It is a long held belief that static stretching (i.e. long holds of >15 seconds) plays an important role in improving running performance and decreasing injury risk.1 As such static stretching, undertaken as part of a ‘warm up’ prior to running or at the end of a run, or both, is a common practice amongst…read more

If you are an allied health professional in Australia, can you please spare 5-10 minutes and help us out. We’d love you to complete a short survey on how you treat Achilles tendinopathy. Link: http://j.mp/2xTYOW7   This is the saddest time in my yearly academic cycle. It is the day that is the furthest away from…read more

“When I was told that I couldn’t run, I lost a stress outlet and didn’t enjoy life.” – Jane Fitzgerald, Osteoarthritis patient Osteoarthritis (OA) is often seen as a barrier preventing an athlete from being able to participate in exercise such as running. Recent studies have shown that not only is this a common misconception,…read more

There are several reasons why people are turning to running for exercise. It has proven physical and mental health benefits. People who run frequently can live up to 3 years longer than people who do not exercise! More people partaking in jogging, running training and marathons than ever before and this is described as a…read more

“Having seen the devastating effects of Type 2 Diabetes on my father’s health, I was keen to do anything I could to prevent developing that condition,”- Professor Peter Brukner. Professor Peter Brukner, specialised sports and exercise physician, presented at La Trobe’s recent Running Science Symposium. He outlined the importance of diet for the running athlete…read more

The important benefits of strength training for endurance runners have been well documented in numerous research publications.1,2,3,4 Resistance training is now considered a critical component to a well planned training program for runners of all levels. The key benefits runners can obtain from a strength-training program include: Faster running performance Improved running economy Reduced risk…read more

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A great re-addition to the Sports and Exercise Medicine Research Centre- Dr Adam Semciw After finishing his PhD in 2013 at La Trobe University titled: Hip Abductor muscle structure and function in swimmers: an investigation into deloading, Dr Semciw joined the University of Queensland as a Research Fellow in Physiotherapy (2015). There he continued his…read more

By Adam Culvenor, PT, PhD Many people with knee pain have an MRI scan to help confirm the exact cause of pain. But how do we really know that the ‘tear’ or ‘damage’ found on an MRI is the cause of all that pain? Truth is, often it’s difficult to know. This is partly because…read more

Part 2 of this blog continues on with the summary of @STSkou’s paper related to exercise and physical activity for osteoarthritis. Just as other pain killers, exercise therapy needs to be taken at a sufficient dose and duration to ensure an optimal and clinically-relevant effect on pain and functional limitations. There is no universal exercise therapy program…read more