Elbow tendons are common sites of overuse injury in many athletes and active individuals. Tendonitis of the medial and lateral tendons often goes by names like Tennis Elbow, Golfers Elbow, Little League elbow, and Swimmers elbow.
If you’re struggling with elbow pain, understanding the causes and effective strategies for recovery can make a world of difference.
The Injury
Elbow tendonitis, or more accurately tendonosis in some cases, occurs when the tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the elbow joint become inflamed or damaged due to repetitive stress.
This condition can be excruciating and debilitating, affecting not only athletes but anyone who engages in repetitive arm motions.
Golfers elbow and tennis elbow are common injuries affecting different elbow tendons.
Medial Elbow Tendonitis (Golfer’s Elbow)
Medial elbow tendonitis, is commonly known as Golfer’s Elbow. It is a condition that primarily affects the tendons on the inner side of the elbow. Individuals engaging in activities requiring repetitive gripping, lifting, or swinging motions often experience this.
Golfers, as the name suggests, are particularly prone to this condition. That’s due to the repetitive stress of swinging a golf club. However, it can also affect people involved in weightlifting, construction work, or even those who spend long hours typing on a keyboard.
Golfer’s Elbow is characterized by pain and tenderness on the inner side of the elbow. Sometimes that pain radiates down the forearm. Gripping objects, and simple tasks like shaking hands or turning a doorknob can be painful.
Lateral Elbow Tendonitis (Tennis Elbow)
“Tennis” elbow is a common tendon injury in racket sports like tennis and pickleball, but it can also occur from other repetitive forearm and wrist motions.
Lateral elbow tendonitis, or Tennis Elbow, is a condition that affects the tendons on the outer side of the elbow. This type of injury is frequently associated with activities that involve repetitive gripping and wrist extension. Think of the racquet motion while playing tennis or pickleball.
However, it can also occur in people using hand tools, or even working on a computer for extended periods.
The pain is often exacerbated during activities that involve gripping or lifting, like swinging a tennis racket or carrying heavy objects.
Inner elbow pain is also called Pitcher’s elbow. While it primarily affects baseball pitchers, it can also affect other athletes who engage in overhead throwing motions, such as softball players and javelin throwers.
1. REBUILD Tendon and Kinetic Chain Strength
To alleviate elbow pain and prevent further injury, you must focus on rebuilding strength. Strength in the tendon and in the entire upper kinetic chain.
Strengthen It
Strengthening the tendon involves a three-phase approach:
Isometric: This phase focuses on reducing pain and initiating the strengthening process. Isometric exercises involve static contractions that don’t cause the tendon to lengthen or shorten.
Eccentric Strengthening: This step is crucial for improving tendon function and reducing pain. Eccentric exercises require the muscle to lengthen under load, helping to build tendon resilience.
Rapidly: Incorporating quick reactive loads into your training regimen helps the tendon prepare for sports movements and enhances its elasticity.
Strengthen the Entire Upper Kinetic Chain to Get Rid of Elbow Pain
Remember that excessive stress on the elbow tendon can result from weaknesses or limitations in other parts of the upper body, such as the shoulder, neck, and scapular-thoracic joint. A holistic approach to getting rid of your elbow pain is strength training to distribute the load more evenly and reduce the strain on your elbow.
2. REMODEL the Tendon and Collagen Fibers
You can use these remodeling tactics help align and change composition of collagen fibers
Remodeling the damaged tendon and realigning collagen fibers are vital for long-term recovery. Here are some techniques to consider:
Eccentric Strengthening: As mentioned earlier, eccentric exercises are not only beneficial for strength but also serve as a stimulus for remodeling damaged tendon tissue.
Manual Therapy: Techniques like myofascial release, myofascial decompression cupping, and cross-friction massage can stimulate collagen fiber realignment and promote healing.
Nutrition: Incorporating collagen peptides and vitamin C into your diet can support the remodeling process by providing essential building blocks for connective tissue repair.
Red Light Therapy: This non-invasive treatment has shown effectiveness in reducing pain and improving function in superficial tendons like those in the elbow. Learn more about Red Light therapy.
Blood Flow Restriction: An emerging technology, blood flow restriction, can help stimulate cellular healing and trigger the release of growth hormone, aiding in tissue repair.
Restore Pliability of Tendon and Upper Kinetic Chain
Restoring tissue pliability is a critical aspect of recovery when dealing with elbow pain, especially for athletes and active individuals. It involves addressing the flexibility and adaptability of the muscles, tendons, and fascia in the upper kinetic chain, from the shoulder down to the hand. This process not only reduces excessive stress on the elbow but also enhances overall performance and reduces the risk of future injuries.
Manual tissue work can help restore pliability to tissue throughout the kinetic chain and reduce stress on the elbow tendons.
Here are some effective methods to restore tissue pliability and get rid of elbow pain:
Tissue Work: Manual therapy techniques like massage, myofascial release, and myofascial decompression cupping can target specific areas of tension, breaking up adhesions, and improving tissue elasticity.
Assisted Stretching: Working with a qualified sports or physical therapist can help you perform assisted stretching exercises that target the muscles and fascia of the upper kinetic chain. This can help improve flexibility and range of motion.
Self Myofascial Release: Use Self-myofascial release techniques such as foam rollers, lacrosse balls, or specialized massage at home. This targets trigger points and tight areas in the muscles and fascia. This can be particularly beneficial for maintaining tissue pliability between therapy sessions.
By incorporating these methods into your recovery routine, you can enhance the pliability of your upper kinetic chain, reduce excessive stress on the elbow, and enjoy improved performance and comfort in your sports and activities.
TL:DR to Get Rid of Elbow Pain
These proven strategies help improve tendon health and alleviate the pain associated with conditions like Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow.
The key is to take action early, before the tendon degenerates into a chronic problem.
By rebuilding tendon and kinetic chain strength, remodeling collagen fibers, and restoring the pliability of the upper kinetic chain, you can return to enjoying your sports and activities without the burden of persistent pain.
Don’t let elbow pain hold you back; take these steps to reclaim your active lifestyle.
As an expert in performance and human physiology, I have seen firsthand the debilitating effects of tendon injuries on athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or a weekend warrior, healthy tendons are essential to achieving optimal performance and avoiding injury. Fortunately, there’s a simple and effective way to improve tendon health: collagen peptides.
What Are Tendons?
Before diving into the benefits of collagen peptides, it’s important to understand what tendons are and why they’re so crucial to overall health and performance. Tendons are fibrous connective tissues that attach muscles to bones. They’re responsible for transmitting the force generated by muscles to produce movement. Tendons are also critical in stabilizing joints and providing structural support to the body.
Why Do Tendon Injuries Happen?
Tendon injuries can occur for a variety of reasons, including overuse, trauma, and aging. Tendons have a limited blood supply, which means they receive less oxygen and nutrients than other tissues in the body. This makes them more susceptible to damage and slower to heal. Additionally, tendons are made up of collagen fibers that can become stiff and less pliable with age, further increasing the risk of injury.
How Can Collagen Peptides Improve Tendon Health?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and it’s a key component of tendons. Collagen peptides are short chains of amino acids derived from collagen. They improve tendon health in several ways.
First, collagen peptides can stimulate the production of new collagen fibers in tendons. This helps to increase the strength and elasticity of tendons, making them more resistant to injury. In one study, athletes who consumed collagen peptides experienced a significant increase in collagen synthesis in their tendons, which translated to improved performance and reduced injury risk.
Second, collagen peptides can improve the quality of existing collagen fibers in tendons. Collagen fibers can become damaged and degraded over time, leading to decreased tendon function and an increased risk of injury. Collagen peptides help repair damaged collagen fibers, improving tendon function and reducing the risk of injury.
Third, collagen peptides can help reduce inflammation in tendons. Inflammation is a common cause of tendon pain and injury, and it can also slow down the healing process. Collagen peptides have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, reducing inflammation in tendons and promoting faster healing.
Rapid Loading and Strength Exercise to Improve Tendon Health
Collagen peptides can be a useful tool in improving tendon health, but they work even better when combined with specific exercises that target the tendons. Two such exercises are rapid loading and strength exercises.
Rapid loading involves applying a sudden and forceful load to a tendon, such as jumping or hopping exercises. This type of exercise can be particularly effective for improving tendon health because it stimulates the growth of new collagen fibers, which strengthen the tendon and improve its elasticity.
Strength exercise, on the other hand, involves gradually increasing the load on a tendon over time, such as with weightlifting exercises. This type of exercise can also be effective for improving tendon health because it increases the strength of the tendon and improves its ability to handle stress.
How to Incorporate Collagen Peptides into Your Diet
Collagen peptides are available as a dietary supplement and can be easily incorporated into your daily routine. Look for a high-quality collagen peptide supplement that is derived from grass-fed, pasture-raised animals and is free of artificial additives and preservatives.
It’s important to note that while collagen peptides can be an effective way to improve tendon health, they’re not a magic bullet. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and proper rest are all essential for maintaining healthy tendons and preventing injury.
TL;DR Collagen Peptides for Tendon Health
In summary, tendons are critical for overall health and performance, and collagen peptides are a simple and effective way to improve tendon health. Collagen peptides can stimulate the production of new collagen fibers, repair damaged collagen fibers, and reduce inflammation in tendons. By incorporating collagen peptides into your diet and taking other steps to maintain healthy tendons, you can reduce your risk of injury and achieve optimal performance.
Are you a hardcore athlete yearning to hit the field, track, or court again after a pesky hamstring injury? We’ve got your back (and hamstrings)!
It’s time to turn your setback into a heroic comeback. With the right game plan and determination, you’ll be sprinting toward victory in no time.
In this guide, we’ll equip you with a toolkit for returning to sport after a hamstring injury. So, lace up your sneakers and let’s embark on this exciting journey!
The Road to Recovery: Preparing for the Comeback
The road to glory starts with healing the hamstring. Before diving into action, ensure you have the green light from a sports physician or physical therapist. With the injury phase behind you, it’s time to focus on reclaiming your athletic skills.
And this means a lot more than just resting until it heals and going back to sport. Inadequate and incomplete rehabilitation is considered a major risk factor and why previous hamstring strain is the largest risk factor for future strains (Tokutake 2018).
Rebuilding Tissue and Restoring Length: Flexible and Strong
One of the most critical aspects of returning to sport after a hamstring injury is ensuring the hamstring muscles are both flexible and strong.
Rebuilding damaged tissue and restoring optimal length are essential for regaining full function and preventing future injuries.
Here’s why focusing on these aspects is vital for your triumphant comeback:
Rebuilding Tissue: Healing for Resilience
When a hamstring injury occurs, it often results in damage to the muscle fibers and surrounding connective tissues.
These tissues need time to heal properly and regain their resilience. Engaging in controlled and progressive exercises is key to promoting healing while minimizing the risk of re-injury.
Rebuilding the muscle tissue means building strength so the healing fibers align properly.
Example Exercises:
Isometric Contractions: Perform isometric hamstring contractions by placing your foot on a stable surface and gently pushing down against it for a few seconds. Isometric exercises stimulate the healing process without putting excessive strain on the muscles.
Eccentric Hamstring Curls: Lower the leg slowly during a hamstring curl, focusing on the lengthening phase. Eccentric exercises help rebuild tissue strength while reducing the risk of excessive tension on the muscles.
Restoring Length: Flexibility for Optimal Function
Following a hamstring injury, scar tissue may form, leading to decreased muscle flexibility.
Restoring optimal muscle length is crucial for improving overall function, preventing compensatory movements, and reducing the risk of future injuries.
Example Exercises:
Active Stretching: Engage in active hamstring stretching by lying on your back, raising one leg, and gently pulling it towards your chest. Active stretches help lengthen the muscles while promoting blood flow to the area.
Dynamic Lunges: Incorporate dynamic lunges, emphasizing a deep stretch in the hamstrings, as part of your warm-up routine. Dynamic stretching prepares the muscles for more intense movements while gradually increasing their flexibility.
Stretching, self-myofascial release, and professional soft tissue work are all part of restoring your full range of motion after a hamstring injury.
Strengthening the Posterior Chain and Core: Powerhouse Players
Unlocking your full athletic potential after a hamstring injury requires tapping into the strength of your posterior chain and core.
These powerhouse players play a vital role in sprinting, jumping, and overall sports performance. Here’s why focusing on these muscle groups is crucial for your triumphant return:
Strengthening the Posterior Chain: Engine of Power
The posterior chain, consists of the facia and msucles of the calves, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. They are responsible for generating power during explosive movements like sprinting and jumping.
By strengthening these muscles, you’ll enhance your ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change direction effectively.
You’ll also make sure your every part of the chain is contributing and not forcing to much load on just the hamstrings.
Example Exercises:
Romanian Deadlifts: This classic exercise targets the hamstrings and glutes, promoting strength and stability in the posterior chain. Keep your back straight, and hinge at the hips while lowering the weights down your shins.
Kettlebell Swings: A dynamic exercise that engages the hamstrings and glutes through explosive hip extension. Hinge at the hips and use the force generated by your hips to swing the kettlebell forward.
Back Extensions: Targeting the lower back muscles, back extensions strengthen the erector spinae, promoting stability and preventing lower back injuries.
Core and Pelvic Stability: The Epicenter of Performance
A strong and stable core is the epicenter of athletic performance. It provides a solid foundation for efficient movement and transfers power from the lower body to the upper body and vice versa.
Moreover, a stable pelvis is crucial for optimal biomechanics during dynamic movements. If your pelvis is shifting out of control in sprinting and sports movements, excessive stress can be placed on your hamstrings.
Example Exercises:
Planks Variations: Planks are a classic core exercise that targets the entire core, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. Try plank variations like side planks and plank with leg lifts for a more challenging workout.
Glute Bridges with Marching: By lifting one foot off the ground during a glute bridge, you challenge pelvic stability while activating the hip abductors. This exercise helps address any imbalances and ensures proper alignment during movement.
Russian Twists: This rotational core exercise engages the obliques and transverse abdominis. Use a medicine ball or weight to increase the intensity.
Remember, consistency and proper form are key. Gradually increase the intensity of your workouts, and don’t forget to allow for adequate rest and recovery. By focusing on strengthening the posterior chain and core, you’ll lay a strong foundation for your triumphant return to sport and a future filled with athletic excellence.
Incorporating Speed and Agility: The Need for Speed
Speed and agility are the bread and butter of athletic performance, and mastering these skills is essential for a triumphant return to sport after a hamstring injury.
By incorporating speed-specific drills and plyometric exercises into your training, you’ll elevate your game and leave your competitors in the dust.
The Demands of Full-Speed Sprinting on Hamstring Muscles
Sprinting at full speed places some of the highest demands on the muscles of the body, particularly the hamstrings. (Learn more about the science of speed mechanics here)These powerful muscles are crucial for propelling the body forward during explosive movements, such as sprinting.
However, it’s important to understand that while various exercises and drills can help prepare the hamstrings, nothing fully replicates the intensity and stress that sprinting at top speed places on these muscles.
During a full-speed sprint, the hamstrings undergo rapid and forceful contractions to propel the body forward with maximum velocity.
They are responsible for extending the hip and flexing the knee, generating the necessary power to cover ground rapidly.
Additionally, the hamstrings play a vital role in deceleration, eccentrically controlling the leg’s forward motion during the swing phase to prepare for the next stride.
Without specific exposure to full-speed sprints, the hamstrings may not be fully prepared for the explosive power and high-intensity efforts required during competition.
Incorporating full-speed sprinting into your training regimen, under the guidance of a skilled coach or physical therapist, can help bridge the gap between strength training and on-field performance.
Mastering Speed: Ignite Your Explosive Power
In sports, speed is often the difference between victory and defeat.
Speed drills help you maximize your acceleration, top-end speed, and agility, ensuring you’re always one step ahead of the game.
Example Sprint Drills:
A-Skips: This drill focuses on proper knee drive and foot dorsiflexion, training your body to maintain an upright posture and develop powerful strides.
Dribbles: Quick, short strides performed at high frequency, mimicking the fast turnover needed for rapid acceleration.
Fast Leg Drills: Rapidly alternating high knee lifts with each step, enhancing hip flexor strength and improving stride frequency.
Posterior Focused Speed Drills: Restoring Hamstring Function For Sprinting
When it comes to speed, your posterior chain muscles play a starring role and the hamstrings need to be ready.
Strengthening and activating these muscles in specific drills will not only optimize your sprinting performance but also reduce the risk of future hamstring injuries.
Example Posterior Speed Drills:
Straight Leg Gallops: Pull forward with exaggerated strides, focusing on extending the hip backward with each step. This drill targets the hamstrings and glutes for the high speed contractions in sprinting mechanics.
Straight Leg Shuffles: Maintain a straight leg during forward shuffles, engaging the glutes and hamstrings to pull back at the ground explosively.
Straight Leg Sprints and Bounds: Emphasize hip flexion and pulling backwards during sprints and bounds, engaging the posterior chain for maximum power output. For runs you focus on speed and for bounds you focus on getting long strides with more air time.
Proper Butt Kick/Thigh Pop Exercises: Execute a “butt kick” action, emphasizing pulling the heel under the glute, while focusing on bringing the thigh parallel to the ground. These drills reinforce the importance of proper hip extension in sprinting.
Gradual Progression to Full-Speed Sprinting: Patience Pays Off
As you approach the pinnacle of your return-to-sport journey, gradual progression becomes the key to unlocking your full potential.
While you may be eager to unleash your full speed, it’s essential to approach it with patience and a well-structured plan.
Why Gradual Progression Matters After Hamstring Injury
Gradual progression allows your body to adapt and build resilience to the demands of full-speed sprinting.
By respecting the healing process and respecting the guidelines set by your physical therapist, you’ll mitigate the risk of re-injury and lay a solid foundation for long-term success.
Studies have shown that a progressive return-to-sport program leads to better outcomes, reducing the risk of re-injury and promoting a smoother transition back to full competition (Ishøi et al., 2018).
Step-by-Step Outline for Gradual Progression
1: Foundation Building
Start with low-impact exercises, such as stationary cycling or pool workouts, to maintain cardiovascular fitness without excessive stress on the hamstring.
Engage in gentle static and dynamic stretching to improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension.
2: Low-Speed Drills
Introduce low-speed drills like jogging, skipping, and ankle dribbles to ease your body back into dynamic movements.
Continue to focus on core stability and posterior chain activation during these drills.
3: Controlled Acceleration
Gradually increase your pace with controlled acceleration drills, such as build-up sprints or gradual accelerations over short distances.
Emphasize proper sprint mechanics and form during these drills.
During this phase progressively use the posterior chain speed drills to prepare the hamstrings.
4: Sub-Maximal Sprints
Gradually build to fast calf and knee dribbles.
Execute sub-maximal sprints at around 60-70% of your maximum effort.
Pay attention to any signs of discomfort or fatigue and adjust your intensity accordingly.
5: Full-Speed Exposure
Incorporate full-speed sprints in a controlled environment, such as on a track or field, under the guidance of your physical therapist or coach.
Begin with shorter distances, such as 20-30 meters, and gradually progress to longer sprints.
Continue the posterior chain speed drills as part of your warm-up.
Full Speed Sprints in Practice: Prevent Hamstring Strains Through Exposure
Research suggests that incorporating some exposure to full-speed sprints during practice can help prevent hamstring injuries. By gradually integrating high-speed movements into your training regimen, your hamstring muscles adapt and become better equipped to handle the demands of sports competition.
A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that athletes who performed short, maximal sprints during practice had a lower risk of hamstring injuries compared to those who only trained at sub-maximal intensities (van der Horst et al., 2015).
With a gradual progression plan, you’ll develop the strength, flexibility, and confidence needed to sprint at full speed without fear. Trust the process, believe in your body’s ability to recover, and remember that your journey to greatness is defined by resilience, determination, and patience.
Conclusion: The Epic Triumph
Congratulations, Hamstring Hero! You’ve come a long way on your journey to reclaiming your speed. With determination, dedication, and a strategic plan, you’ve transformed setbacks into stepping stones, turning your hamstring injury into a triumphant comeback story.
As you prepare to step back onto the field, track, or court, remember these key takeaways that have paved the way for your epic triumph:
TL;DR – Your Key Takeaways
Rebuilding tissue and restoring hamstring length is essential for healing and regaining flexibility.
Strengthening the posterior chain and core provides a solid foundation for explosive performance and stability.
Speed drills prepare your hamstrings for the high demands of top-end speed,.
Gradual progression is crucial for building resilience and minimizing the risk of re-injury.
Full-speed exposure during practice helps prevent hamstring injuries and prepares you for competition.
Your return to sport after a hamstring injury is not just a mere comeback; it’s a testament to the hero within you.
You’ve navigated the path of resilience, endured the challenges of recovery, and emerged stronger than ever before.
As you sprint towards your goals, remember to cherish each milestone and celebrate your victories along the way. There will likely be frustrations and small setbacks, but that’s part of the stroy.
So, Hamstring Hero, the field awaits you with open arms. Embrace the epic triumph that awaits, and unleash your full potential on your quest for athletic excellence. It’s time to claim your rightful place as a true champion!
Unleash Your Athletic Potential and Rediscover Your Inner Champion!
While the sports and fitness industries are filled with hype, flashy social media accounts, and short-lived personalities, Velocity Sports Performance is quietly continuing 2 decades of excellence by sending athletes to another Olympic Games.
When Velocity was founded in 1999 outside Atlanta, Georgia, Olympians from 5 countries were working with legendary coach, Loren Seagrave. Seagrave was an elite track coach and the founder of Velocity Sports Performance. In that very first Velocity facility, USA Bobsled athletes worked with Coach Seagrave to improve their speed for the 2002 Winter Games.
That tradition of working with elite Olympic athletes continued as Global High-Performance Director Ken Vick set up shop in Redondo Beach in 2005.
“Olympic sports were always a passion for me. I was a Weightlifting coach for several international level lifters and the intensity and passion of athletes pursuing their Olympic dream is unique,” says Vick.
He’d know something about that as he coached multiple athletes going to the Games and directed the high-performance team behind many others, even whole Olympic Committees. In the last decade under his watch, Velocity has supported 54 medal winners across 13 different sports.
Measured Performance
In Vick’s view “For a performance coach, one of the unique aspects of many Olympic sports is that they are measured objectively. We time how fast someone runs, cycles, swims, or paddles. You measure how far they throw or jump, or how much weight they can lift.”
This means that the results of training programs are much more visible. “You can see if what you are doing with them is working. You can’t hide bad training behind a great team or tactics,” he adds.
This has been a major influence on Velocity’s methodology in training, sports medicine, and recovery. “Since we have always dealt with these Olympic athletes, we put added emphasis on measuring training variables and exploring the methods that produced the greatest results. Velocity’s methods have been based on science, proven in the field, and continually refined to stay on top.”
Today Velocity has brought many of these training technologies and methods to the average high school athlete walking through their doors. The elite-level devices, monitoring systems, and training methods are accessible to all.
Velocity has supported National teams and Athletes at the Olympic Games in these sports
Athletics (Track & Field)
Badminton
Beach Volleyball
Boxing
Diving
Fencing
Freestyle Wrestling
Indoor Volleyball
Modern Pentathlon
Rowing
Soccer
Softball
Sprint Kayak
Sprint Canoe
Swimming
Synchronized Swimming
Table Tennis
Track Cycling
Weightlifting
Supporting Athletes Around the Globe
International Olympic sport has a history of top coaches being recruited to countries with budgets and looking to improve their performance. Working across borders is part of the game and one of the great opportunities to have a lasting impact globally.
Aspiring athletes and pros in the US weren’t the only ones to notice what Velocity was doing. With a steady international clientele, the word was getting out. Countries looking for better performance noticed.
In their build-up for the 2012 Olympics, Team GB brought their developing beach volleyball program to Redondo Beach and asked Velocity to help. It made sense since Velocity had experience training so many top AVP and international players. Now Velocity was tasked with helping them raise their game as the London Olympics approached.
The Chinese Olympic Committee had been a top nation in the medal count, but in 2013 they started working with Velocity in a few targeted sports and several of their provincial programs. A few years later Velocity was working alongside another performance company called EXOS preparing athletes across the entire Chinese Olympic Program.
Velocity coach Mark Williams working with the Chinese Womens Wrestling Team that included two 2016 Rio Olympic Medalists.
“The experience of deploying Integrated Support Teams on the ground in China and advising their teams was incredible. We had challenges that we never imagined but an incredible opportunity to have an impact,” reflects Vick. “Making sure we could coordinate the sports medicine, strength training, speed work, conditioning, and recovery was a task. There was an outdated system there, language and cultural barriers, and we were trying to make a major shift. That’s a tall order, but we were able to see results.”
Years of working with elite performers have driven a methodology based on integrating these different domains. When the entire integrated support team works together to support the effort of the athlete and the plan of the sports coaches, the results speak for themselves.
Winter Olympics Too
Velocity’s expertise doesn’t stop when cold weather hits. Athletes and National Teams from the Winter Olympic Games have relied on Velocity as well. Olympic hockey players, speed skaters, bobsledders, skiers, and snowboarders have all been trained by Velocity.
“Many of the winter sports have incredible demands on the athletes. Take slopestyle and halfpipe events. The forces these athletes experience on jumps and landings are enormous,” says Vick. “We have to not only train for the event but sometimes, more importantly, to be durable and healthy. If you cant practice and develop your skills on the snow because you’re hurt, it doesn’t matter how good you are.”
That’s why Velocity has hosted several national teams in its elite centers. The impact was so visible that they’ve also deployed coaches and sports medicine professionals to work with teams and travel around the globe.
Elite Technology
Managing Velocity staff working with teams all around the world in different time zones presents challenges. One of the solutions for Velocity is taking advantage of cutting-edge technology.
“Technology like our Athlete Management System brings together data from multiple sources so we can use our Integrated Support Team to assist those professionals out in the field. Those coaches and sports medicine professionals aren’t on their own.”
One of the tools that they have used for years is a device from Australia called Gymaware. Its measures vary biomechanical properties of athletes when they are jumping or lifting weights. This highly scientific data can be sued to make programming decisions or day-to-day adjustments.
“The Gymaware tool is a scientifically proven device that’s completely portable. While I love using force plates, they are big and bulky so not great for a team going from country to country every weekend,” laughs Vick. “We get to use the same device to both test and train the athlete and the data feeds right into our athlete management system automatically.”
Today this same technology that was refined and proven with the world’s most elite athletes, is being used in Velocity centers for athletes of all levels. Its also be used remotely by some athletes who follow digital training programs on their own. This lets coaches monitor their training and make precise adjustments to the plan.
Road to Tokyo
One of Velocity’s US locations is an 11,000 sq ft facility hidden away in El Segundo, CA. Once a site that once housed engineers helping send the mercury and Apollo astronauts to space, the spirit of innovation continues as athletes prepare for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The sprint events in track cycling aren’t well known in the US, but they are known at Velocity. After hosting training camps for the US team before the 2008 Bejing Olympics, they’ve now helped cyclists from 4 different countries. One thing remains consistent for these athletes, being strong & powerful. Track sprinters need strength to get the fixed gear bikes up to speed and power to sustain the high speeds attained on the velodrome track.
In 2012 Velocity supported the US Sprint team as well as Trinidad & Tobago athlete Njisane Phillips. Then for the Rio Olympics, they supported the entire Chinese team including the eventual Gold medalists in the Women’s Team Sprint. They also hosted the Australian team in their Redondo Beach for a 1-month holding camp right before the Games.
Athlete Maddie Godby is a Team USA Sprint Cyclist who will compete in Tokyo. She has been training at Velocity Sports Performance with Coach Ken Vick.
Team USA athlete Maddie Godby is the latest track sprinter training with Velocity. The 28-year-old international competitor came to Coach Vick with the goal of getting stronger and more explosive.
Training 2-3 days a week in the gym, she’s used that same Gymaware technology to monitor and prescribe highly specific training that fits her unique needs as an individual and as a sprint cyclist.
“We are fine-tuning at this stage so there are targets and we want to hit the right zones. Just to have that feedback is really helpful. Sometimes that means adding more weight and other times it means less.” comments Godby.
So far, it’s working. She performed at a high level in May in Hong Kong at the only international event in over 14 months. She spent most of that time off the velodrome track since they were closed in the pandemic. However, putting in time, training in the gym, has made her much stronger and explosive. Qualities she’ll put to use in Tokyo.
But there is more than just training according to Godby. “I’m really good at pushing myself and training hard. So in order to do that I needed to find ways to recover better. So that’s a really big part of what I’ve been doing at Velocity.”
Other Athletes in Tokyo
Like many Americans, Velocity will also be excitedly watching the Men’s Basketball competition in Tokyo. This location and its Redondo Beach predecessor have also trained USA Basketball team members Kevin Durant and Draymond Green in past off-seasons.
Swimming will also be high on the list. Velocity was also under contract to support the Chinese Swimming Association for 2 years up to the Olympics Games. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, that plan got cut short in early 2020 after over a year of work put in. Still, several former Velocity staff members including Coach Zach Murray stayed behind to continue working all the way up to the Games.
The Olympic Dream
In the USA many athletes in smaller sports struggle to survive as they pursue their dreams. Velocity has made it part of its mission to support these incredible athletes who are willing to dream. Every year they provide sponsorships for athletes in smaller sports to help them on their journey.
According to Vick, this is something he thinks is important as a coach and as the CEO. “The Olympics, but more so the journey and pursuit of that goal, is inspiring. Athletes like these give us insight into the human spirit and what’s possible. That goes far beyond sport. That’s why we love doing what we do and want to give back to those who inspire all of us.”
While COVID19 itself hasn’t shown any direct effects, the pandemic and our social distancing response probably will impact tendon injury risk for athletes. You need to understand what is happening with your tendons while you are away from sport and what they will endure when sports return.
As athletes return to sports practice and competition after lockdown, they will be susceptible to tendon injury as they undergo spikes in their training load. These acute increases in the volume of throwing, sprinting, jumping, and swinging can be a risk factor for tendon injury.
TENDONS NEED LOAD
Too much load and you get an injury, but too little and you get structural change. After just 2-4 weeks of unloading the tissues of tendons begin to lose their structure and ability to withstand big loads. That means athletes wont to be the same when sports return.
SHOCKS AND SPRINGS
Tendons improve athletic movement skills by transmitting muscle forces and by acting as springs. This means they need to be able to provide both elasticity and stiffness. To do this they need to be exposed to the right types of stimulus in training.
TOO MUCH, TOO FAST
Repetitive stress that overloads the tendon can create micro-injuries in the tissue that add up. These become overuse injuries. Runners and jumpers often experience this when they increase their volume too quickly. Throwers and volleyball players often experience this in the shoulder or elbows as well.
TENDONS ARE COMMON SPORTS INJURIES
Tendon injuries are common in sports. Tendon injuries you may have heard of include;
Achilles Tendon – Ankle
Patellar Tendon – Knee
Elbow Tendons – Tennis & Golfer’s elbow
These injuries can occur with either acute tears or chronic overuse. Tendon injury risk for athletes will be heightened as they haven’t been conditioned by normal sports practice.
PREPARING FOR THE RETURN TO SPORT AS WE REOPEN
Loading tendons enough to stimulate the structure and function is the key to being ready when sports return. At home, and before teams resume, proactive athletes can use isometrics, eccentrics and reactive plyometrics to train. These types of exercises are key ingredients to build resiliency and capacity in the tissue.
GRADUAL RETURN TO SPORTS
One of the biggest risk factors for tendons is how rapidly the volume of work increases. Muscles adapt faster than tendons and can overwhelm them. When an athlete has been doing very little and then starts full practice, the risk of injury to tendons is exponentially increased.
In the immediate aftermath of the injuries to the Golden State Warriors, the finger was being pointed. Being pointed with blame. Whose fault is a major injury like the Achilles tendon rupture of Kevin Durant?
However, instead of focusing on the chatter about blame, what
can young athletes, their parents and coaches take away from this?
I’d say it’s responsibility and perspective.
Blame for Kevin Durant’s Injury
Whose fault is it?
After all it must be someone’s, right?
Maybe KD himself?
Is it the Golden State Warriors staff? The team’s coaches or
management?
What about the press and sports talk media, or just plain
old social media?
Opinions aren’t hard to come by right now. Sports talk shows and twitter are pointing
fingers.
In the end, 99% of these guesses (and that’s all they are
unless you were part of that process) are clueless.
Velocity Knows About Injury Decisions
We are routinely part of these decisions in elite sports
around the world. We’ve seen both
sides. We’ve been part of the team or
organization and on the outside as independent consultants for players. We’ve had to give depositions on player/
management issues. We’ve seen teams that
are trying to better protect players and one’s that are just trying to win now.
Velocity’s staff has trained KD himself in the off-season.
I’ve also personally watched an international player go down
with an Achilles tear in our own training facility. Devastating when it was just 6 months before
the World Cup. The player had no
history, no symptoms.
It made no sense.
Until we learned a few weeks later that several other of the
national team players also had recent tendon and ligament injuries in a few
weeks span.
Turns out, the team doc used a particular anti-malaria
medication for a trip to a third world country.
That medication put them at a higher risk of that type of injury. The players weren’t informed of the risk. That’s not cool.
Sports Injuries Are Complex
So from our elite sport perspective, here’s what you should
know when it comes to answers why it happened; it’s complex.
Nobody likes to hear that.
They want black/white answers and someone to blame. There could be someone to blame, we don’t know
from the outside. More likely, it’s a complex
mix of factors.
Diagnosing and managing injuries has many factors and we are
dealing with humans who don’t all go through the same process.
Most of the people we know on the staff of NBA teams are
good practitioners working hard to help their athletes.
Most athletes are trying to balance their competitive drive,
social pressures and the goal of preserving their financial future.
The Responsibility For Preventing Injury
Players have to make choices about whether to play or
not. Although many people would paint athletes
as spoiled, undeserving millionaires playing a kids game, that is an unjust
portrayal.
A player like KD loves the game. He’s a competitor. He wants to be competing on the biggest stage
injured or not. He want his team to
win.
He also wants to protect his family and their future. He wants to protect his greatest asset, his
athleticism, skill and body.
Injuries are part of sports and they are a threat to any
athlete pro of amateur. For talent pros
and amateurs, injuries are a threat to financial stability from pro contracts,
endorsements and college scholarships. If you get hurt, you could lose it.
It’s also a threat to lifelong health and function. Injuries can take a lifelong toll on your
physical well-being. They can threaten your
enjoyment of a sport and physical activity.
So, on every level players need to also take responsibility for themselves.
But any athlete can be responsible. It’s one of the great lessons sports can help
teach.
Of course this is different for a highly paid pro who comes
to us and spends thousands of dollars on training, rehab, recovery and
more. That’s basically a business
investment.
Want to play better and recover faster, be responsible and
get to sleep.
Want to be a little bit more fit or gain more muscle, eat better.
In fact, this is one of the most rewarding things we see
working with young athletes. The choices
they make, on their own to be self reliant.
Young men and women being proactive in their life.
Not blaming, and not waiting. They start eating a little better at
school. They go out for that extra run
on their own. They put down their phone
and go to bed a little earlier than their peers.
The types of injuries that struck Golden State were
devastating. The fear is that the team didn’t
do enough (which appears unfounded from our knowledge). This should be a reminder or wake-up call that
you need to be responsible to take care of yourself.
Don’t count only on your team, your staff, your school, etc… Be proactive in taking steps to reduce your
risk of injury. Be proactive if injured
in managing your treatment and recovery.
KD’s Decision To Play Injured
Whether or not the risk was worth it for KD to go into that
game can truly only be answered by KD.
What was the importance of competing to win versus the risk of injury to
his career?
Did pressure from the media or team mates sway his decision?
Did he just want to be the hero? The one we idolize in sports for overcoming
pain and injury.
Even the most rational person would be hard pressed to not absorb
some of that pressure.
We don’t know.
Young Athletes Need Perspective On Playing Injured
However, I’d like to see this as a lesson for young athletes. For their parents and coaches.
We are questioning if it was a good decision for him. He’s an adult and one who has experience. He has advisors and got outside
opinions. He’s won before and
financially sound.
Yet, too often, young athletes feel that same pressure. Kids, high school and college players. They don’t have the same experience tor wisdom
to draw from. They don’t have millions
in the bank already. They haven’t reached
the pinnacle of their sport.
I’ve watched as we evaluated young athletes for functional
after returning from injury. They were
clearly not ready to go back.
But they did…
Because the parent really wanted them to overcome and
play.
Because a medical professional was negligent in confirming
if this player was functional, didn’t and cleared them anyway.
Because the team, teammates or even other parents pressured
them.
Some of them were all right.
Some ended up with another surgery.
So how come there is so much outcry and questioning of KD’s
decision, when we see young athletes risking so much all the time?
Let’s improve the conversation about risk. Young athletes don’t have the perspective
that parents and coaches should. All of
us can improve this.
What Next For Youth Sports Injuries
The injury to Kevin Durant is horrific and has made people speculate
and talk about responsibility. Let’s use
this as an opportunity to expand the conversation about responsibility and
perspective in youth sports injuries.
There are serious risks when playing hurt and trying to compete
when the body isn’t ready. Every young
athlete, coach and parent have a responsibility to truly consider this as well
as being proactive in lowering the risk of injury.
Its springtime and that means it’s time for Baseball and Softball. Players and coaches know that maintaining shoulder health is important for these sports, but they don’t always know what to do about it. Use these simple exercises to bulletproof your shoulders and stay in the game.
In this video, Coach Kenny Kallen shares two exercises that help improve posture and increase mobility in the thoracic spine and latissimus dorsi. Using these exercises in your warm-up will increase functionality, stability, strength, and power in the shoulders. The ultimate result will be better-throwing mechanics and less pain.
Next, Coach Ken Vick explains why shoulder stability is so important for baseball players. He demonstrates the Band Y, T, and W exercises to be used in any warm-up or workout routine. Improve your baseball throwing mechanics by stabilizing your scapula and rotator cuff to control your follow-through. Improvements in this area translate into increased speed, functionality, stability, strength, and power in the shoulders.
Sports Medicine Specialist Wes Rosner shows you how the 1/2 Turkish Get-Up can help bulletproof your shoulder. It can strengthen and stabilize the shoulders, back, and core to help prevent injury. You want all these strong and stable when it’s game time.
The term “muscle pliability” has been in the news around the NFL quite a bit. Tom Brady and his trainer, Alex Guerrero, claim that making muscles pliable is the best way to sustain health and performance. How true is that claim? While it’s a great descriptive term, we are going to shed some light on what it really means and how to create muscle pliability.
Defining Words
Our performance coaches, sports medicine specialists, and tissue therapists all find it to be a useful term. Pliable expresses some of the important qualities of muscle. According to Miriam-Webster Dictionary here’s what pliable means:
Pliable
a: supple enough to bend freely or repeatedly without breaking
b: yielding readily to others
c: adjustable to varying conditions
That’s a pretty good description for many of the qualities we want in the tissue of an athlete (or any human for that matter). The problem is that it’s being mixed up with a lot of inaccurate and confusing statements.
Our Sports Medicine Specialist, Misao Tanioka, says that “the word pliability, in my opinion, depicts the ideal muscle tissue quality. It is similar to suppleness, elasticity, or resilience. Unfortunately, I believe some of the explanations offered by Mr. Brady and Mr. Guerrero have created some misunderstanding of what ‘muscle pliability’ really is.”
Let’s try and separate some of the myths from what is true.
Myth 1: Muscles that are “soft” are better than dense
That depends on what qualifies as “soft” muscle. Tissue Specialist Cindy Vick has worked on hundreds of elite athletes, including NFL players and Olympians across many sports. “Soft isn’t a word I would use for an athlete. When I’m working on an elderly client, I often feel muscles that could be called soft; they’re not dense. That’s not what I feel when working on elite athletes. Athletes who are healthy and performing well have muscles that have density without being overly tense and move freely. The tissue is still smooth and supple.”
This muscle quality is affected by many factors, ranging from stress, competition, nutrition, training, and recovery. At Velocity, maintaining optimal tissue quality is a constant endeavor. Proper self-myofascial release, various stretching techniques, and manual therapy are all part of the equation.
Relating these terms in this way grossly over-simplifies reality and is in some ways completely wrong.
You have to start with the operative word: “dense.” Tanioka says, “Dense tissue can be elastic; elastic tissue is resilient to injury. What we have to look for is inelastic tissue.” Cindy Vick adds that “if you mean ‘dense’ to refer to a muscle with adhesions, or that doesn’t move evenly and smoothly, then yes, that’s a problem.”
Scientifically, stiffness refers to how much a muscle resists stretch under tension. It’s like thinking about the elastic qualities of a rubber band. The harder it is to pull, the stiffer it is. If a muscle can’t give and stretch when it needs to, that’s bad.
Imagine a rubber band that protects your joint. When a muscle exerts a force against the impact of an opponent or gravity, stiffness can help resist the joint and ligaments from being overloaded and consequently injured.
“I agree with Mr. Brady’s statement about the importance of a muscle’s ability to lengthen, relax and disperse high-velocity, heavy incoming force to avoid injury,” says Tanioka. “However, I think that athletes also must be able to exert maximum power whether actively generating force or passively resisting incoming stress, which requires the ability to shorten and be taut and firm as well as lengthen. The ability of the tissue to be durable and contractile is just as important as to elongate and soften when it comes to performance and injury prevention.”
In the view of our experts, it’s not about dense, soft, stiff, or other qualitative words. Instead, they emphasize developing function through different types of strength qualities athletes need. Athletes must prepare for the intense stress and strain their muscles will face in their sport. They need to blend the right strength training with mobility and flexibility.
Myth 3: Strength training makes muscles short
“It’s an old wives’ tale that took hold when bodybuilding techniques had a big influence on strength and conditioning. A muscle can be incredibly strong without sacrificing any range of motion” according to international expert and President of Velocity Sports Performance, Ken Vick, who has worked with athletes in 10 Olympic Games and helped lead the Chinese Olympic Committee’s preparation efforts for 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
“I’ll give you two great examples: Gymnasts are, pound-for-pound, very strong and incredibly explosive, yet they are known to be some of the most flexible athletes. Olympic weightlifters are clearly some of the strongest athletes in the world and are also generally very flexible. They spend practically every day doing strength training and their muscles aren’t ‘short’.”
In fact, proper lifting technique demands excellent flexibility and mobility. For example, poor hip flexor flexibility or limited ankle mobility results in an athlete who probably cannot reach the lowest point of a back squat. Our proven methods combine strength training with dynamic mobility, movement training, and state of the art recovery technology to help our athletes gain and maintain the flexibility and mobility required for strength training and optimal performance on the field of competition.
Myth 4: Plyometrics and band training are better for pliability
We hear these types of claims time and again from coaches, trainers, and others who are quoting something they’ve read without much knowledge of the actual training science. Our muscles and brain don’t care if the resistance is provided by bodyweight, bands, weights, cables, or medicine balls. They can all be effective or detrimental, depending on how they are used.
Sports science has shown that manipulating different variables influences both the physiological and neurological effects of strength training. Rate of motion, movement patterns, environment, and type of resistance all influence the results.
Truth: Muscle Pliability is a good thing
Like so many ideas, muscle pliability is a very good concept. The challenge lies in discerning and then conveying what is true and what is not. An experienced therapist can, within just a few moments of touching a person, tell whether that tissue is healthy. A good coach can tell whether an athlete has flexibility or mobility problems, or both, simply by watching them move.
In either case, it takes years of experience and understanding of the human body and training science, like that which is possessed by the performance and sports medicine staff at Velocity, to correctly apply a concept like muscle pliability to an athlete’s training program.
After a sport or orthopedic injury, people set a process in motion. The decisions throughout that process can determine whether they recover quickly. Whether they lower their risk of future re-injury. Unfortunately, those decisions can lead to a slow recovery and condition lasting for years. Velocity offers an approach to sports injury rehab that is not the traditional model.
The traditional therapy model might have the injured person going to 8 – 12 sessions of treatment. Then just turned loose to manage on their own.
The Traditional Model
This traditional model is often focused on treating the symptoms and reducing pain. Too often it doesn’t address the underlying causes of that problem.
According to Velocity Sports Medicine Specialist, Misao Tanioka; “When underlying problems such as restricted mobility, muscle imbalances, poor joint stability or lack of functional strength aren’t addressed the risk of re-injury and/or chronic pain often remains.”
Underlying problems can lead many individuals to experience a frustrating cycle of pain and injury. This leads to re-entry into the healthcare system, more treatment, and release. They can go through that cycle repeatedly without ever getting to the root of the problem.
Velocity’s therapy model grew from working with the world’s elite athletes and teams. In that arena, performance is the name of the game and results matter.
Eliminating Pain
Instead of “chasing the pain” alone, Velocity looks at the big picture of the athlete as a whole. They evaluate basic fundamental movements, mobility, stability, and function. Doing this allows identification of an individual’s needs and to create a roadmap to recovery.
A Velocity specialist works with a professional athlete to assess a movement dysfunction.
“Whether it’s an Olympian trying to win to a medal, or a serious weekend warrior, they have common goals in therapy. They all want to eliminate pain and be able to perform at their highest level. No one wants to be restricted from the sports and activities they love.”
Athlete Centered Sports Injury Rehab
From the initial assessments, Velocity creates an integrated treatment plan. It involves rehab specialists, massage therapists, trainers, nutrition coaches, and mindset coaches.
This means that for many people who have experienced the traditional healthcare model, this integrated approach is a refreshing experience.
Some of those people have experienced working with a rehab therapist, or even a massage therapist, but few have seen a coordinated effort. A sports injury rehab approach from multiple specialists. A plan with with athletic strengthening, movement training, nutrition and mindset. This is a whole new dimension.
Tanioka provides manual therapy to a member of the US Weightlifting team in preparation for the World Championships.
Tanioka explains this perspective, “It’s the model we strive for in our Athlete-Centered approach. That means we focus on the individual as a whole, their goals, and what they can do, instead of what they can not do. We want them to stay as active as possible, restoring function and getting back to full, pain-free sport and activity.”
Velocity built the model based on the demands of elite sport. Training, Recovery, and Rehabilitation are the cornerstones. They are facilitated with Mindset and Nutrition to help athletes achieve their goals.
For elite athletes, this makes sense and they have the mindset to do everything possible to recover. But weekend warriors and young athletes may not be exposed to a comprehensive support system.
They might not be exposed to effective solutions. They might not have access to high level specialists. This often ends up with them frustrated. They may find their progress stagnates through the traditional process. Their risk of re-injury can also be higher because of this.
Effective sports injury rehab isn’t just a short series of visits. In the Velocity model, it’s a mindset of integrating all the elements. This helps achieve faster recovery, and sustain high performance. “Instead of seeing therapy as something to merelyeliminate symptoms, we help people to recognize what their body requires. To start building good habits to be able to take care of their needs” says Tanioka.
Velocity delivers solutions for athletes and active individuals. By integrating a full spectrum of disciplines, it offers a new model of rehabilitating sports and orthopedic injuries.
A person can return to full, pain-free function, and maintain that performance for a long time.
Although Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are not as career ending as they used to be, they are still significant enough to greatly impact an athlete’s season and future potential. Because of this, they are obviously best avoided. Although no injury is completely unavoidable, preparation prior to competition is essential to reducing the risk.
Two primary causes for a non-impact ACL injury: inadequate deceleration and poor muscular balance. Deceleration is the ability to slow down and control force production. This is an extremely important skill for athletes to master during training. When athletes lack the ability to decelerate efficiently, they put themselves at risk for a non-impact ACL injury during rudimentary actions like changing direction fast or landing from a jump.
The following tips are essential to include in your comprehensive preventative conditioning program:
Proper Warm-Up: A proper warm up is key for preparing the body for activity.By warming up your muscles first, you greatly reduce your risk of injury during competition of practice.
Strength Training: Strengthening of the hamstrings, quads, core and gluteus musculature can help to maintain upper and lower leg alignment, thus reducing stress and excessive rotation at the knee.
Improve Balance: Single-leg exercises and drills can help to eliminate imbalance differences between the right and left leg.
Controlled Plyometrics: Vertical jumps and plyometric exercises should be included but must be controlled, not allowing the knees to collapse together.This inward movement (valgus collapse) of the knees is a predictor of ACL injuries. Start by using both legs and progress to single leg lateral jumps.
Injury Prevention Screening: Screenings can be a key to possibly identifying individual needs, thus further reducing the risk of injury.Mobility (range of motion) and/or stability (strength-related motor control) asymmetries must be addressed. The Functional Movement Screen and similar objective standardized measures can be used to assess for possible impairment of proper functional movement.
Consistency is key to reap the benefits from a comprehensive preventative conditioning program. For best results, the above listed workouts and training methods should be completed at minimum three times a week.
