The Physical Performance Show

In episode 390 of The Physical Performance Show, we're syndicating a conversation from the All In Triathlon podcast, where Pogo Physio's very own Brad Beer, sports and exercise physiotherapist, joins hosts Jelle Geens and Aaron Royal for a deep dive into bone stress injuries (BSIs). Brad brings 20 years of clinical experience in endurance sport, plus his own lived experience of recurring femoral shaft bone stress injuries.
Together they explore whether BSIs are really on the rise, how advanced footwear technology may shift load up the chain, why some athletes are more bone-injury prone than others, and why under-fueling is such a powerful driver. Brad also shares his practical "bone density Olympics" prescription for athletes and coaches. It's a conversation that challenges how runners, triathletes and coaches think about bone health.
Huge thanks to Jelle, Aaron and the All In Triathlon team. Please head over and give their podcast a listen (link in the show notes below).
SHOW SPONSOR:
💯 Today's episode is brought to you by Pogo Physio's Telehealth consultations. If you're an endurance athlete battling bone, tendon or joint-related concerns, our online telehealth consultations with Brad Beer or any of the Pogo Physio team are an ideal platform to help get you back to your physical best. Book online at https://pogophysio.com.au.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL HEAR:
Whether we're really seeing more bone stress injuries, or whether social media and Strava just make them more visible
Brad's clinical experience: over 20 sacral bone stress injuries in a single year, the most he has ever treated
The difference between distal (below the knee) and proximal (above the knee) BSIs, and why the drivers differ
How advanced footwear technology (carbon-plated "super shoes") may reduce demand at the foot and ankle and shift load proximally
Why the recovery benefits of super shoes can also tempt athletes to tolerate more intensity and volume
Brad's practical advice on carbon shoes: avoid sudden wholesale changes rather than avoiding them altogether
Why changing the shoe-to-ground interaction shifts injury risk, from minimalist shoes and Achilles issues to high stack heights
Soft-tissue-prone vs bone-prone athletes: the roles of genetics, collagen quality, cellular turnover and athlete psychology
Why one previous bone stress injury raises the risk of another for the rest of an athlete's career, and why that cycle is so hard to break
How the drive to feel good and train hard can derail return-to-run plans, even when the athlete has all the head knowledge
The "engine before the chassis" problem: triathletes keep their cardiovascular fitness while injured, but their skeletons aren't ready for load
Why symptoms lag the biology, and why the run that tips you over may not be the run that caused the problem
Why you can go from no symptoms to a significant bone injury within a single run, and why pain levels don't reliably reflect severity
How bone density and bone geometry are built during a window through puberty and early adulthood
The perils of early sports specialisation and the value of multi-directional sports for building wider, more resilient bones
Why bone density can still be improved later in life through heavy lifting and fueling, while bone geometry can't be changed
How small daily energy deficits add up over a year, and why under-fueling is so hard to detect without data
How the body triages energy when under-fueled: reproductive function and bone health are deprioritised
The Australian triathlon data: how common BSIs were across an Olympic cycle, and the higher risk in female athletes
Whether you can be fit, strong and well-fueled and still develop a BSI, and why the time course matters
Secondary markers of under-fueling: iron studies, sex hormone profiles, menstrual cycle function and morning erections in males
Why Brad's one message for every coach is to get athletes to eat more than they think they need
When not to run through pain: when you know deep down that something isn't right
Brad's three priorities for the "bone density Olympics": eat more than you think you need, expose your skeleton to unfamiliar stimulus (plyometrics and multi-directional work), and schedule regular skeletal resets
Why Brad suggests every 12th week as a non-running week, and how cross-training, plyometrics, strength and fueling can continue
QUOTES / TAKEAWAYS:
"Just get athletes to eat more than they think they need."
"The symptoms lag the biology."
"You don't get atypical performance from typical thinking and typical behaviours."
"The body has to triage resources."
"Every little bit of width that you add to a bone circumference, you markedly make that bone more resilient."
"Athletes are great self-deceivers."
"Every 12th week as a non-running week."
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 – Episode introduction and sponsor
01:07 – Guest introduction: Brad Beer joins All In Triathlon
02:28 – Are we seeing more bone stress injuries?
04:39 – Brad's lived experience and clinical caseload
06:36 – Distal vs proximal bone stress injuries
07:35 – Carbon shoes and advanced footwear technology
13:18 – Why some athletes are more bone-injury prone
16:39 – Why one BSI raises the risk of another
18:34 – Brad's story: when psychology drives behaviour
20:27 – Returning to run: the engine vs the chassis
21:56 – Why symptoms lag the biology
23:15 – Pain, innervation and bone stress grades
25:12 – Bone density, geometry and multi-directional sport
27:08 – The window of opportunity and early specialisation
33:54 – Under-fueling: what happens to the bones?
39:27 – The Australian triathlon bone stress data
40:27 – Can a fit, strong, well-fueled athlete still get a BSI?
42:50 – The one thing every coach should understand
44:41 – Tracking fueling and secondary markers of under-fueling
48:01 – When should you not run through pain?
49:41 – The bone density Olympics: three priorities
52:10 – Skeletal reset: every 12th week
53:40 – Where to find Brad and wrap-up
54:34 – Episode close
Join The Physical Performance Show LEARNINGS membership through weekly podcasts here: https://www.patreon.com/TPPShow
Our goal is to get you back to your Physical Best. Find out more about Telehealth Consultations and book online.
YOUR HOSTS:
🏊🚴🏃 All In Triathlon Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7rqpbqsR8bQEyXWXewf89u
🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Brad Beer - Instagram & X @Bradbeer and YouTube on @PogophysioAu
The Physical Performance Show can be found at:
Facebook: facebook.com/thephysicalperformanceshowpodcast
X: @tppshow1
Instagram: @physicalperformanceshow
Please direct any questions, comments, and feedback to the above social media handles.

In episode 389 of The Physical Performance Show, Timothy Studley, physiotherapist at Pogo Physio, is joined by physiotherapist and PhD researcher Laura Anderson for a deep dive into shin splints, traditionally known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS). Laura is the owner of The Injury Clinic in Geelong and is wrapping up a PhD on running retraining for runners with MTSS.
Tim and Laura explore why MTSS may need a new name, what we do and don't know about the underlying pathology, and how to differentiate it from other causes of lower leg pain, particularly tibial bone stress injury. They also cover risk factors, load management, strengthening and plyometrics, and the limited role of gait retraining. It's a conversation that challenges conventional thinking for runners and clinicians alike.
SHOW SPONSOR:
💯 Today's episode is brought to you by Pogo Physio's Telehealth consultations. If you're an endurance runner battling bone, tendon or joint-related concerns, our online telehealth consultations are an ideal platform to help get you back to your physical best. Book online at https://pogophysio.com.au.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL HEAR:
Why MTSS is so poorly understood despite being commonly cited as one of the top three running injuries
Why the JOSPT editorial argues MTSS needs a new name, and why "load-induced medial leg pain" (LIMP) was proposed: it's a pain presentation, not a syndrome, and it doesn't imply a bone stress injury
The hypothesised tissue sources (soft tissue traction, deep crural fascia, cortical bone changes) and why none are conclusive, given similar findings in people without symptoms
How the name "medial tibial stress syndrome" may drive bone-focused management and be nocebic for patients
The main differentials: tibial bone stress injury, compartment syndromes, popliteal artery entrapment and nerve-related presentations
Typical LIMP characteristics: gradual onset, may or may not warm up, usually eases within about 24 hours, and diffuse tenderness along the medial border (≥5 cm) compared with the more focal tenderness of bone stress injury
Why LIMP and bone stress injury can co-exist, and why the athlete's story, training load history and symptom behaviour over time matter for diagnosis
Why LIMP is typically persistent and recurrent, and why a previous history is a risk factor
Risk factors: dynamic factors (foot function in walking and running, contralateral pelvic drop, plantar flexor endurance, lower limb muscle stiffness) are more convincing than static posture, plus female sex, higher BMI and previous history
The state of the treatment evidence (shockwave, strengthening, graded running programs) and why effects often fade over time
Why Laura treats LIMP as a load-based problem, and the challenge of balancing capacity-building with continuing to run
How to decide what level of pain is acceptable by combining pain, function and symptom behaviour, including why Laura is comfortable with around 5/10 if function is maintained and symptoms settle
Why capacity work (plantar flexor strength, plyometrics) may improve symptoms in the short term but isn't clearly linked to a faster return to running, with more to come from Laura's RCT
Why complete rest isn't generally helpful unless pain prevents everything else
The biggest load levers: intensity, frequency (rest days between runs) and volume, and why "easy" runs need to be genuinely conversational pace
Why gait retraining isn't the most important lever, and how technique changes can shift load to other tissues
Gym work: find the biggest deficit first, and combine strengthening with progressive plyometrics where testing isn't available
Where the term LIMP may go, and why accurate language helps patients, coaches and parents understand the injury
Laura's three tips each for runners and clinicians
Laura's physical challenge for the week
QUOTES / TAKEAWAYS:
"Language as clinicians is incredibly powerful and we have to be careful."
"It's a hell of a lot easier to explain if you just call it what it is."
"You just have to get comfortable with, at present, not knowing what it is and realising that that's okay."
"There's no blanket giving of gait retraining."
"I don't think a period of rest either improves their outcome in the short term or the long term."
"Walk more."
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 – Episode introduction and overview
01:39 – Guest introduction: Laura's clinical work and PhD
04:54 – Why MTSS needs a new name
06:23 – The proposed name: load-induced medial leg pain (LIMP)
07:51 – Hypothesised tissue sources: soft tissue vs cortical bone
13:31 – Differential diagnoses
16:20 – Typical LIMP presentation vs bone stress injury
22:36 – Diagnostic clues and the athlete's story
24:54 – Risk factors
27:37 – The state of the treatment evidence
30:29 – Treating LIMP as a load-based problem
33:19 – How much pain is acceptable?
36:14 – Does building capacity speed up recovery?
37:43 – The role of rest
38:38 – Load levers: intensity, frequency and volume
41:26 – Gait retraining
44:16 – Gym work: finding the deficit, strength and plyometrics
48:05 – Where will LIMP go from here?
49:29 – Why terminology matters
51:22 – Three tips for runners and three for clinicians
54:40 – Laura's physical challenge
56:10 – Laura's PhD timeline and contact details
58:04 – Episode close
Join The Physical Performance Show LEARNINGS membership through weekly podcasts here: https://www.patreon.com/TPPShow
Our goal is to get you back to your Physical Best. Find out more about Telehealth Consultations and book online.
YOUR HOSTS:
🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Timothy Studley - Pogo Physiotherapist: Instagram @timothy_physio
🔬 Laura Anderson - Physiotherapist and Researcher, The Injury Clinic, Geelong (laura@theinjuryclinic.com.au)
The Physical Performance Show can be found at:
Facebook: facebook.com/thephysicalperformanceshowpodcast
X: @tppshow1
Instagram: @physicalperformanceshow
Please direct any questions, comments, and feedback to the above social media handles.

In episode 388 of The Physical Performance Show, we're syndicating a conversation from the Physio Network platform's Physio Discussed podcast. Our own Brad Beer, Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist and Principal Physiotherapist at Pogo Physio, joins Dr. Brady Green, physiotherapist and researcher, and host Sarah Yule for a deep dive into calf muscle strain injuries.
Brad and Brady explore where research and clinical practice meet: how to profile physical capacity after a calf strain, what strength and reactive qualities need restoring before running, how to make return-to-run decisions, and how much attention footwear and imaging deserve. Brad brings the view from the clinical coalface, and Brady brings the latest research from high-performance sport.
A special thanks to the Physio Network platform for their generosity and collegiality in sharing this episode.
SHOW SPONSOR:
💯 Today's episode is brought to you by Pogo Physio's telehealth consultations. If you're an endurance runner battling bone, tendon or joint-related concerns, our online telehealth consultations are an ideal platform to help get you back to your physical best. Book online at https://pogophysio.com.au.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL HEAR:
What we understand better about calf strains than we did 5 to 10 years ago, including pathology, return-to-play timeframes, recurrence susceptibility and physical capacity profiling
How the soleus vs gastrocnemius distinction has changed return-to-run prescription, including avoiding plodding on return to a soleus-based running program
Why modifiable factors like strength, force production and stretch-shortening cycle proficiency matter alongside non-modifiable risk factors like age and prior calf strain history
Brad's top three clinical mistakes: not clearly establishing the mechanism and training load context, progressing too quickly, and not impressing on athletes the need for ongoing preventative loading
Why recurrence risk stays elevated long after return to play, and why preventative loading and load management may need to continue for the rest of the season
Longitudinal AFL data showing athletes can build soleus strength from pre-season to early competition and maintain it through the season, and why a decline in strength is a flag to act on
Why profiling the individual matters: a strong athlete may have strained their calf because of a stiffness deficiency or load management issue rather than weakness
Brad's three-legged stool framework: repeated force (endurance), peak force, and reactive strength/plyometric qualities
How to differentiate a gastrocnemius from a soleus strain using mechanism of onset, and why gradual, non-specific onset injuries are less likely to involve significant connective tissue disruption
The clinical assessment toolkit: observation, progressive loading tests, RPE, palpation, pain on contraction and stretch, and differential diagnosis (bone stress, deep flexors, plantaris)
Quality markers during calf testing, including eccentric control, long toe flexor clawing, rep counts and visible shakiness
Home-based repeated force exercises such as single-leg calf raises, stair walking and pulsing, plus cueing tips like using a metronome and watching line of force through the foot
Progressing from vertical to horizontal force production, including sled and Prowler pushes, step and box drills
Return-to-run criteria: symptom resolution, performance readiness, 20+ slow calf raises, and 20 to 30 single-leg pogo hops with symmetrical quality
Why holding your nerve for a few extra sessions at the end of rehab rarely costs you time, but rushing can
Objective metrics with force plates: sub-maximal and maximal isometric testing, testing in dorsiflexion, rate of force development, reactive strength index, and pulsing to fatigue
Footwear: Brad and Brady's "don't overcomplicate it, but be aware" approach, covering shoe drop, stiffness, rocker soles and stack height
What imaging can and can't tell us, and Brady's top-down decision-making framework from index vs recurrent injury through to aponeurosis involvement
The one thing each guest wants clinicians to do differently tomorrow
QUOTES / TAKEAWAYS:
"Do things well, not just at the level."
"We don't need to overcomplicate it, but we do need to be aware."
"The calf isn't always the culprit."
"It's often the hardest thing is to make the complex simple."
"You're not necessarily going to lose out if you hold your nerve for a few days or several sessions."
"What is the property that we're reconditioning? What is the stimulus that we're trying to apply?"
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 – Episode introduction and thanks to the Physio Network
00:46 – Episode overview and guest introductions
02:44 – What we understand better about calf strains now
04:08 – How clinical practice has evolved
05:01 – Soleus vs gastrocnemius return-to-run differences
07:53 – Top three mistakes when rehabbing calf strains
11:11 – How much strength is protective? Longitudinal AFL data
16:23 – The three-legged stool framework
17:48 – Differentiating soleus and gastrocnemius strains
20:40 – Clinical assessment: loading tests, palpation and quality markers
25:22 – Developing calf capacity in rehab
27:17 – Calf raise positioning and cueing
30:33 – Return-to-run criteria
35:19 – Force plate metrics and testing progressions
39:39 – How much attention should footwear get?
43:28 – Imaging and Brady's decision-making framework
48:11 – One takeaway for clinicians to apply tomorrow
50:05 – Episode close
Join The Physical Performance Show LEARNINGS membership through weekly podcasts here: https://www.patreon.com/TPPShow
Our goal is to get you back to your Physical Best. Find out more about Telehealth Consultations and book online.
YOUR HOSTS:
🎙️ Sarah Yule - Host, Physio Network @physionetwork + @sarah.yule.carr
🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Brad Beer - Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist and Principal Physiotherapist, Pogo Physio: @brad_beer
🔬 Dr. Brady Green - Physiotherapist and Researcher
The Physical Performance Show can be found at: Facebook: facebook.com/thephysicalperformanceshowpodcast X: @tppshow1 Instagram: @physicalperformanceshow
Please direct any questions, comments, and feedback to the above social media handles.

In episode 387 of The Physical Performance Show, host Tim Studley picks up part two of his conversation with fellow Pogo Physio physiotherapist Lewis Craig, continuing last week's deep dive into surf life saving and Ironman racing. This episode shifts focus from injury patterns to managing niggles, optimising performance, and the habits that separate top-tier surf ironman athletes from the rest.
Tim and Lewis discuss the collaborative decision-making involved in managing a recurring niggle, the key training and screening recommendations every surf life saving athlete should have in place, the lessons Lewis has learned working with elite athletes in the sport, and his top tips for improving performance — from sand-specific training to fuelling properly for a demanding training load.
SHOW SPONSORS:
💯 Today's episode is brought to you by Pillar Performance and Pogo Physio's telehealth consultations. If you are an endurance runner battling with bone, tendon, joint related concerns, our online Telehealth consultations are an ideal platform to help get you back to your physical best - book online at https://pogophysio.com.au.
💯 PILLAR Performance is leading a new frontier in sports nutrition through micronutrition innovation. Their new Collagen Repair formula, developed in collaboration with Gelita Laboratories, is designed to support tendon and ligament health while promoting collagen synthesis to help athletes stay healthy and perform at their best.
For 15% off your first order, visit https://pillarperformance.shop (or https://thefeed.com for North American listeners) and use the discount code PHYSICALPERFORMANCE (one word, capitals) at checkout.
 
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL HEAR:
A recap: this episode picks up where Part 1 (episode 386) left off, continuing the discussion on surf life saving and Ironman racing
Managing recurring niggles: why the decision to rest or continue training should be a collaborative one between physio, athlete and coach
How timing within the season affects the risk-benefit of resting versus maintaining training load
Why a first-time niggle warrants a more cautious, rest-forward approach compared to a chronic, familiar issue
Practical ways to modify training around a niggle — for example, adjusting swim technique (removing paddles, adding kick, more dry-land warm-up) rather than stopping entirely
The physiotherapist's role in performance: keeping athletes pain-free and injury-free so coaches can focus on skill and aerobic development
Baseline recommendations for surf life saving athletes: two gym sessions per week, individual screening, consistent dry-land warm-ups, and tracking training load
How swimmers can track training intensity despite the difficulty of measuring heart rate in the pool, including simple session RPE-based load tracking
Why tracking training load matters most when returning from injury or time out of the sport
The performance and injury-reduction upside of athlete and team awareness around REDs and energy availability
The value of a collaborative support team: coach, physio, dietician, sports psychologist and massage therapist working together
Lessons learned from working with elite surf life saving athletes, including individual variation in pain tolerance, treatment preferences and communication style
Common themes among top athletes: professionalism, a genuine quest for knowledge about their bodies and training, and long-term training consistency
Lewis's top three tips for improving performance: sand-specific training with a focus on calf and lower-limb capacity, prioritising shoulder health from a young age, and taking fuelling seriously
The best piece of performance advice Lewis has been given: you can only benefit from the training you can recover from
Closing thoughts on the sport deserving more attention, and interest in having surf life saving athletes themselves on the show in future
QUOTES / TAKEAWAYS:
"It should always probably be a collaborative decision between the physio treating the athlete, the athlete themselves, and the coach."
"Can I take one or two, three days now to maybe potentially avoid a bigger block or weeks of interrupted niggling soreness?"
"You can only benefit from the training you can recover from."
"Eat more than you think you need."
"There's a professionalism, there's a quest for knowledge, and then there's a consistency thing."
"It's trying not to confuse doing more with being best."
 
TIME STAMPS:
00:17 – Episode introduction and breakthrough experience
00:23 – Episode 387 introduction: Part 2 with Lewis Craig on surf life saving
02:22 – Managing a recurring niggle: how to approach the decision to rest or train through
03:20 – Timing within the season and its effect on rest decisions
04:20 – Why a first-time niggle warrants a more cautious approach
04:50 – Modifying training instead of stopping: examples from swimming
05:47 – The physio's role in performance: keeping athletes pain-free so coaches can coach
06:46 – Baseline recommendations: two gym sessions per week
07:41 – Screening to identify individual injury risk factors
08:06 – The value of consistent dry-land warm-ups
09:06 – Tracking training load and intensity in swimming
10:35 – Session RPE and simple load-tracking methods
11:06 – Why tracking load matters most when returning from injury
11:36 – Awareness of REDs and low energy availability
12:05 – Recap: gym, screening, warm-ups, training load, energy awareness, support team
12:32 – Lessons learned from working with elite surf life saving athletes
13:30 – Individual variation in athlete preferences and pain tolerance
13:59 – Common themes among top athletes: professionalism and consistency
15:24 – Lewis's top three tips for improving performance
16:22 – Recap: sand-specific training, shoulder health, fuelling
16:52 – The importance of eating enough to support training load
17:17 – The best performance advice: recovering from training, not just doing more
18:15 – Closing thoughts and interest in future athlete guests
18:45 – Episode close and thanks to Lewis Craig
19:17 – Recap of the two-part surf life saving discussion
19:36 – Pogo Physio Telehealth Consultations and closing details
 
 
Join the The Physical Performance Show LEARNINGS membership through weekly podcasts here: https://www.patreon.com/TPPShow
Our goal is to get you back to your Physical Best. Find out more about Telehealth Consultations and book online.
 
YOUR HOSTS:
🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Timothy Studley - Physiotherapist: Instagram @timothy_physio
💪 Lewis Craig - Physiotherapist and Clinical Lead, Pogo Physio: Instagram @_lewiscraig_
The Physical Performance Show can be found at: Facebook: facebook.com/thephysicalperformanceshowpodcast X: @tppshow1 Instagram: @physicalperformanceshow
Please direct any questions, comments, and feedback to the above social media handles.

In episode 386 of The Physical Performance Show, host Tim Studley sits down with fellow Pogo Physio physiotherapist Lewis Craig to explore the world of surf life saving and Ironman racing — a sport many listeners may be unfamiliar with, but one that shares a huge amount in common with traditional triathlon and endurance sport.
Tim and Lewis unpack what a typical training week looks like for a semi-professional surf ironman/ironwoman athlete, the most common injuries seen across swimming, ski paddling, board paddling and soft sand running, the disproportionate impact running-based injuries can have on an athlete's ability to race, and why energy availability, sleep and recovery are just as critical in this sport as they are in any other high-volume endurance discipline.
SHOW SPONSORS:
💯 Today's episode is brought to you by Pillar Performance and Pogo Physio's telehealth consultations. If you are an endurance runner battling with bone, tendon, joint related concerns, our online Telehealth consultations are an ideal platform to help get you back to your physical best - book online at https://pogophysio.com.au.
💯 PILLAR Performance is leading a new frontier in sports nutrition through micronutrition innovation. Their new Collagen Repair formula, developed in collaboration with Gelita Laboratories, is designed to support tendon and ligament health while promoting collagen synthesis to help athletes stay healthy and perform at their best.
For 15% off your first order, visit https://pillarperformance.shop (or https://thefeed.com for North American listeners) and use the discount code PHYSICALPERFORMANCE (one word, capitals) at checkout.
In this episode, you'll hear:
An introduction to surf life saving and Ironman racing: swimming, ski paddling, board paddling and soft sand running combined into one demanding sport
The semi-professional nature of the sport, and how prize money from series like the Shaw and Partners Ironman Series and World Ocean Series has helped athletes
A snapshot of a typical training day and week: double training sessions, four swim sessions, two to three ski paddling and board sessions, two gym sessions, two standalone runs, and Irons sessions combining all disciplines
Typical weekly training hours for competitive athletes — estimated in the range of 15 to 20+ hours per week
Similarities to other endurance sports: shared challenges around shoulder health, running-related injuries, and managing training load, intensity and recovery
Whether discipline-dominant athletes (runners, swimmers, paddlers) experience different injury patterns, and the possible link between strong runners and higher bone stress injury risk via REDs
What first drew Lewis to working with surf life saving and Ironman athletes, including his early experience working alongside elite athletes at Pogo Physio
Common injuries in the sport: shoulder tendinopathies (supraspinatus, subscapularis), low back pain, Achilles tendinopathy, calf strains, ankle sprains, toe injuries, knee pain, bone stress injuries, and trauma-related injuries from craft or contact
Why shoulder health is a season-long priority, while injuries that prevent running (calf strains, ankle sprains, bone stress injuries) carry the biggest time cost due to their impact on race ability
Estimated prevalence of athletes competing while managing a shoulder or low back niggle, and how this may fluctuate across the competitive calendar
An overview of the surf life saving racing calendar: trials, the Coolangatta Gold, and a condensed back-to-back race season with minimal true off-season
Why the Coolangatta Gold's extra soft sand running volume increases physical demand and potential injury risk
Common misconceptions about the physical demands of the sport, including underestimation of the aerobic and neuromuscular demands of soft sand running
The energy cost and muscle activation differences of soft sand running compared to running on grass or road (roughly 1.4–1.6x energy cost, near-double EMG activity in key running muscles)
Why maintaining some running — and ideally some soft sand running — year-round may help reduce injury risk when returning to high-intensity training
Physical qualities to develop for soft sand running: calf capacity, forefoot strength, neuromuscular control, balance and proprioception, and specific gym-based calf training strategies
Why strong road runners can't assume they have the capacity needed for soft sand running
Common training and recovery mistakes: under-fuelling relative to high training demands, and the potential role of low energy availability and REDs in this population
Warning signs of under-fuelling to watch for, including low iron, frequent illness, low libido in males, and menstrual cycle changes in females
The key pillars of recovery for these athletes: sleep, nutrition, well-structured and individualised training programming, and secondary recovery tools like massage, compression and cryotherapy
Quotes / takeaways:
"These athletes are really, really impressive... it really is akin to the traditional triathlete."
"It's a real juggling act, but also then makes it really meaningful to try and help these athletes."
"If we can't sand run, then often that's no racing."
"Go for a run on the sand and see how hard it is."
"I have a hypothesis that if these athletes all did more running, we'd see a heap of bone stress injuries."
"It gets tricky to do it well and do it right consistently."
Time Stamps:
00:00 – Episode introduction: surf life saving and Ironman racing with Lewis Craig
00:31 – What is surf life saving and Ironman racing?
01:30 – Semi-professional status and recent growth in prize money
02:27 – A typical training day and week for a competitive athlete
04:23 – Typical weekly training hours
05:23 – Comparisons to other endurance sports like triathlon
06:23 – Do discipline-dominant athletes get different injury types?
08:05 – What sparked Lewis's interest in the sport
11:28 – Most common injuries: shoulder, low back, running-related
13:26 – Which injuries carry the biggest performance and time cost
14:21 – Prevalence of athletes competing through shoulder or back niggles
16:34 – The surf life saving racing calendar and trials
18:24 – Biggest misconceptions about the physical demands of the sport
18:54 – The energy cost and muscle demands of soft sand running
20:24 – Bone stress injury risk around high-intensity competition periods
20:52 – Underestimating the aerobic demands of soft sand running
23:17 – Why maintaining year-round running and sand running may help
24:16 – Physical capacities to develop for soft sand running: calf, foot strength, balance
26:14 – Why road running fitness doesn't guarantee sand running capacity
26:43 – Common training mistakes: under-fuelling and REDs risk
29:35 – Warning signs of low energy availability to watch for
30:05 – Recovery pillars: sleep, nutrition, training structure
31:34 – Individualised recovery tools: massage, compression, cryotherapy
32:32 – Recap of key recovery pillars and closing thoughts
THE TEAM:
Join the The Physical Performance Show LEARNINGS membership through weekly podcasts here: https://www.patreon.com/TPPShow
Our goal is to get you back to your Physical Best. Find out more about Telehealth Consultations and book online.
Your Hosts:
🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Timothy Studley - Physiotherapist at Pogo Physio: Instagram @timothy_physio
💪 Lewis Craig - Physiotherapist and Clinical Lead, Pogo Physio: Instagram @_lewiscraig_
The Physical Performance Show can be found at: Facebook: facebook.com/thephysicalperformanceshowpodcast X: @tppshow1 Instagram: @physicalperformanceshow
Please direct any questions, comments, and feedback to the above social media handles.