Inform Performance

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