https://www.facebook.com/104828425460124/

Prehab, 57 Sloane Street, Sandton (2025)

03/07/2025

🧠 Understanding the Injury Journey ⁣
⁣
One of the most common challenges I see in rehab is expectation vs. reality.⁣
⁣
Athletes often make strong early gains in recovery, only to hit a plateau—and that can feel discouraging. But it’s important to remember: rehabilitation is not linear. Progress rarely follows a straight path.⁣
⁣
📉 Setbacks and fluctuations are part of the process.⁣
📈 Long-term recovery depends on how well we adapt during those periods.⁣
⁣
✅ Use objective improvements—like mobility, strength, or load tolerance—as markers of progress.
✅ Acknowledge mental fatigue and allow space to recharge.
✅ Let confidence grow with physical gains, but also recognise that confidence may waver—and that’s normal.⁣
⁣
This map of the injury journey isn’t just clinical—it’s human. Whether you’re returning to sport, navigating a training lull, or supporting someone through rehab, remember: consistency, not perfection, drives recovery.⁣
⁣

01/07/2025

💥 Creatine: Science-Backed Gains 💥 From the International Society of Sports Nutrition 🧪🏋️‍♀️

✅ What is it?
A natural compound (found in red meat & seafood 🥩🐟) that boosts muscle energy & strength.

🔥 Why use it?
* Increases high-intensity performance
* Builds lean muscle 💪
* Speeds up recovery & reduces injury risk 🛡️
* Helps with neuro & heart protection 🧠❤️
* Supports strength in aging adults 👵🏽👴🏼

📈 How to use:
* 3–5g/day post-workout 🏋️
* Or load with 20g/day for 5–7 days
* Combine with carbs or protein for better results 🍞🥚

🔒 Is it safe?
Yes! Backed by 5+ years of research. Only side effect = mild weight gain (water). No harm to kidneys or gut.

🚫 Myth buster:
No other creatine form is proven better than creatine monohydrate (CrM).

Read the full write up 🔗 https://bit.ly/4kbU4zX

27/06/2025

Boost Your Brain: Probiotics for Endurance Athletes 🧠💪 Looking at turbocharging your mind, with some gut-busting probiotics to keep your head in the game on those long runs, rides or triathlon's! 🏃‍♂️🚴‍♀️🏊‍♂️ Here’s how particular strains can help enhance your mental game:

Top Probiotic Strains for Your Brain
1️⃣ Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG:
Why? This soothes anxiety and stress by tweaking brain chemicals such as GABA, helping you stay cool under race-day pressure 😌🧘‍♂️. Great for those last miles of a marathon when you need to stay focused 🎯.

2️⃣ Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 + Bifidobacterium longum R0175:
Why? This pair reduces cortisol (stress hormone) and lifts mood, fending off mid-training mental fog 🌫️➡️☀️. It’s been shown to alleviate anxiety and depression, so you keep pushing through those gruelling sessions 🏋️‍♀️.

3️⃣ Bifidobacterium longum 1714:
Why? A “psychobiotic,” it enhances memory and cuts stress, aiding in the recall of infold race strategies or the navigation of challenging courses 🧭🧠. Excellent for helping you stay in the game 🎮.

4️⃣ Lactobacillus plantarum 299v:
Why? Improves focus and cognitive flexibility, perfect for adjusting to new conditions while racing 🔁⚡.Stressed? This strain keeps your brain on point 🎯.

Overall, probiotics send signals to your brain through the gut-brain axis to help regulate mood chemicals (serotonin and dopamine), reduce inflammation, and shore up your gut barrier to help thwart stress signals 🚫😣. Less brain fog, more mental endurance, for the longer sessions ⏳🔥.

Include probiotics in your daily routine (check labels for these strains, target total 10-20 billion CFU each day). Pair them with prebiotics (like bananas 🍌 or oats 🌾) to nourish the good bugs. Time does release post-workout for max absorption 🕒💥.

Feed your gut, tune your mind, and dominate every mile! 🏅

References 📚:
Mach, N., & Fuster-Botella, D. (2017). Endurance exercise and gut microbiota: A review. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 6(2), 179–197.
🔗 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2016.05.001
Marttinen, M., Ala-Jaakkola, R., Laitila, A., & Lehtinen, M. J. (2020). Gut Microbiota, Probiotics and Physical Performance in Athletes and Physically Active Individuals. Nutrients, 12(10), 2936.
🔗 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102936

26/06/2025

Box Jump: Rehab vs. Race Week Performance 🏋️‍♂️🚴‍♂️

Athlete John - Mountain biking and Golf 🏞️🏌️‍♂️

Clinical Rehab Perspective: 💡
For John, box jumps are a great tool to assess and rebuild explosive power, proprioception, and landing mechanics post-injury.
This week, we’re focusing on:
* Controlled eccentric loading to protect joints (knees/ankles) before his race. ⚖️
* Low box height with perfect form (soft landings, knee alignment) to avoid overloading tissues. ✅
* Reactive stability ensuring his neuromuscular system is primed without fatigue. ⚡
🎯Goal: Keep his legs race readiness without risking re-injury before race day.

🏁🚵‍♂️Performance Perspective (Race Week - Marathon MTB):
With a marathon MTB race this weekend, box jumps serve as neuromuscular activation and not max power development.

Key focus:
* 💥Low volume, the intent: 2-3 sets of 5 explosive jumps to fire up fast-twitch filers.
* 🚴 Race-specific transfer: Mimicking explosive pedal strokes (e.g., steep climbs/sprints).
* ❌Avoid fatigue: No high reps or max-height attempts, saving the legs for 3+ hours of racing on Saturday!

⚙️Goal: Priming the system with sharpness without draining adaptation reserves.
With my two roles working with John as his Physical Therapist and Performance Coach...John’s box jump today was about quality over quantity. In rehab, we’re bulletproofing; for performance, we’re sparking the engine. Saturday’s race is the priority—everything serves that end! 💯🏆

📌 Takeaways:
✅ Rehab = Control, prep, mitigate risk.
✅ Performance = Activate, excite, conserve.
✅ Common thread: Listen to the body —No “new fancy" this close to race day!
Let’s go, John! Time to crush those trails!

25/06/2025

Acute: Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR) 📊

Gabbett et al. (2016) proposed the concept of the acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) where acute workload is purported to reflect the fatigue aspect of Banister’s model with chronic workload representing fitness. Carbone et al. (2022) highlight ACWR facilitates individual performance development & injury prevention management through the relationship between the acute & chronic workload data.

Internal (e.g.,Heart rate;session-rate of perceived exertion [sRPE]) & external (e.g.,tracking variables) load measures should be monitored, & used to calculate ACWR during training & competition (Malone et al., 2017).

What ACWR?
ACWR expresses the relationship between the work from one week to the next (7-day vs a 28-day period). It gives clues into whether an athlete’s recent training load is about right, too low or a risk.
Formula:
ACWR = Acute Load/Chronic Load

Why It Matters
✅Optimise performance
📋Keep track of athlete readiness
🛡️Reduce injury risk

Two Models of ACWR
1.⁠ ⁠Rolling Average Model🔄
Acute & chronic load are presented as equal weighted moving averages.
Eg:
Acute workload=1400 AU
Chronic workload=1500 AU
ACWR = 1400/1500=0.93

2.⁠ ⁠EWMA: Exponentially Weighted Moving Average 📉
🟠More recent training is given greater weight
🟢Better reflects how fitness & injury risk change over time
🔵Accounts for the decay in training effect as well as non-linear injury risk

Injury Risk Zones (Rolling Model Example) 🚨
ACWR Ratio| Interpretation |Relative Injury Risk
< 0.80➡️ Under Training ⚠️ Higher Risk
1.80–1.30➡️ Optimal Load ✅ Lowest Risk
1.50➡️ Over Training–Danger Zone ❌ Highest Injury Risk

Injury Prevention Tips 🏥
🔺Stay away from training load spikes over 10%
🔻Tapering 40-60% of volume in a super-compensation week
📈 Maintain a high chronic load for building fitness & resilience.

Summary📝
The ACWR offers a snapshot of the load history
Useful for:
📅Planning effective training periods
🚩Recognize red flags for injury risk
📚Evidence-based decision making for athlete development

📖
1.⁠Carbone et al. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11195945
2.⁠ ⁠Gabbett et al. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095567

21/06/2025

Tendon Rehab for Endurance Athletes: Load Up, Stay Stronger.
A plan for endurance athletes, namely runners, to build tendons and go the distance (Evans & Chen, 2025).

3-Step Tendon Rehab Strengthen Plan 🏃‍♂️
1️⃣ Isometric Igniter: 4x30s holds at 65% effort (e.g., single-leg heel raises for Achilles, seated calf holds for shins).
Why? Static holds jumpstart molecular signaling, boosting collagen production without stressing tendons. Ideal for early rehab or post-long-run recovery.

2️⃣ Heavy Slow Strength: 3 sets of 8 reps at 75–80% max, 2x/week, with 4-sec slow eccentrics (e.g., heel drops for Achilles, SL leg presses for patellar).
Why? Slow, heavy loads remodel tendon structure, aligning collagen fibres to handle repetitive stress from pounding on tar or dirt—building durability for marathons.

3️⃣ Dynamic Endurance Prep: Low-volume, sport-specific drills (e.g., short hill sprints for runners, cadence bursts for cyclists), gradually increasing intensity via neuromuscular adaptation.
Why? Mimic repetitive movement at speed—high-cycle demands or intervals cause tendons to absorb force and prevent breakdown over long efforts.

Keep RPE pain

20/06/2025

This is a plyometric exercise that involves stepping off a box 📦, landing in a quarter squat 🏋️‍♂️, and immediately exploding upwards into a vertical jump ⬆️.

This exercise combines the reactive strength developed from the depth jump with the power generation of a vertical jump 💥.

Why field-based athletes should include depth drop to vertical jumps:
🔹 Improves Explosive Power – Enhances the ability to rapidly generate force (e.g., jumping for headers or accelerating after landing).
🔹 Boosts Reactive Strength – Trains fast stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) efficiency, crucial for quick direction changes and sprinting 🏃‍♂️💨.
🔹 Strengthens: Lower-body muscles (quads, glutes, calves) and tendons while improving neuromuscular coordination for explosive movements 🦵⚡.

19/06/2025

Does a greater training load increase the risk of injury and illness in ultramarathon runners? 🏃‍♂️🤕

Endurance running has grown in popularity over the past 30 years due to its health benefits 💪 and accessibility. However, Craddock, Burgess & Buchholtz (2020) link it to an increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries 🦴, with injury rates in ultramarathon runners ranging from 18% to 92%. Prolonged high-intensity exercise may impair immune function 🧬, increasing the risk of upper respiratory infections 🤧.

Training load can significantly impact the risk of running-related injuries and illness. While training aims to improve performance through physiological adaptation 🏋️, excessive load can lead to injury or illness, and insufficient load may result in poor conditioning and performance 📉.

Gabbett defines training load as the combination of internal and external loads 📊, used to monitor an athlete over time ⏱️. Moderate acute-to-chronic workload ratios (ACWR), especially when combined with high chronic loads, have been shown to reduce injury risk ✅.

An ACWR of 0.8 to 1.3 is recommended to reduce injury risk in team sports like rugby, football, and cricket. However, this relationship is not well established in ultramarathon runners. The authors aim to contribute to the literature 📚 on injury and illness in ultramarathon runners and the use of internal and external loads, as well as ACWR and EWMA, for monitoring and prevention.

Ultramarathon Training Load Predictions 🔍
⚠️ Reduced training load may increase injury or illness risk

📏 Weekly mileage under 30 km may raise injury risk

📈 ACWR over 1.5 may increase injury risk in the following week

🤒 ACWR below 0.5 may increase illness risk in the following week

🔄 Sudden changes in weekly load increase risk

✅ An ACWR between 0.5 and 1.5 is ideal

🎯 Monitor absolute and relative workloads to reduce risk and improve performance

Reference
Craddock, N.L., Burgess, T. & Buchholtz, K. (2020). Does a greater training load increase the risk of injury and illness in ultramarathon runners? South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 32(1):1–6. https://doi.org/10.17159/2078-516x/2020/v32i1a8559

27/10/2022

For cyclists 🚴🏻 , there are specific benefits that come from adding in appropriate strength exercises.

👉🏻More Muscle, Better Performance.

👉🏻Creating Strength to Boost Speed on the bike.

👉🏻Core Strength for Stability and Endurance.

👉🏻Strength Training Boosts Overall Fitness.

👉🏻Correct Muscle Imbalances.

👉🏻Improve Cyclist Posture.

👉🏻Improved strength of slow twitch muscle fibers can spare cyclist fast twitch counterparts, which fatigue quickly.

06/10/2022

I find myself in discussions around this part of the program more and more...Endurance athletes love to overtrain and feel guilty when they need to take a day off 🤷🏼‍♂️.
Your body requires rest in order to repair and strengthen itself, which will create growth and strength in the next training block.
Vary your training to adapt your weekly rest and if you feeling guilty about taking that day off, add variety of putting in a low stress workout like stretching, mobility and flexibility. Just make sure to keep it very low on impact and stress.
But when there's a need for FULL shut down. Take it! This as important as your training and should never be negotiated or over looked.
Workouts are supposed to have variation, stressing the body on full pace will only result in burnout or injury as you are not teaching your body the difference between fast and slow pace when needed or making allowance for rest and recovery.
The law of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, if the same thing is done over and over, the same result occurs season after season, it’s that simple.
Continuous training can actually weaken the strongest athletes so rest days are critical for growth and too few rest or recovery days can lead to “overtraining syndrome” which is a very difficult condition to recover from.
What goes up must come down 👆🏻👇🏻 8 hrs minimum a night of 😴.

15/09/2022

Having a structured strength and core program is one thing, knowing what to do or how many times per week around your cycling/running program is another.
Here's some key points
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
This depends on which block or phase you are with your training.
Let's keep this simple ... Now ( no races ) building for next year or having a slight break before your build on "Base" phase.
Programs should be 30-45min max and be Anatomically Adapted to suit the person doing it.
This means more emphasis must be on the "training age" of the person, so the exercises are worked around knowledge and background of the individual. And are the starting point of your strength training. More body weight, posture, controlled compound movement exercises.
In this period you want to improve your posture 🧘, flexibility 🤸‍♀️, balance and core 🏋🏼. Watch your posture control on compound strength exercises.
No plyometrics/Speed 🤾🏼‍♀️and agility needed yet, as this phase is meant to work on torque power strength, low cadence and more Zn2 base miles 🐢 .
Important to make sure you have no post season niggles/weak points you have not dealt with after the season. This needs to be looked at prior your anatomical adaptation phase.
Someone new to training twice weekly, and a more experienced individual, 4 times weekly better preformed after you run or bike. This phase is key to slowly building up your strength and should be 3-6 weeks before you look at adding speed and larger strength adaptions and of course then to cut back to emphasize race intensity.

12/09/2022

Proteins are the building blocks of life.
Protein recommendations for endurance athletes have been suggested to be 1.2–1.6 g protein/kg/d.
🍗🥩🍳🍖
Athletes expend more energy than the average person and their bodies need additional nutrients to recover from intense physical activity.
Protein plays an important role in an athlete's eating plan as it helps repair and strengthen muscle tissue to help better performance the following day.
The basic structure of protein is a chain of amino acids. You need protein in your diet to help your body repair cells and make new ones.
Protein is important for growth and development and has many benefits.
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Studies show that protein is by far the most filling. It helps you feel more full — with less food this intern reduces appetite and hunger levels.
Reduces your level of the hunger hormone ghrelin. It also boosts the levels of peptide YY, a hormone that makes you feel full.
Eating adequate amounts of protein helps you maintain your muscle mass and promotes muscle growth when you add in strength training.
Proteins cannot be sorted in the body long term unlike carbohydrates and lipids. Unless you count muscle tissue itself.
People who eat more protein tend to have better bone health and a much lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures as they get older. Which aids in being able to take on a possible fall off the bike or on the trails.
This makes perfect sense, as it forms the main building blocks of your tissues and organs and aids in protections around these.
Protein is needed for the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to exercising muscles. Which is always a win for endurance athletes.
It’s critical for controlling fluid volume and maintaining water balance.
Numerous studies demonstrate that eating more protein after injury can help speed up recovery ❤️‍🩹.

Prehab

03/07/2025

01/07/2025

27/06/2025

26/06/2025

25/06/2025

21/06/2025

20/06/2025

19/06/2025

27/10/2022

06/10/2022

15/09/2022

12/09/2022

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category