Podcast Summary: Science on Track – Injured Runners Clinic🎙️ Episode OverviewThis episode explores a study on adolescent runners seekingcare at an injured runners clinic, focusing on clinical assessment, treatment,and referral trends. The study was published in the Journal of PediatricRehabilitation Medicine in 2024 and involved a retrospective review of 392patients and over 2,300 clinical encounters.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3233/PRM-220082?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

🧠 Key Guests & Their Roles

- Dr. Alexandra Dejong Lemke: Assistant Professor atVirginia Commonwealth University, led the study and shared insights from herclinical and research experience.
- Coach Mark Hoffman: High school coach from South Milwaukee, WI, provided apractical coaching perspective on injury management and athlete care.🔍 Study Highlights

- Most Common Injury: Shin bone stress injuries accountedfor 40% of clinic visits.- Referral Trends: Referrals to physical therapy, gait training, nutrition, and psychiatry were common.- Evolution of Care: Shift from symptom management to addressing root causessince 2015.- Evidence-Based Practice: Clinical practices aligned with consensus statements from 2014, 2018, and 2023.

🏃 Coaching Insights

- Early Intervention: Trust and communication are key toearly injury reporting.- On-Site Athletic Trainers: Improve injury management and reduce coach burden.
- Load Management: Adjust training volume using strategies like reduced reps and cross-training.
- Warm-Up & Cool-Down: Critical for injury prevention but often undervalued.

🥗 Nutrition & Injury Prevention

- RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport): Under-fuelingis a major contributor to bone stress injuries.- Misconceptions: Harmful diets like no-fat diets can lead to long-term issues.

🧍‍♂️ Gait Analysis

- Clinic Approach: Uses video analysis and treadmillassessments.- Wearables: Provide useful metrics like cadence and stride length.

🧒 Youth Athlete Considerations

- Early Specialization Risks: Diverse movement and play helpprevent overuse injuries.
- Coaching Challenges: Managing training loads is complex with multi-sport athletes.

🧾 Final Takeaways

- Shin injuries dominate adolescent running injuries andrequire comprehensive care.
- Early reporting, multidisciplinary treatment, and evidence-based practicesare crucial.
- Coaches play a vital role in injury prevention through education, loadmanagement, and fostering trust.

Hungria Hip Hop - Meu Carona (Wilde BeatsRemix) By Dj Wilde Beats is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

🎙️ Episode Overview

Host: Evan Nelson, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin
Guests:

• Dr. Micah Garcia, Assistant Professor at Thomas More University, expert in youth running biomechanics and injury prevention.

  Coach Matt Cooper, Head Cross Country Coach at Verona High School, Verona, Wisconsin.

🧠 Topic: Perceptions of Running-Related Injuries

This episode explores how adolescent and adult runnersperceive the causes and prevention of running injuries, based on the 2024 study:
“The Dogma of Running Injuries: Perceptions of Adolescent and Adult Runners” (Journal of Athletic Training).

📊 Study Highlights

• Participants: 659 runners (ages 9+), globally recruited.

  Groups: Adolescents (≤19 years) vs. Adults (≥20 years).

  Method: Survey on beliefs about injury risk and prevention.

🧩 Key Findings

✅ Commonly Perceived Risk Factors:

• Poor bone health, low calcium, negative caloric intake

  Tight muscles, hard surfaces, narrow steps, high-mileage shoes

  Previous injury (strongest evidence-supported risk)

✅ Commonly Perceived Protective Factors:

• Stretching (dynamic before, static after)

  Strong legs/core, cross-training, cushioned shoes

  Taking rest/off days

🔍 Adolescents vs. Adults:

• Adolescents emphasized footwear, stretching, and surface.

  Adults emphasized overtraining and strength training.

🧪 Evidence-Based Truths

• Only strong evidence: Previous injury increases future injury risk.

  Inconclusive evidence: Most other factors (e.g., stretching, footwear, cadence).

  Cadence: Lower cadence linked to shin injuries in adolescents (emerging evidence).

  Strength training: Valuable for performance and bone health, though not conclusively injury-preventive.

🧠 Coach & Researcher Insights

• Coach Cooper: Emphasizes education, strength training, and athlete buy-in. Plans to use fatigue curves and alumni talks to improve understanding.

  Dr. Garcia: Encourages bridging the gap between research and coaching. Notes that beliefs often influence behavior—except in nutrition, where awareness didn’t match action.

🧰 Practical Takeaways

• Coaches: Use athlete-friendly education, visuals, and peer examples.

  Researchers: Simplify findings, attend coaching clinics, and collaborate with coaches.

  Everyone: Be curious, adaptable, and evidence-informed.

Hungria Hip Hop - Meu Carona (Wilde BeatsRemix) By Dj WildeBeats is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

🎙️ Episode Focus

The episode centers on a study titled: “NutritionEducation Curriculum Promotes Adolescent Runners’ Self-Efficacy, Knowledge, andIntake of Nutrient-Rich Carbohydrate Foods.”

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07315724.2021.2019139

👩‍⚕️ Guest: Dr.Michelle Barrack

• • Assistant Professor at Cal State Long Beach and a sports dietitian.• Passionate about working with high school endurance runners.• Her research focuses on nutrition’s role in energy availability, bone health, and injury prevention.

🧑‍🏫 Guest:Coach Brian Jefferson

• • Head boys track and field coach at Monona Grove High School, Wisconsin.• Emphasizes the importance of “little things” like nutrition in athlete development.• Interested in applying research findings to improve team performance.

🧪 Study Overview

• • Purpose: Evaluate a 4-week nutrition education program for adolescent runners.• Focus: Quality, quantity, and timing of nutrient-rich carbohydrate intake.• Participants: Male and female high school distance runners from two Southern California schools.• Sessions Included:1. Role of carbohydrates in training.2. How much carbohydrate runners need.3. Building performance plates.4. Nutrient timing for performance and recovery.

📊 Key Findings

• • Increased Knowledge: Significant gains in nutrition knowledge after the first two sessions.• Improved Self-Efficacy: Confidence in applying nutrition strategies increased across all four sessions.• Behavioral Changes: Athletes reported real-life changes like enhancing meals with more carbs (e.g., adding bananas to yogurt).• Engagement: High schoolers responded well to interactive, hands-on learning with food models and take-home activities.

🧠 Concept Highlight:Energy Availability

• • Defined as the energy left for normal body functions after accounting for exercise.• Critical for bone health, hormonal balance, and injury prevention.• Carbohydrates were identified as the most commonly lacking macronutrient in adolescent runners.

🏃‍♂️ Coach’sPerspective

• • Coach Jefferson found the term “energy availability” more relatable than “nutrition.”• Plans to integrate findings into team meetings and weekly updates.• Sees value in simple, actionable changes like post-practice snacks during cool-downs.

🚧 Barriers toImplementation

• • Time constraints for athletes (school, jobs, family responsibilities).• Coaches’ varying comfort levels with nutrition education.• Limited access to sports dietitians in some regions.

💡 Recommendations

• • Coaches can start small: provide snacks post-practice, reinforce nutrition messages.• Include parents in education efforts to support athletes at home.• Use resources from:• American Sports and Performance Dietitian Association• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Sports Nutrition Practice Group)

🧾 Final Takeaways

• • Nutrition education can be impactful even in short interventions.• Building self-efficacy is key to long-term behavior change.• Coaches play a vital role in reinforcing healthy habits.• Collaboration between researchers, coaches, and parents enhances success.

Hungria Hip Hop - Meu Carona (Wilde Beats Remix) By Dj Wilde Beats is licensed under a Creative Commons License.