
Inform Performance
The Inform Perform Podcast is an industry show focussed on Sports Performance and Sports Medicine. The show interviews thought leaders and professionals that support elite athletes and teams. The aim of the show is to deconstruct the strategies and philosophies the guests utilise in their working environment or area of expertise. Featured guests have worked across the NBA, NFL, MLB, F1, World title Boxing, EPL and more.
Latest episodes

Sep 19, 2024 • 51min
Athletic Shoulder: Edel Fanning - Return to Performance Testing
Episode 154: Ben Ashworth chats to Dr Edel Fanning, BSc, MSc, PhD. Edel is a chartered physiotherapist and leads the upper limb rehabilitation service at the Sports Surgery Clinic, Dublin. Prior to working in Dublin, she worked as a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in the UK National Health Service. She has a keen interest in shoulder biomechanics, the sporting shoulder and injury prevention and has worked with elite athletes from a wide range of sporting disciplines. She completed her PhD at the University College Cork investigating the use of return to play criteria post glenohumeral joint stabilisation. Her work explores the role of 3D biomechanics and the use of novel upper limb functional tests in assisting return to play decision making post shoulder reconstruction in contact athletes.
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Topics Discussed
The Role of Isokinetic Testing in Shoulder Rehabilitation
Objective Markers for Return to Play in Shoulder Rehabilitation
Go-To Exercises for Shoulder Rehabilitation
The Role of Psychological Readiness and Confidence
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Where you can find Eden:
LinkedIn
X (Twitter)
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Sponsors
Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.
TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
Output Sports: is a faster, cheaper and more efficient way to test, analyze, report and program athletic performance - all in a single platform and sensor. Provide comprehensive performance evaluations with 200+ assessments spanning VBT, strength, power and movement. Validated by 10+ years of scientific research.
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Where to find Athletic Shoulder
Website
Podcast

Sep 10, 2024 • 45min
Simon Harries - Return-to-Running Frameworks
Episode 153: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Simon Harries. Simon holds PhD and is the Head of Strength & Conditioning at the NSW Institute of Sport and has also worked at GSW Giants, Australian Rugby and Newcastle Knights. In this episode Andy & Simon discuss the opportunities available for coaches working in rehab roles, how to blend S&C and physio in rehab and his approach to return-to-running.
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Topics Discussed
Rehabilitation Roles
Delineation of Roles and Collaboration
Planning the Return to Running
Starting with a Technical Approach
Incorporating Drills to Improve Running Technique
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Where you can find Simon:
LinkedIn
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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
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Remaker: The Portable Strength Tracking Ecosystem. Remaker provides real-time insights to optimise your performance, making even the smallest improvements in your strength training visible in an engaging and powerful format. Remakers integrate seamlessly with the exercise equipment you already use, and the app provides meaningful metrics for every rep, of every set, of every exercise.
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Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.
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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
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Our Team
Andy McDonald
Ben Ashworth
Alistair McKenzie
Dylan Carmody

Sep 5, 2024 • 1h 8min
Research Unpacked: Brady Green - Calf Muscle Strain Injury Management
Episode 152: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dylan Carmody chats to Brady Green. Brady is a Senior Lecturer of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy at the University of Notre Dame, Australia. He has extensive experience working in elite sport and has completed his PhD on calf muscle strains in sport.
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Topics Discussed
Structural Differences of Calf Muscles
Comprehensive Rehab: Vertical and Horizontal Strengthening
The Expert Examination of Calf Injuries
Preparation for Elementary Run Prescriptions
Minimizing Ground Contact Times for Soft Tissue Injuries
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Where you can find Brady
Linkedin
X (Twitter)
Research Gate
Inform Performance - Comprehensive Calf Force Profiling E-Book
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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.
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TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
-
Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.
-
Where to Find Us
Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:
Instagram
Twitter
Our Website
-
Our Team
Andy McDonald
Ben Ashworth
Alistair McKenzie
Dylan Carmody

Aug 15, 2024 • 38min
Athletic Shoulder: Karl Denvir - The Contact Shoulder
In this engaging conversation, Karl Denvir, Head Physiotherapist for Queensland Reds and former lead physiotherapist at Leinster, shares his expertise on managing shoulder injuries in rugby. He discusses the top shoulder injuries athletes face and his holistic approach to rehabilitation. Karl emphasizes the crucial link between neck health and upper quadrant injuries, and he explores strategies for balancing player safety with performance needs, ensuring athletes return to play safely and effectively.

Aug 12, 2024 • 57min
Alan Murdoch - A Speed-Based Approach to Rehab and Training (Elevate Speed & Rehab)
Episode 150: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Alan Murdoch. Alan Murdoch is Founder and Head Coach at Elevate: Speed & Rehab. Elevate are an end stage rehab consultancy, specialising in helping elite athletes return from long term injuries better than ever. Prior to this, Alan was Head Coach at Speedworks Bath. Having spent almost a decade in professional rugby union, specialising in speed and agility development and rehabilitation. In this conversation Alan and Andy discuss Alan's approach to rehab and using objective tools to guide his process.
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Topics Discussed
Fast-to-Fit rehab approach
Key principles in rehab
No pain
No response
Prepare with purpose
Forgotten heroes
Using Rehab Frameworks
Practical objective markers in rehab
Assessing movement skill
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Where you can find Alan:
Instagram
X (Twitter)
Website
Fast > Fit Course - 10% Discount Code "andyoutput"
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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
-
TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
Output Sports: is a faster, cheaper and more efficient way to test, analyze, report and program athletic performance - all in a single platform and sensor. Provide comprehensive performance evaluations with 200+ assessments spanning VBT, strength, power and movement. Validated by 10+ years of scientific research.
-
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

Jul 16, 2024 • 38min
Research Unpacked: Dan Lorenz - Mechanisms and Benefits of Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training
Episode 149: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dylan Carmody chats to Dan Lorenz, DPT, PT, ATC, LAT, CSCS. s the director of sports medicine at Lawrence Memorial Hospital/OrthoKS in Lawrence, KS. He has served as a rehabilitation consultant for numerous local sports teams, including Sporting Kansas City, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Kansas City Mavericks, and also many local colleges, including MidAmerica Nazarene University and University of Missouri-Kansas City. In this episode Dylan and Dan discuss Individualized Treatment Approaches in Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training.
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Topics Discussed
Implementing Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training
Mechanisms and Benefits of BFR Training
Training to Failure in BFR
Safety Considerations and Best Practices for BFR
Individualized Treatment Approaches in BFR
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Where you can find Dan
Linkedin
X (Twitter)
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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.
-
TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
-
Where to Find Us
Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:
Instagram
Twitter
Our Website
-
Our Team
Andy McDonald
Ben Ashworth
Alistair McKenzie
Dylan Carmody

Jun 12, 2024 • 51min
Research Unpacked: Filippo Picinini - Quantifying Workload in On-Field Rehab after ACL Reconstruction (Isokinetic)
Episode 148: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Alistair McKenzie chats to Filippo Picinini MSc, MS. Filippo is a Rehab and Performance coach Currently employed as Head of late-stage rehabilitation and Sport science at Isokinetic Medical Group London. His areas of expertise are ACL and Hamstring injuries in football players and he is completing a part-time PhD in workload management and RTP in football players recovering from long-term injuries with St Mary’s University, Twickenham. In this conversation, Ally interviews Filippo Picinini about his research on workload quantification during on-field rehab with football players after ACL reconstruction.
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Topics Discussed
Objective on-field rehab
The Importance of Deceleration Workload in ACL Rehab
Challenges of replicating high-intensity deceleration in rehab
Quantifying Workload in On-Field Rehab after ACL Reconstruction
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Where you can find Filippo
LinkedIn
Research Gate
Instagram
Isokinetic
X (Twitter)
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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.
-
TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
-
Where to Find Us
Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:
Instagram
Twitter
Our Website
-
Our Team
Andy McDonald
Ben Ashworth
Alistair McKenzie
Dylan Carmody

Jun 4, 2024 • 58min
James King - Preparing for Pressure & Democratising Access to Psychological Skills
Episode 147: Dr Andy McDonald chats to James King. James holds a first class degree in Applied Sports Science, and an MSc in Performance Psychology, both from the University of Edinburgh. James has counselled government agencies and specialist military units. He also provides guidance to coaches, managers and athletes within the English Premier League (EPL), Team GB, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) and has presented case studies on his work for the MBA programs at the University of Oxford, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In this conversation, James and Andy discuss the importance and application of psychological skills in sports performance
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Topics Discussed
Assessing Performance in Sports Psychology
Personalising Development
Bouncing Back: Recovering Quickly from Setbacks
Understanding the Problem Before Implementing Solutions
Democratizing Access to Psychological Skills
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Where you can find James:
Instagram
X (Twitter)
Website
Book
Podcast
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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
-
TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
-
Where to Find Us
Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:
Instagram
Twitter
Our Website
-
Our Team
Andy McDonald
Ben Ashworth
Alistair McKenzie
Dylan Carmody

May 20, 2024 • 57min
Research Unpacked: Snehal Patel - The Evolution of Rehabilitation & Return to Sport Following Cartilage Surgery
Episode 146: In this Research Unpacked Episode from Inform Performance, Dr Dylan Carmody chats to Snehal Patel the Clinical Supervisor for Sports Rehabilitation at Hospital for Special Surgery NYC. The main focus of the conversation is on his paper titled 'The Evolution of Rehabilitation and Return to Sport Following Cartilage Surgery.' Snay explains the differences between operative and non-operative management of cartilage injuries and the importance of strength training in the rehabilitation process. Snay also discusses BFR, the psychological aspect of returning to sport and the use of force plate testing and motion capture to assess jump height, landing mechanics, and force attenuation.
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Topics Discussed
Operative vs. Non-Operative Management of Cartilage Injuries
Range of Motion & Loading Progressions in Post-Surgery Rehabilitation
Psychological Aspect of Returning to Sport
Assessing Jump Height, Landing Mechanics & Force Attenuation
Staying Updated on Emerging Surgical Techniques
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Where you can find Snehal:
:
LinkedIn
Research Gate
Instagram
SportsRehabLab
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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.
-
TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
-
Where to Find Us
Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:
Instagram
Twitter
Our Website
-
Our Team
Andy McDonald
Ben Ashworth
Alistair McKenzie
Dylan Carmody

May 7, 2024 • 1h 4min
Rich Willy - Bone Stress Injury Rehab (Montana Running Lab’s Scientist & Educator)
Episode 145: Dr Andy McDonald chats to Rich Willy from Montana Running Lab. Rich is an internationally known speaker on the treatment of running-related injuries who has more than 20 years’ experience as a PT. His expertise is in treating runners of all ages and ability levels, including professional and elite runners. Rich’s research aims to develop clinically effective treatments for common running-related injuries, such as patellofemoral pain, Achilles tendon injuries, and bone stress injuries. In this episode Rich and Andy discuss how Rich manages and rehabs LE bone stress injuries.
Topics Discussed
Bone Stress Injury detection
Rehab progressions
Signs of rehab success
BSI loading according to structure
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Where you can find Rich:
Instagram
X (Twitter)
Montana Running Lab
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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
-
TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete and client performance data. Teambuildr is a complete platform. Whether you're building your own programming, looking to create custom reports or give athletes a tool for accountability, they've built it out.
-
Where to Find Us
Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:
Instagram
Twitter
Our Website
-
Our Team
Andy McDonald
Ben Ashworth
Alistair McKenzie
Dylan Carmody
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