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
Apr 20, 2021
Apr 20, 2021
43 min
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
Apr 12, 2021
Apr 12, 2021
53 min
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
Mar 30, 2021
Mar 30, 2021
42 min
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
Mar 28, 2021
Mar 28, 2021
33 min
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
Mar 16, 2021
Mar 16, 2021
38 min
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
Mar 6, 2021
Mar 6, 2021
1hr 11 min
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
Feb 24, 2021
Feb 24, 2021
38 min
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
Feb 19, 2021
Feb 19, 2021
38 min
Episode 68: Inform Performance X Elite Baseball Development Podcast Swapcast. In this episode Eric Cressey chats to Inform Performances own Ben Ashworth the Director of Performance for AC Sparta Prague and Director of the Athletic Shoulder. 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. Eric chats to Ben about the lessons he has learned through his experience in European football and rugby and highlights how coaches can more effectively monitor the workload of their athletes. We will be following this episode up with a second part where Inform Performance will be hosting Eric Cressey.
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
Feb 11, 2021
Feb 11, 2021
37 min
Episode 67: Andy McDonald chats to Jesse Green the Sacramento Kings Head of Sport Science. Jesse is an experienced practitioner who before taking on the head role at the Kings was a Performance Analyst for the team. Prior to working in the NBA Jesse worked at both University of Louisville Athletics and also the Brisbane Lions AFL team back home in Australia.
In this episode Andy & Jesse discuss:
- Role at the Kings
- Identifying the most impactful data
- Ecological Validly between training & competitive data sets
- Load management
- Distribution of load relative to peak intensities
- Comparing data sets - apples and oranges
- Implementing change
- Blending technical and tactical data
- Periodisation & adaptation in the NBA
Where you can find Jesse:
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
Feb 5, 2021
Feb 5, 2021
58 min
Episode 66: Andy McDonald hosts Ben Ashworth, Stig Andersson, Martin Asker & Fredrik Johansson to close the Inform Performance European Shoulder Series. All of the panelists for this discussion all recently recorded episodes with Ben leading into this group conversation.
In this episode Andy & the panel discuss:
- Biggest challenges working with shoulders
- Objective tests depending on sport
- Velocity based training assessment of the shoulder
- Tests for assessing the scapula
- Assessing the transfer of force from the lower-body to the upper-body
- Assessing trunk contribution to the shoulder in the kinetic chain
- Testing considerations for ACJ injuries
Where you can find the panel:
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