins Elliott worked within the NHS and also for Worthing RFC. In this episode Andy and Elliott discuss rehab frameworks and philosophies without shying away from technical details. In the past we've had Ed Lea (S&C) and Tom Batchelor (Sport Science) from the club and consistent with their episodes you can expect this conversation to be honest and transparent for both Elliott and Harlequins methodology.

In this episode Andy and Elliott discuss:

Elliotts background and role
His Rehab Philosophy
Setting prognostic expectations
Selecting frameworks amongst complexity
Reconditioning
Return to running
- Soleus
- Hamstring

Where you can find Elliott:

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Matt Tuttle - Catch Up (Denver Nuggets Lead Sport Scientist & PT)

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 13:48:36 -0400

Episode 44: Andy McDonald catches up with Inform Performance regular Dr Matt Tuttle the Denver Nuggets Lead Sport Scientist & Physical Therapist. Matt at the time of recording is currently based inside the NBA Bubble for the closing of the 2019/20 season. We caught up with Matt to discuss his journey from clinician to his current hybrid role as a PT and combined Sport Scientist.

In this episode Andy & Matt discuss:

The Bubble
Early familiarisation with sport science
New trends and questions in performance
Buy-In to organisation or cultural change
PT & sport science combined
Cultural strategy
Monitoring culture
Vulnerability

Where you can find Matt:

Sponsor

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Garrison Draper (Director of Performance for Philadelphia Union MLS)

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 13:19:17 -0400

Episode 43: Andy McDonald chats to Garrison Draper the Director of Performance at Philadelphia Union MLS Team. Garrison is a Sport Scientist and Strength & Conditioning Coach with a wealth of knowledge ad experience working within the MLS enjoying previous spells at Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders. On todays show we’ll be discussing environmental stresses including altitude, weather, the effects of travel and player wellness. Alongside his role at Philadelphia Union Garrison is completing a PHD in Sports Science at Teeside University in the UK.

In this episode Andy and Garrison discuss:

Garrison’s background
Staffing structure at the Union
Points on the road in the MLS
Game Difficulty Scale
MLS blind spots data/ performance insights
Garrisons PHD: Utilising different data types to guide training
- Environmental impacts on athletes
Wellness Data

Where you can find Garrison:

Sponsor

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Amy Arundale (Brooklyn Nets NBA Physical Therapist and Biomechanist)

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 22:26:42 -0400

Episode 42: Andy McDonald chats to Amy Arundale a Biomechanist and Physical Therapist for the Brooklyn Nets NBA team. Amy has enjoyed previous roles at Proaxis Therapy and was a post doc fellow at Linkoping University. In addition to this Amy has completed a Phd in Biomechanics at The University of Delaware and has coaching roots in soccer before becoming a Physical Therapist.

In this episode Andy & Amy discuss:

Amy’s background
Benefits of a coaching background
Current role at the Brooklyn Nets
Return to play
Creating drills
Injury Prevention Programs
Developmental considerations in rehab

Where you can find Amy:

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Bradley Scanes: Formula-1 Physio (Redbull Racing / Max Verstappens Physiotherapist & Performance Coach)

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 21:22:41 -0400

Episode 41: Andy McDonald chats to Performance Coach and Physiotherapist Bradley Scanes. Bradley is currently the Physio and Performance Coach for Max Verstappen at Redbull Racing through Hintsa Performance. Alongside F1 Brad is a consultant to British Gymnastics and works privately. He has enjoyed previous roles at British Basketball, Southend Football Club, the NHS and lectured at the University of Essex. In this episode with Brad he provides an interesting account of the Physio role in F1, the physical demands placed upon the neck and discusses the risk v reward of interventions before competiton. The end of episode educational content from Vald Performance this week focusses on the Eccentric Utilization Ratio.

In this episode Andy & Brad discuss:

Brad’s background
Physical Demands of F1
Role of an F1 Physiotherapist
Drivers Neck
Risk v reward of treatment before performance
Driver data and physiological understanding

Vald Performance Education Feature:

Eccentric Utilization Ratio

Where you can find Brad:

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Alan Hazlett (British Olympic Association Physiotherapist - Intensive Rehab Unit)

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:15:52 -0400

Episode 40: Andy McDonald chats to Physiotherapist Alan Hazlett. Alan works at the British Olympic Intensive Rehabilitation Unit. Alan functions as a part of the English Institute of Sport , BOA and UK athletics. He has previously enjoyed roles at the English RFU, Reading Football Club and Sport Wales. This episode will focus primarily on how the Intensive Rehabilitation Unit functions to support elite athletes during injury followed by with some educational content from Vald Performance on Dynamic Strength Index.

In this episode Andy & Alan discuss:

Alan's background
The British Intensive Rehabilitation Unit
- - Communication
  - Patient journey
Evidence Based Practise
Art v Science

Vald Performance Education Feature:

Dynamic Strength Index

Where you can find Alan:

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Duncan French (UFC Performance Institute Vice President of Performance)

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 18:27:06 -0400

Episode 39: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Duncan French the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Duncan is globally recognized as a leading expert in high-performance sport with over 20 years of experience working with elite professional and Olympic athletes. Duncan has previously enjoyed been the Director of Performance Sciences for the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department, Technical Lead for Strength & Conditioning at the English Institute of Sport and has worked three full olympic cycles for GB Basketball and Taekwondo. He has also served as the Head of Strength & Conditioning at Newcastle United Football Club in the EPL and authored or co-authored 60 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and seven book chapters.

In this episode Andy & Duncan discuss:

Duncan’s background
Setting up the UFCPI
Understanding the fighter
Training transfer
Concurrent training
The future of the UFCPI

Where you can find Duncan:

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Scott Epsley - Bone Stress Injuries & Ultrasonography (Philadelphia 76ers Medical Director)

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 11:18:23 -0400

Episode 38: Andy McDonald chats to Scott Epsley the Philadelphia 76ers Medical Director. Scott is an Australian Physiotherapist who has previously worked for Georgetown University, Medstar Sports Medicine and consulted to numerous sporting organisations including the Washington Wizards, Australian Womens Field Hockey and professional athletes across a wide range of sports including basketball, cycling, indy car, golf, and sprinting. Scott is also an RMSK Certified Musculoskeletal Sonographer with a passion for clinical diagnostics and bone stress injuries.

In this episode Andy & Scott discuss:

Scott’s background & role
Ultrasonography in sports medicine
Bone Injuries with Ultrasonography
Bone Stress Injuries
- Understanding the bone tissue
- Symptoms
- Medical management
- Phases & remodelling
- Monitoring
- Loading & rehab
- Return-to-play

Where you can find Scott:

Smartletics Tempo App

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Pierre Barrieu (FIFA High Performance Expert & Physical Instructor)

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 17:58:25 -0400

Episode 37: Andy McDonald chats to Pierre Barrieu a High Performance Expert at FIFA. As a performance practitioner Pierre has enjoyed spells at LA Galaxy, Swansea City, UAE Football Association and the USA National Team + plus more! Pierre has an extensive and varied background across multiple football leagues, national teams and environments and as a result provides the conversation with pragmatism and experiential insight.

In this episode Andy & Pierre discuss:

Pierres background
Cultural differences between leagues and countries
Trends of practice and methodology
Player availability monitoring
Coach development & education

Where you can find Pierre:

Smartletics Tempo App

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Gordon Bosworth - Physiotherapy at the Olympics (Consultant Physiotherapist, Founder & Clinical Director of The Bosworth Clinic)

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 18:19:28 -0400

Episode 36: Andy McDonald chats to Physiotherapy Consultant Gordon Bosworth. Gordon is Founder and Clinical Director of The Bosworth Clinic and has been involved in elite sport for most of his life. Specialising in performance therapy, Gordon has supported elite athletes and teams across multiple sports and notably was Physiotherapist to the British Bobsleigh and Bob-Skeleton Team, a member of the Great Britain Teams at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Sochi, Salt Lake City and Torino. He was also Medical Lead for the Canadian Speed Skating Team at Vancouver Games & Chief Physiotherapist to British Athletics at the London Games in 2012. More recently he worked with the Canadian #1 Women’s Bobsleigh and Cross-Country Teams at the PyeongChang Games. A clinician of great calibre and experience.

In this episode Andy & Gordon discuss:

Gordons background
Effective Physiotherapy at Olympic Games
Involvement with Altis
Gordons Approach
- Understanding optimal function first
- Levelling the playing the field
- Structure governs function
Approach to manual therapy
Second opinion work & consultancy

Where you can find Gordon:

If you enjoyed this episode then check out Episode 35 with Dr Jas Randhawa

Smartletics Tempo App

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Dr Jas Randhawa (Altis Lead Performance Therapist)

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 22:02:57 -0400

Episode 35: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Jas Randhawa the Lead Performance Therapist at Altis. Jas is a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine with a background in Strength & Conditioning who has previously worked at the Canadian Basketball team. In this episode Andy and Jas dig into what the Altis Performance Therapy philosophy and methodology is and discuss it in an injury context compared to the traditional model of care or performance.

In this episode Andy and Jas discuss:

Jas's background
Clinician Education
Altis Performance Therapy Philosophy & Methodology
Performance Trinity
Monitoring collaborative effectiveness
Origins of Performance Therapy
Systematic reduction of detail
Making research practical
Performance Therapy in comparison to ‘traditional’ models

Where you can find Jas:

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Tracy Axel (USA Surfing Director of High Performance & Mamba Sports Academy Manager of Sport Performance Research & Analytics)

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 22:09:20 -0400

Episode 34: Andy McDonald chats to Tracy Axel the Director of high performance analytics at USA surfing and manager of sports performance research and analytics at Mamba sports academy. In this episode with Tracy we’ll be discussing her role at USA surfing and unpackaged what professional surfing looks like from a sport science and performance analytics standpoint.

In this episode Andy and Tracy discuss:

Surfing as an Olympic sport
Training culture in surfing
Performance markers in surfing
Physiology and conditioning in surfing
Return to play in surfing
Future of research in surfing
Tracys approach to high-performance
Effective communication between a performance MDT

Where you can find Tracy:

Smartletics Tempo App

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Alex Natera - Isometrics & Eccentrics (Senior Athletic Performance Specialist, GWS Giants Football Club)

Mon, 25 May 2020 21:54:02 -0400

Episode 33: Andy McDonald chats to Strength & Conditioning Coach Alex Natera. Alex is based at GWS Giants Football Club in Sydney as Senior Athletic Performance Specialist. Alex has a wealth of experience and has enjoyed previous roles at Aspire Academy in Qatar, South Australian Sports Institute, English Institute of Sport, St Mary’s University, and Crystal Palace Football club to name a few. In this episode we have a discussion about something he is world renowned for in Isometrics and Eccentric training methods.

In this episode Andy and Alex Natera discuss:

Alex’s background
Training during Covid. High-Neural output work
Alex’s interest in Isometrics
Reasoning & benefits isometrics
When to implement isometrics
Methods for implementing Isometrics
Program transitioning in/out of isometrics
Eccentric Training
Isometrics in rehab

Where you can find Alex:

Smartletics Tempo App

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Alex Wolf - Adaptation Led Programming (Performance Consultant, Strength & Conditioning Coach and Co-Founder of Wayfaring)

Wed, 20 May 2020 22:21:25 -0400

Episode 32: Andy McDonald chats to Alex Wolf the co-founder of Wayfaring. Alex is a Performance Consultant, Strength & Conditioning Coach and also an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the high performance. He has a wealth of experience of preparing athletes, staff and teams successfully for Olympic Games. He has previously been Head of Learning, head of strength of S&C and the technical lead at the English Institute of Sport, as well as lead S&C coach for GB rowing amongst other sporting roles. Alex in this episode shares wealth of technical knowledge and thinking on the topic of adaptation led programming.

In this episode Andy and Alex Wolf discuss:

Alex’s professional background
Adaptation Led Programming
Origin of work and questions
Why do we strength train?
Function as product of outcome not method
Clarity and explicit objectives
Simple solutions to clear objectives
Structural, local & global coordination adaptation
Periodisation & adaptation led programming
Clarity in language and terminology
Wayfaring - leading teams

Where you can find Alex:

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Achilles Tendinopathy Panel Discussion (Dr Karin Silbernagel, Mark Young & Dr Matt Tuttle)

Tue, 19 May 2020 08:04:12 -0400

Episode 31: Andy McDonald hosts a discussion on achilles tendinopathy between Karin Silbernagel, Mark Young and Matt Tuttle.

Dr Dr Karin Grävare-Silbernagel is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, USA. At University of Delaware she runs the tendon research lab together with her colleagues from mechanical and biomedical engineering.

Mark Young is a Senior Physiotherapist at the Geelong Cats who has previously worked at the AIS, EIS, UK Athletics, Nike Athletics and the England & Wales Cricket Board.

Dr Matt Tuttle has previously been on the podcast in episodes 11 and 24 and is the Lead Sport Scientist and Physical Therapist for NBA team the Denver Nuggets.

In this episode the panel discuss:

Their backgrounds & personal interests in tendons
Achilles diagnostic considerations & processes
Acute achilles tendinopathy management
Management approach & philosophy
Challenges in their individual athlete settings
Tendon risk mitigation
Elastography & UTC to monitor and Intervene with rehab
Imaging
Achilles tendon ruptures
Tendon Resiliency
Managing Tendons In-season
- Athlete cut points / can the athlete train or play?
- Managing warm-up and game timing
Setting expectations
What exercises to use to make a tendon feel better in-season.
Thorough assessment and differentials

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Dr Meeta Singh MD (Sleep Medicine Specialist & Service Chief / Section Head at Henry Ford Sleep Disorder Clinic)

Wed, 13 May 2020 20:35:52 -0400

Episode 30: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Meeta Singh. Dr Meeta Singh is a sleep doctor whose work and research focuses on “Coaching the sleep muscle” to help maximize performance in both individual athletes and sports teams. She is the Service chief of the sleep medicine, and section head and medical director at the Henry Fordsleep laboratory in Michigan. Dr Singh is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology as a psychiatrist and sleep medicine sub-specialist. She has served as a consultant for multiple NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA teams. She has also worked with college sports teams. As part of this service, Dr. Singh performs athletic sleep assessments with personalized prescriptions for better sleep. She also helps sports teams and athletes with their travel management with a focus on addressing sleep deprivation and jet lag and maximizing athletic performance. Her passion is lecturing and educating teams and athletes about the benefits of sleep on performance.

In this episode Andy and Dr Meeta Singh discuss:

Her background
Sleep requirement, deficit & dose response
Sleep Diaries
Wearable Technology
Educating and implementing sleep strategies
Orthosomnia
Sleep Environment
Jet lag
Crossing time zones
Relationship between sleep and Injury risk
Sleep and Recovery from injury
Can you get too much sleep?
Napping
Uncoupled sleep and circadian rhythm
Backroom staff sleep considerations

Where you can find Dr Meeta Singh:

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Dr Andy Barr DPT (CEO & Founder of Quantum Performance)

Wed, 06 May 2020 17:55:49 -0400

Episode 29: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Andy Barr a British Physiotherapist / Doctor of Physical Therapy. Andy is an established leader in the field of high performance and injury risk reduction with over 20 years of experience working in professional sports. He has held Director of Medicine and Performance roles with Bolton Wanderers F.C., Southampton F.C. and Manchester City F.C. in the EPL, New York Knicks in the NBA and New York City F.C. in the MLS. More recently Andy is the CEO & founder of Quantum Performance in Los Angeles providing rehab and performance solutions to elite athletes and teams.

In this conversation with Dr Andy Barr we discuss:

Andy’s background
Transitioning from the UK to USA / EPL to the NBA
Working freelance and as a consultant
Andy’s 4 Pillars approach to rehabilitation
Variety during rehab
Pros and cons of working independently vs in a team
Andy’s current and future projects

Where you can find Dr Andy Barr:

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Dr Matt Taberner (Sport Scientist, S&C and Rehab Coach)

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 21:42:48 -0400

Episode 28: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Matt Taberner, a Sport Scientist, S&C and Rehab Coach who has enjoyed career spells at Aston Villa and Everton Football Club previously. Matt recently finished his PHD constructing a framework for return to sport in elite football. In this episode we’ll hear Matt explain his work and dive into the control chaos continuum framework he’s produced.

In this conversation Andy & Matt discuss:

Origins of the Control Chaos Continuum
Bridging the gap between traditional rehab and return to performance
Applying the Control Chaos Continuum to specific injury cases
Applying the principles of the CCC to different sports
What Matt is looking to do next professionally

Where you can find Matt:

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Dr Phil Wagner (Founder & CEO of Sparta Science)

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 20:36:04 -0400

Episode 27: Andy McDonald chats with Dr Phil Wagner the Founder & CEO of Sparta Science. Phil is a a Physician and a Strength Coach who received his medical degree from USC focused on biomechanics. Phil’s passion for protecting athlete health and longevity through injury resilience coupled with his medically-oriented human performance mindset inspired him to found Sparta Science, a movement technology and data science company focused on improving musculoskeletal health.

In this conversation Andy & Phil discuss:

Phil’s from athlete to Strength & Conditioning Coach to medicine.
Setting up Sparta Science
Informed consumers
Assessing methods & tools before Implementation
Re-defining what “Injury prevention means”
How Sparta Interacts with team systems
AI & Machine learning in predictive injury models
Blind spots in data models
Injury risk identification verses occurrence
The value of coaches & clinicians gaining foundation knowledge in data methods

Where you can find Phil:

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Pete McKnight (Hintsa Performance Director of Coaching and Sports Science)

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:15:29 -0400

Episode 26: Andy McDonald catches up with Pete McKnight the Hintsa Performance Director of Coaching & Sports Science. Pete has also been a Strength & Conditioning Coach in elite sport and human performance for almost two decades, working across multiple organisations including the French Ski Federation, Leicester CCC, England & Wales Cricket, UK Athletics, The English Institute of Sport and he was previously Chairman of the Board of Directors for the UK Strength & Conditioning Association (UKSCA).

In this conversation Andy & Pete discuss:

His current role at Hintsa
The skills, qualities and lessons Pete carried forward in the journey director.
- Stability at home
- Goal setting
- Skills: leadership, communication, building a team, systems, program development
What Pete learnt from being at the English Institute of Sport MDT environment
Preparedness to lead a discipline / department
Preparedness to progress to Director / Head of Dept
Challenges he faces and strategies he deploys
Advising yourself in hindsight
People that have Inspired him
Books and resources
Changing jobs, accepting and turning down offers

Were you can find Pete

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Dan Howells (Houston Astros Head S&C Coordinator)

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:58:12 -0400

Episode 25: Andy McDonald speaks to Dan Howells the Houston Astros Head S&C Coordinator. Dan is a British S&C coach that has transitioned from the English Institute of sport, England Rugby Sevens to Major League Baseball. With these transitions in mind in this episode with Dan we discuss his move to baseball and how he structured the thought processes for developing and managing a strength & conditioning program and department.

Andy and Dan discuss:

Dans Role
Dans transition from Rugby to Baseball
How Dan developed through changing sports
- Muti-Sport Environments
- Relating principles of training to the athlete
- Individual load management - “Biological Periodisation”
- “Push Pull” Player load management
Being perceived as a coach rather in the front office
Difference of S&C provision between the UK / USA or rugby and baseball
Approach to developing and managing a strength and conditioning program/dept
Identifying what the team/organisation needs
Effecting performance remotely as a coordinator
Ashtest

Were you can find Dan

Twitter

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Dr Matt Tuttle (Lead Sport Scientist & Physical Therapist at the Denver Nuggets)

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:44:08 -0400

Episode 24: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Matt Tuttle a Physical Therapist working at NBA team the Denver Nuggets as Lead Sport Scientist / Physical Therapist. We spoke to Matt in episode 11 about pain science and the realities of managing pain within an elite athletic population.

In this second episode with Matt we discuss

The relationship between single vs multipart athletes in the NBA and 3 key injuries in professional basketball.

Lateral ankle sprains

Managing lateral ankle sprains
What do they use / do at the Denver Nuggets

Patella Region Injuries

How much Matt considers n=1 biomechanics
How do you understand the internal overloads from biomechanics

Lumber Spine Injuries

NSLBP
Strength & Conditioning / Testing the lumber-spine
Benchmarking lumber spine performance standards

Were you can find Matt

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Per Lundstam (Redbull Director of Performance)

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 14:28:19 -0400

Episode 23: Andy McDonald speaks to Per Lundstam the Director Of Performance at Redbull. Per previously enjoyed roles at both the US Ski & Snowboard association and the Swedish Ski Federation perviously. In this episode Andy and Per discuss:

Redbull High Performance Program
Redbulls performance values and ‘pillars’
The process for Redbull athletes to access performance services
Program development at Redbull
Organisation objective & shared direction
Cross pollinating athletes
Testing athletes at Redbull
Assessing and understanding athletes extreme environments
Where Per turns to develop his knowledge and skill-set

Were you can find Per

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Tom Batchelor (Harlequins Rugby Head of Sport Science)

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 17:07:00 -0400

Episode 22: Andy McDonald speaks to Tom Batchelor the Head of Sport Science at Harlequins Rugby.

In this episode Andy and Tom discuss:

Tom’s background
- Working within the City in Equity Derivatives
- Surrey Sports Park - Internship
- Harlequins
GPS In Rugby: Benefits and weaknesses of GPS in Rugby
Overlaying technical and tactical information on top of physical data
How Harlequins define and communicate load
Acute Chronic Workload Ratio
Communicating systems to Inform change
Loading Blindspots
Conditioning the modern rugby player. Conditioning at Harlequins

Where you can find Tom

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Matt Jordan (Director of Sports Science at the Canadian Sports Institute, Calgary)

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 10:37:02 -0400

Episode 21: Andy McDonald speaks to Matt Jordan PHD CSCS, Strength Coach & Director of Sports Science at the Canadian Sports Institute, Calgary. Over his career, Matt was the personal strength coach to 30 World and Olympic medalists, and has worked with elite athletes in many sports including speed skating, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, hockey, football, volleyball and mixed martial arts.

In this episode with Matt we discuss:

His career beginnings with Charles Poliquin and getting into the Canadian Olympic Setup
PHD in Medical Science - Developing better methods to rehabilitate and recondition athletes after injuries.
Matts role at the Canadian Sport Institute
Research Projects Matt is involved with currently
- - Semitendinosus study - Association between structural deficits post ACL hamstring grafts and hamstring function.
  - Single Leg and double leg landing abilities in freestyle skiers and snowboarders.
  - Relationship, Comparing their strength lab data with ACL re-injury.
Managing or accounting for the “blindspots” - the dangerous nature, load and unpredictability in winter sports.
- - Wearable solutions - Plantiga
How does Matt identify what matters or is important when deciding on performance testing / monitoring batteries.
Navigating “useful” verses “ problematic” limb symmetry/asymmetry
Intervening with asymmetry
- - Interventions Interrupting the bodies ability to self-correct
Forceplates as a tool to prompt further investigation
Matts usage of dual forceplate systems

Matt can be found on twitter @JordanStrength

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Mike Reinold (Senior Medical Advisor for the Chicago White Sox & Co-Founder / President of Champion PT)

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 20:40:25 -0400

Episode 20: I speak to Mike Reinold the co-founder and president of Champion Physical Therapy and Performance, a PT and performance training facility just outside Boston. He is also currently the Senior Medical Advisor for the Chicago White Sox and the Director of Baseball Performance at Northeastern University, where he has been instrumental in the restructuring and building of the high performance and medical teams. In this episode we discuss Mike educating & empowering athletes, managing increasing complexity within our roles, athletes taking ownership of their data and more!

Dr Ebonie Rio (Lower Extremity Tendon Management)

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 19:46:39 -0500

Episode 19: I speak to Dr Ebonie Rio a Sports Physiotherapist who consults at The Victorian Institute of Sport, who is also a Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University completing her Phd in tendon pain. Ebonies current research focuses on combining neuroscience with rehabilitation to bring innovative approaches to pain rehabilitation. In this conversation Ebonie brings us up-to-date on the fundamentals for managing both Achilles and Patella tendinopathies.

Dr Heather Linden (UFC Director of Physical Therapy)

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 19:56:35 -0500

Episode 18: I speak to Dr Heather Linden the Director of Physical Therapy for the UFC. Heather is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a background working for the USA Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs before heading up PT for the UFC at the Las Vegas Performance Institute. In this episode we'll discuss her professional role and approach to athlete care, rehab / return-to-fighting and the value of effective multi-disciplinary-team working and more!

Dr Fergus Connolly (High Performance Consultant, Speaker & Author)

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 09:05:15 -0500

Episode 17: I speak to Dr Fergus Connolly a sports performance expert, consultant, speaker and author. Fergus has worked in professional football, rugby, the NFL, NBA and with elite military units to name a few. In this episode we dive deep into his philosophies around data collection, interpretation and meaning as well as how he strategically guides teams to identify performance problems and solutions. Fergus provides a very deep insight into how he influences performance and covers the topic broadly and pragmatically from his experiences with top teams and organisations.

Dr Sherylle Calder (Visual Performance Coach, Sport Scientist & Founder / CEO of EyeGym)

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 23:12:36 -0500

Episode 16: Host Andy McDonald speaks to Dr Sherylle Calder to receive a unique insight into her expertise assessing & coaching visual performance skills. Dr Calder has worked with both England & South Africa towards Rugby World Cup victory, The All Blacks, The Miami Dolphins, Formula-1 driver Valtteri Bottas and Golfer Ernie Els to name a few! In this episode we'll discuss Dr Calder's approach to enhancing on field or competitive ability through visual skills, the online EyeGym Program and more.

Dr Christopher Dodson (Philadelphia 76ers Head Team Physician & Philadelphia Eagles Head Orthopaedic Surgeon)

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 21:25:35 -0500

Episode 15: I speak to Dr. Christopher Dodson, M.D a board certified Sports Medicine surgeon and an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University. He serves as Head Team Physician for the Philadelphia 76ers and is Head Orthopaedic Surgeon for the Philadelphia Eagles. In this episode we discuss his role as a surgeon/physician in pro sports, Injury trends, ACL and Shoulder Rehabilitation, consulting to teams across the leagues and much more.

Daniel Martinez (Head S&C Coach / Sports Performance Coordinator at Trinity University)

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 19:36:24 -0500

Episode 14: I chat to Daniel Martinez the Head S&C Coach and Sports Performance Coordinator at Trinity University. In this episode we discuss. Jump performance testing, jump programming, force time asymmetry verses limb asymmetry, velocity based training, generating "bad date" and focussing coaching strategy from a foundation of emotions, character and behaviour.

Lauren Johnson (NY Yankees Mental Conditioning Coach)

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 18:27:53 -0500

Episode 13: I chat to Lauren Johnson the NY Yankees Mental Conditioning Coach. In this episode we discuss how Lauren and the New York Yankees organisation approach their players psychological wellbeing, enhance mental preparation and help players transition from rookie to pro or prepare for retirement.

Ed Lea (Rehab and Strength & Conditioning Coach at Harlequins Rugby)

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 20:33:56 -0500

Episode 12: I chat to Ed Lea the Harlequins Rugby Rehab and Strength & Conditioning Coach. In this episode Ed provides an incredibly transparent insight into how both he and Harlequins Rugby approach physical preparation, rehab for the long term injured platers, return to play and more!

Dr Matt Tuttle (Lead Sport Scientist & Physical Therapist at the Denver Nuggets)

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 15:00:34 -0500

Episode 11: I chat to Dr Matt Tuttle a Physical Therapist working at NBA team the Denver Nuggets as Lead Sport Scientist / Physical Therapist.

In this episode Matt explains modern pain science and how he / the Nuggets manage pain in an elite athlete population. Matt pragmatically shares the current evidence on this topic combined with his clinical experience and the reality of managing pain in a professional sport environment.

Dave Alred MBE (Performance Coach)

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 11:47:14 -0500

Episode 10: I chat to Dave Alred a Performance Coach specialising in performing skills under pressure. We discuss his work in both rugby and golf with high profile athletes including Jonny Wilkinson, Johnny Sexton, George Ford, Luke Donald and Francesco Molinari. Dave shares his views on coaching, skill learning and performing under pressure in the competitive arena.

Chris Tombs (Velocity Based Training Expert)

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 11:15:07 -0500

Episode 9: I chat to Chris Tombs, Strength & Conditioning Coach and Educator. Chris has just taken on a new role at Seattle Seawolves, but has extensive experience with previous roles at Leicester Tigers, Cardiff Blues, Northamptonshire County Cricket and Cardiff Met University. In this episode Chris provides us with a masterclass in his special interest - Velocity Based Training!

Les Spellman (Speed Specialist & Consultant for NFL, Olympic, Collegiate, and youth athletes)

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 16:26:29 -0500

Episode 8: I chat with Les Spellman the Owner of Spellman Performance. Les is a speed Specialist & Consultant for the NFL, Olympic, Collegiate, and youth athletes. We discuss his inspiring background, philosophy on speed training, working with pro football players, his Spellman Performance app, the S3 Diagnostic Test and more.

Sue Falsone (Author of Bridging The Gap - From Rehab To Performance)

Sun, 08 Dec 2019 13:17:17 -0500

Episode 7: I chat with Sue Falsone owner of Structure and Function Education and author of Bridging The Gap. Sue has worked for the LA Dodgers, the US Mens National team and was Vice President of Performance Therapy and Team Sport at Athletes performance. Sue now currently offers consulting for a variety of organizations in the NBA, MLB and NFL, and continues to work one-on-one with athletes.

Bill Burgos (Head of Strength & Conditioning at Minnesota Timberwolves)

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 14:37:00 -0500

Episode 6: I chat with Bill Burgos - Head of Strength & Conditioning for NBA team the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bill shares insights into his role at the Timberwolves, how to look after yourself and perform as a coach and we discuss his book which he has just released!

Dr Luke Hughes (Blood Flow Restriction Expert & Post-doc' research fellow at St Marys University)

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 17:46:49 -0500

Episode 5: I chat with Dr Luke Hughes a post-doctoral research fellow in applied physiology at St Marys university. Luke is an expert in Blood Flow Restriction training (BFR) and in this episode Luke provides a highly educational master class in all things BFR. Get your pen and paper ready!

Tim Gabbett (High Performance Consultant)

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 21:37:35 -0500

Episode: 4 I talk to Tim Gabbett a Performance Consultant with over 20 years of experience working as an applied Sport Scientist with elite athletes, coaches and teams around the world. In this episode we discuss both the art and science of workload monitoring, the acute chronic workload ratio and Tims wider perspective on being effective in a performance environment.

Rachel Balkovec (Research & Development Fellow at Driveline Baseball)

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:51:00 -0500

#3: I chat to Rachel Balkovec from Driveline Baseball who has worked in pro baseball for 7 years as an S&C coach. Rachel has worked for the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Whitesox, LSU, ASU and EXOS! We discuss her research on gaze tracking, lower limb biomechanics, working globally and her plans to become a GM

Rob Madden (Hintsa Performance Coach, Team AJ & CHHP Physiotherapist)

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 21:40:19 -0500

Episode 2: I chat to Rob Madden about Performance coaching, life on the road, athlete data & coaching health. Rob is a chartered physiotherapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. With over a decade of experience in high level sport - he currently works for Hintsa performance where he is placed as a performance coach with an F1 driver. On top of this he continues his work with professional boxers including Anthony Joshua and clinical work out of CHHP in London.

Ivi Casagrande (Strength & Conditioning Coach at Orlando Pride)

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 23:15:57 -0500

Episode 1: I chat to Head of Strength & Conditioning for Orlando Pride, Ivi Casagrande. In this episode we discuss her role, how she approaches training the girls at the Pride, barefoot gym training, Cognitive warm up drills and more. We hope you enjoy this first episode!