Return-to-run: bone stress protocol

Most triathletes and runners will suffer from injuries almost every single year (and many will suffer multiple injuries per year). In this episode, world-renowned physical therapist Chris Johnson explains how to break out of this injury cycle, by looking at all of the different variables contributing to injuries. This is an in-depth look at how to balance your running or triathlon training with proper strength training, nutrition, and lifestyle factors, to allow you to train and perform more and better in the long run. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

• Which factors contribute to injuries and injury risk, and how? 
• How to manage small niggles, aches and pains
• Bone stress injuries and soft tissue injuries
• Return to training protocols
• A minimal effective dose strength training protocol that can be easily combined with triathlon training
• Recommended strength training exercises, from isometrics and heavy slow resistance training to plyometrics
• How heavy should you lift and how hard should you be working in the gym? 
• Is stretching, mobility work, massage and manual therapy recommended for injury prevention? 
• Myths and misconception about injuries and strength training for triathletes and runners

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

• We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
• The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts684/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

• How stretching actually changes your muscles - Malachy McHugh - video (TED-Ed)
• Return to run from Bone Stress Injuries - Management and Prevention of Bone Stress Injuries in Long-Distance Runners - Warden et al. 2014
• Fueling Performance: A Guide to the Athlete’s Plate
• Validation of the Athlete’s Plate Nutrition Educational Tool: Phase I - Reguant-Closa et al. 2019
• Effects of Bilateral and Unilateral Resistance Training on Horizontally-Orientated Movement Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Moran et al. 2021

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

• Brad Beer | EP#396 - the until now most popular episode related to injuries on That Triathlon Show
• Injury prevention and rehabilitation with James Debenham, PhD | EP#209 - my personal favourite episode I’ve ever recorded on the topic. James was a fantastic guest, and we go really in-depth here, and more into the science behind injuries and injury prevention. 
• Injury prevention, strength training, and running biomechanics with Eoin Everard, PhD | EP#336 - a great episode tying together multiple related aspects of running performance and running injuries, including lots of very specific and practical tips and takeaways.
• RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports) with Margo Mountjoy | EP#233 - we touched on RED-S in the interview and how it relates to bone stress injuries, and in this episode we go in-depth into the science and practice of RED-S with one of the foremost experts in the world.

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

• The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
• Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Follow us on Instagram
• Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

• Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.
• Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 
• Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).
• Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. 

SPONSORS: 

• Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.