In this episode of the Flex Diet Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jeremy Bettle, a performance director and applied sports scientist, to dig into what actually moves the needle for performance, recovery, and long-term resilience.

We cover everything from high ankle sprains and injury prevention to smarter load management, and why understanding stress, recovery, and tissue capacity matters far more than chasing random training trends.

Dr. Bettle shares insights from years of work across the NHL, NBA, and international sport, along with how elite performance systems can — and should — be translated to non-elite humans who want to train hard, recover better, and keep doing this for decades.

Sponsors:

Rogue: https://miket.me/rogue
Beyond Power Voltra 1: https://www.beyond-power.com/michael13
Fitness Insider Newsletter: https://miketnelson.com/

Episode Chapters:

05:26 Discussion Kickoff: Injury Prevention and Load Management
06:10 High Ankle Sprains in Professional Sports
15:07 Load Management Strategies and Challenges
38:11 Eccentric Training and Injury Prevention
46:23 Muscular vs. Soft Tissue Injuries in Athletes
47:49 Importance of Plyometric Work in Injury Prevention
51:43 Isometric Exercises and Their Benefits
58:12 Recovery Strategies and Their Effectiveness
01:08:02 The Role of Communication in Team Sports
01:15:55 Systematizing Athlete Routines for Optimal Performance
01:22:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

Episode 314: Unlocking Performance & Recovery: IV Therapies & Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy with Jordyn Payne
- YouTube: https://youtu.be/qnJHcepDx1c?si=aTlDcFS6D77jq49D
Episode 325: The Uncommon Science of Cold: Brown Fat, Resilience & Recovery with Dr. Thomas Seager
- YouTube: https://youtu.be/5ycoVRnLTuY?si=m-pgtYkkMcQhPUXJ

Connect with Jeremy:

Vitality Collective: https://vitality-collective.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/VitalityCollectivePerformance

Get In Touch with Dr Mike:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmiketnelson/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn1aTbQqHglfNrENPm0GTpg
Email: https://miketnelson.com/contact-us/

Frankie Seaman ( former skater)