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For all other PHT resources, go to: https://proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info/

Being sidelined by injury can feel like a double blow. Not only are you dealing with pain and frustration, but you've also lost one of your biggest outlets for stress relief, fitness, and social connection. In this episode, Brodie shares a practical framework to help injured runners stay proactive, maintain perspective, and come back stronger than before.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why injury often impacts your mental health more than you expect
• The "double whammy" effect of losing both running and your stress-relief outlet
• How to identify the true causes behind recurring injuries
• Common patterns that keep runners trapped in injury cycles
• Why injuries can be valuable opportunities to uncover weak links
• How to use rehab to build resilience rather than simply become pain-free
• The importance of addressing strength deficits, imbalances, and movement control
• Cross-training options that can preserve fitness while recovering
• How to tailor cardio alternatives based on your injury type
• Brodie's favourite injury-friendly VO₂ max workouts
• Why many runners benefit from keeping cross-training in their routine long after recovery
• The overlooked role of strength training for injury prevention, bone health, and long-term performance
• How muscle mass acts as "metabolic currency" for health and longevity
• Practical ways to improve sleep, stress management, and recovery during injury
• The importance of maintaining social connection when you're unable to run
• Nutrition strategies that can support healing and future performance
• Why injury can be the perfect time to improve habits that often get neglected during heavy training

Key Takeaway

An injury doesn't have to be wasted time. By shifting your focus toward rehabilitation, fitness maintenance, strength development, sleep, nutrition, stress management, and social connection, you can emerge from injury healthier, more resilient, and better prepared for future training than before.

👉 Complete the 30 Sec Survey & Find Your Best PHT Recovery Plan

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉

For all other PHT resources, go to: https://proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info/

The Missing Link in Rehab You’re Probably Ignoring

Pain isn’t always just about tissues, load, or biomechanics.

In this episode, Brodie explores one of the most overlooked contributors to prolonged running injuries: the psychosocial side of pain. Drawing from both research and years of working with chronic injury cases, he introduces a 20-question “Pain & Wellness Score” designed to uncover the emotional, cognitive, and social factors that may be quietly influencing your recovery.

You’ll learn why some runners continue to struggle despite doing all the “right” rehab exercises, how hypervigilance and fear can amplify symptoms, and why recovery should be approached through a biopsychosocial lens rather than purely mechanical thinking. Brodie also breaks down the science behind chronic pain, nervous system hypersensitivity, catastrophisation, fear of movement, and the powerful role attention plays in symptom intensity.

Throughout the episode, Brodie walks listeners through the full questionnaire so they can assess themselves in real time. He explains how low scores may reveal missing pieces in recovery and shares practical interventions that can help calm the nervous system, reduce fear, and improve recovery outcomes.

Topics include:

• Hypervigilance and constantly monitoring symptoms
• Fear of movement (kinesiophobia)
• Catastrophisation and emotional amplification of pain
• The role of social support in recovery
• How stress, trauma, anxiety, and perfectionist tendencies influence chronic pain
• Why distraction, enjoyable movement, and positive coping strategies can help
• The importance of resilience, optimism, and confidence in movement
• Why scans and conflicting diagnoses can sometimes worsen recovery outcomes

Brodie also discusses research on chronic pain neuroplasticity and highlights therapies shown to help regulate the nervous system, including:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Mindfulness practices
• Guided meditations and breathing exercises
• Gradual exposure to feared movements
• Active coping strategies versus passive coping behaviours

If you’ve been stuck in an injury cycle, feel emotionally exhausted by pain, or feel like your rehab is missing something despite doing the exercises correctly, this episode may provide an entirely new perspective on recovery.

Resources & Links:
Click here to learn about Brodie's Chronic Pain Reset Course

👉 Complete the 30 Sec Survey & Find Your Best PHT Recovery Plan

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉

For all other PHT resources, go to: https://proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info/

Latest Research: Tendon Healing, Shockwave Therapy & Hamstring Injury Prevention

In this episode, Brodie dives into three recently published research papers that help answer some of the biggest questions surrounding proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT) and tendon rehabilitation. From understanding what’s really happening inside a painful tendon, to whether shockwave therapy lives up to the hype, and what we can learn from hamstring injury prevention research, this episode translates the latest science into practical takeaways you can apply to your own recovery.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why tendinopathy is far more complex than simple "wear and tear"
• The emerging role of inflammation, ageing, recovery, sleep and metabolic health in tendon healing
• Why progressive loading continues to be the cornerstone of successful PHT rehab
• What the latest evidence says about shockwave therapy and whether it's worth the cost
• Why exercise-based rehabilitation still outperforms most passive treatment options
• The surprising findings on ice, cryotherapy and tendon recovery
• Key lessons from hamstring injury prevention research that can help reduce setbacks and recurrence
• Why strength, capacity and consistency matter more than stretching alone

Whether you're currently struggling with PHT, returning from a hamstring injury, or simply want to stay up to date with the latest tendon research, this episode provides evidence-based insights without the scientific jargon.

Key Takeaway:

Successful tendon recovery rarely comes down to a single treatment. The strongest evidence continues to support a combination of sensible load management, progressive strengthening, patience, and addressing the broader factors that influence healing—including sleep, stress, recovery, and overall health. There is hope, and understanding the science can help you make better decisions throughout your rehab journey.

👉 Complete the 30 Sec Survey & Find Your Best PHT Recovery Plan

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉

For all other PHT resources, go to: https://proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info/

In this episode, Brodie breaks down a brand-new 2026 systematic review investigating whether collagen supplementation truly improves tendon health, recovery, and performance. With conflicting advice from experts and unclear evidence in the past, this paper helps clarify what actually works—and more importantly, how to apply it to your training.

Paper: Collagen Supplementation on Tendon-Related Structural and Performance Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Key Takeaways

• Collagen can improve tendon structure and stiffness—but only when combined with proper strength training
• Dosage matters: 15–30g appears more effective than lower doses
• Timing matters: ~60 minutes before training aligns with peak amino acid availability
• Vitamin C enhances the process, helping collagen synthesis and cross-linking
• Collagen does NOT improve muscle strength beyond what training alone achieves

Bottom line: collagen seems tendon-specific, not a general performance enhancer

Training Requirements

• Must include structured resistance training
• Target 70–90% of 1RM (heavy loading)
• Tendons need a strong mechanical stimulus to adapt

Collagen without loading = minimal benefit

Final Thoughts

This paper helps move us from confusion to clarity.

Collagen isn’t a magic fix—but when used strategically alongside heavy strength training, it may:

• Improve tendon structure
• Increase stiffness
• Enhance long-term resilience

In other words, it’s a potential amplifier—not a replacement—for good rehab and training principles.

👉 Complete the 30 Sec Survey & Find Your Best PHT Recovery Plan

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉

For all other PHT resources, go to: https://proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info/

Tendon pain is often treated as a purely physical problem. Strengthen the tendon, adjust the load, and eventually things should improve.

But what happens when the pain persists for months… or even years?

In this episode, Brodie speaks with physiotherapist and PhD researcher Jack Mest about a recent systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the psychological profile of people with persistent tendinopathy. The research compared people with chronic tendon pain to healthy controls and uncovered something surprising: fear of movement wasn’t the main psychological factor.

Instead, the research found that pain catastrophizing — a negative outlook toward pain and recovery — appeared more common in people with persistent tendinopathy.

This episode explores how psychological factors may influence tendon pain, why lower limb injuries may carry a greater psychological burden, and why clinicians need to treat the person behind the injury — not just the tendon itself.

If you’re a runner struggling with Achilles pain, plantar fasciopathy, proximal hamstring tendinopathy, or another persistent tendon injury, this conversation will help you understand why recovery can feel so frustrating — and what might help.

In This Episode

Brodie and Jack discuss:

• Why tendinopathy often becomes a chronic condition
• What the biopsychosocial model means for tendon rehab
• The difference between kinesiophobia (fear of movement) and pain catastrophizing
• Why catastrophizing appears more common in persistent tendon pain
• Why lower limb tendinopathies may have greater psychological impact than upper limb injuries
• The role of beliefs, expectations, and past experiences in shaping pain
• Why clinicians should ask about patients’ thoughts and fears about their injury
• Whether psychological traits are pre-existing or develop after chronic pain begins
• Practical advice for runners dealing with long-term tendon pain

About the Guest

Jack Mest is a physiotherapist and PhD researcher whose work focuses on understanding why tendinopathy becomes chronic and how psychological factors influence tendon pain.

His research aims to improve the way clinicians approach tendon rehabilitation by integrating biological, psychological, and social factors into treatment.

Follow Jack's research and updates:
X (Twitter): @Mest_Jack
Facebook: Jack Mest Physio
Paper summary: https://www.jospt.org/do/10.2519/jospt.blog.2026017/full/

👉 Complete the 30 Sec Survey & Find Your Best PHT Recovery Plan

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉

For all other PHT resources, go to: https://proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info/

In this episode, I sit down with Kirsten—Melbourne local, personal trainer, and someone who knows her way around the gym—yet still found herself stuck in a long and frustrating battle with proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT).

Like many runners and active individuals, Kirsten spent months going in circles. Despite doing all the “right” things—rest, isometrics, backing off training—her symptoms kept returning. Sitting became unbearable, training was inconsistent, and the mental toll started to build.

But everything changed when she shifted her approach.

This conversation dives into the exact turning point in her rehab—what worked, what didn’t, and the key mindset shifts that helped her go from constant pain… to full confidence in her training again.

Instagram mentions:

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWHlIU8jffK/

https://www.instagram.com/itsdrglutes?igsh=aXZodW5wYzE5a2h0

https://www.instagram.com/nunzicoaching?igsh=bGFqdzZ1b2llZXZn

Podcast mention:

Tim Ferriss Show episode with Dr. Keith Baar (episode #797). The episode covers:

• Tendon loading and repair
• The "Anti-RICE Protocol" (i.e., don't rest — use load as an anti-inflammatory)
• Isometrics vs. eccentrics for tendon rehab
• Simple exercises that can repair tendons (tennis elbow, etc.)

👉 Complete the 30 Sec Survey & Find Your Best PHT Recovery Plan

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉

For all other PHT resources, go to: https://proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info/

Contact Dr. Alex Hardy and his team at Dr.hardy@chirurgiedusport.com

In this episode, Brodie is joined by hamstring surgeon Dr. Alex Hardy to break down exactly what to do before and after hamstring surgery. They cover the key differences between acute and chronic injuries, and what that means for your behaviour leading into surgery. For acute avulsions, the priority is speed—getting an MRI quickly and avoiding unnecessary delays—while keeping activity minimal. In contrast, chronic cases and tendinopathies benefit from staying active, maintaining strength and cardio, and avoiding unnecessary deconditioning.

A key takeaway: there’s very little you can do pre-surgery to “make things worse,” but there’s a lot you can do to set yourself up for a smoother recovery.

The conversation then shifts to post-operative rehab, where patience is critical. Dr. Hardy explains why the first 6 weeks are highly protective (often involving a brace and minimal hamstring loading), followed by a gradual return to movement, strength, and eventually running around the 3–4 month mark. They discuss exercise progressions (starting with closed-chain work, then progressing to open-chain and eccentric loading), common pitfalls like premature overload or slips during early recovery, and when to be concerned about symptoms like persistent pain or sciatic irritation.

If you’re considering surgery or currently navigating recovery, this episode gives you a clear, realistic roadmap—what matters most, what to avoid, and how to maximise your outcome