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: LinkedIn X (Twitter) Research Gate - Sponsors 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. -  Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

Episode 135: 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: LinkedIn X (Twitter)  Research Gate - Sponsors 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. -  Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: Instagram LinkedIn X Collaborate Sports - Sponsors 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 - Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: LinkedIn Instagram Quantum Performance - Sponsors 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. -  Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: Instagram LinkedIn Elevate - Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. - Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: LinkedIn Research Gate - Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. -  Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: Instagram Twitter Speedworks - Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. - Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: LinkedIn Research Gate - Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. -  Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody  

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: Instagram Twitter LinkedIn 292 Performance - Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. - Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: LinkedIn Research Gate Twitter Instagram   - Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. -  Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: LinkedIn Research Gate Twitter     Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   Sportscientia - An emerging precision tech-layer 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 further analysis of running into multi-directional movements including lateral, backwards, turning actions and more.   Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: Instagram Twitter Website Intra Performance Group - Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. - Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: LinkedIn Research Gate Twitter   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       Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   Sportscientia - An emerging precision tech-layer 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 further analysis of running into multi-directional movements including lateral, backwards, turning actions and more.   Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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: LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Emergence   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     Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   Sportscientia - An emerging precision tech-layer 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 further analysis of running into multi-directional movements including lateral, backwards, turning actions and more.   Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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   Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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:   Linkedin Facebook Twitter   Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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:     Linkedin Twitter   Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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:   Sportsmap Linkedin Twitter   Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

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   Sponsors 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 - HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. - Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   Sponsors 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 -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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 Sponsors 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 - HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers. - Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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.  ----more----   Topics Discussed ----more---- 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 ----more---- LinkedIn ----more----   Sponsors 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 ----more----   HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.   ----more----     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   ----more---- Instagram Twitter Our Website   ----more---- Our Team ----more---- Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   Instagram More Her Speed     Sponsors 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     HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.         Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   Instagram Strength Coach Network      Sponsors 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     HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.         Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   LinkedIn Twitter BreakAway Data     Sponsors 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     HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.         Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   Instagram Group mentorship Collaborate Sports Twitter LinkedIn     Sponsors 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     HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.         Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   LinkedIn Apollo    Ben Ashworth's - Athletic Shoulder Course     Sponsors 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     HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.         Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   Website Twitter Youtube Instagram       Sponsors 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     HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.         Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   LinkedIn Twitter Instagram GBG Hoops App & Programs       Sponsors 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     HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you’ll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today’s clinicians and researchers.         Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Performance and Innovation, PE and Sports Sciences at The University of Limerick       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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:     Twitter  LinkedIn Research Gate       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team     Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team     Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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:   LinkedIn Twitter       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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       Where you can find Matt:     Twitter  LinkedIn Research Gate       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team     Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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     Where you can find Ben:   Website Twitter Instagram LinkedIn     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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:   LinkedIn       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   Where you can find JB:   Website Twitter Instagram Youtube     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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       Where you can find Chris:   LinkedIn Clinic       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team     Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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      Where you can find Wayne:   LinkedIn Research Gate       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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/           Where you can find Tim:     Twitter  LinkedIn Research Gate       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team     Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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     Where you can find Jerry:   LinkedIn Twitter       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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:   Twitter LinkedIn High-Performance Training for Sports      Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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/#           Where you can find Tim:     Twitter  LinkedIn Research Gate       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team     Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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/           Where you can find Tim:     Twitter  LinkedIn Research Gate       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team     Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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     Where you can find Nigel:   LinkedIn Twitter       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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/         Where you can find Andras:   Twitter  LinkedIn Research Gate     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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      Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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      Where you can find Ryan:   LinkedIn       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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/         Where you can find Andras:   Twitter  LinkedIn Research Gate     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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     Where you can find Jesse:   Book - The Intent is to grow LinkedIn Instagram Website        Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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/       Where you can find Andras:   Twitter  LinkedIn Research Gate     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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    Where you can find Ian:   Twitter  LinkedIn Instagram   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Website Facebook Twitter     25% JordanStrength.com course code discount for Inform Performance Listeners: INFORMPOD2021     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Dr Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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         Where you can find Dr. Kelly Starrett:     Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Website       Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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       Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:     Instagram Twitter Our Website     Our Team     Dr Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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      Where you can find Cory:   Instagram LinkedIn     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Dr Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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:   Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Quadrant System Book   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Dr Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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     Where you can find Laura:   Linkedin Twiter Website     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Dr Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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:   Website Instagram LinkedIn Twitter  Youtube    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Dr Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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:   Twitter LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Dr Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie

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   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn Instagram Website   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter LinkedIn Website   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter LinkedIn Research Gate   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn Instagram Website    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn Instagram   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Instagram  Twitter  LinkedIn Website    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Instagram  Twitter  LinkedIn Website    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Stig Andersson Martin Asker Fredrik Johansson     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Website Pegasus85   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter LinkedIn   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Instagram  Twitter LinkedIn Areté Performance     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Phoenix Manual Therapy Instagram LinkedIn     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Research Gate UFMG   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter Instagram LinkedIn   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.      Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter LinkedIn Total Performance Fortius Clinic Complete Physio     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.      Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter LinkedIn CHHP  HDPN - Website  HDPN - Instagram HDPN - Twitter    Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Website Youtube     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   LinkedIn Twitter  Instagram Language Of Coaching Book     Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   LinkedIn Twitter      Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Arizona Human Performance Collaborative   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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-19Being better generalists The physical preparation at Villanova Football Wishlist’s  Coaching level entering collegiate sport  Speed training kinogram Sprintember    Where you can find Mike:   LinkedIn Instagram Sprintember   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   LinkedIn Twitter   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   LinkedIn Twitter   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram   Sponsor Inform Performance is sponsored by 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 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team   Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:    LinkedIn  Twitter   Sponsor  Inform Performance is sponsored by 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   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team    Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:    Twitter  Instagram   Inform Performance is sponsored by 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   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team    Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn   Inform Performance is sponsored by 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   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team    Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Twitter  LinkedIn   Inform Performance is sponsored by 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   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team    Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:    Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn   Inform Performance is sponsored by 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   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team    Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:    LinkedIn Twitter   Smartletics Tempo App Apple App Store Google App Store  Website   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team    Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:    LinkedIn Twitter   Smartletics Tempo App Apple App Store Google App Store  Website   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team    Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:    LinkedIn Twitter Website    If you enjoyed this episode then check out Episode 35 with Dr Jas Randhawa   Smartletics Tempo App Apple App Store Google App Store  Website   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our Team    Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

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:   Instagram Twitter Altis   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team    Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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:   LinkedIn Twitter  Instagram   Smartletics Tempo App Apple App Store Google App Store  Website   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team    Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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: LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Smartletics Tempo App Apple App Store Google App Store  Website Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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: Twitter  LinkedIn   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:   Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team    Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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: Twitter  LinkedIn Instagram Website    Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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: Twitter Linkedin Instagram   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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: Twitter LinkedIn   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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: Twitter LinkedIn   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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 Twitter LinkedIn   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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 LinkedIn Twitter Instagram   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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 LinkedIn   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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 Twitter linkedIn   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website   Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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   Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our team  Andy McDonald   Ben Ashworth

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! 

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.   

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! 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  

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!    

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. 

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.  

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! 

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. 

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.

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! 

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! 

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. 

#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  

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. 

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!