
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.
Episodes

Monday Jun 07, 2021
Monday Jun 07, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Saturday May 22, 2021
Saturday May 22, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Wednesday May 05, 2021
Dr Daniel Coughlan (PGA European Tour - Head of Strength & Conditioning)
Wednesday May 05, 2021
Wednesday May 05, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
Matt Howley (Director of Performance at Real Salt Lake MLS Club)
Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Monday Apr 12, 2021
Sean Smith (Performance Coach at University of Louisville)
Monday Apr 12, 2021
Monday Apr 12, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
Véronique Richard (Cirque du Soleil - Mental Performance Consultant)
Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Sunday Mar 28, 2021
Nic Gill (All Blacks Strength & Conditioning Coach)
Sunday Mar 28, 2021
Sunday Mar 28, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Tuesday Mar 16, 2021
Ian Gatt (GB Boxing Head Of Performance Services)
Tuesday Mar 16, 2021
Tuesday Mar 16, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Saturday Mar 06, 2021
Clive Brewer - Part 2 (Performance Specialist)
Saturday Mar 06, 2021
Saturday Mar 06, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team

Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
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:
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:
Our Team