Performance Podcast 74 - Theo Ballard Building A Stronger Tactical Athlete

SOFLETE

This week the guys were fortunate enough to reconnect with Dr. Theo Ballard, SOFLETE’s in-house physical therapist. Theo is a civilian Orthopedic and Sport Certified Performance Physiotherapist specializing in both sport and tactical performance, specifically with conventional and SOF military personnel. In this episode, George and Matt get some great insight into a few of the more common injuries and training pitfalls that Theo sees in his clinic. Theo then provides some awesome advice to help you navigate these and boost your own training at the same time. Finally, the guys geek out on the current best practice tendinopathy management protocols (spoiler alert- eating jello might cure your knee pain!) and compare notes on how best to train the foot- considering the requirements for most tactical professionals to operate in boots. Even if you’re not currently broken or in pain, this episode is well worth a listen; it provides a fantastic illustration of why Human Performance needs to be considered from a well-rounded and multidisciplinary perspective. Please see below for links to the resources that the gents mention during the podcast. Theo’s Instagram Page (https://www.instagram.com/tb_physio/?hl=en) Theo’s Website (www.tbphysio.com) Theo’s ‘Always Ready’ Performance Manual (https://www.tbphysio.com/store/p/jam0dibr3fj3l3glybnh0uyal1epku) Theo and Doug discussing Tendon Care (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fow2d61A8W4) A link to Dr. Keith Baar’s faculty page at UC Davis, where you can access many of his research papers (https://health.ucdavis.edu/physiology/faculty/baar.html) A paper from Dr. Keith Baar describing some of the topics Theo mentioned (https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/29/4/article-p453.xml)