Elite Baseball Development Podcast 206. Dr. Keith Baar on Bulletproofing Tendons and Ligaments
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Mar 11, 2025 
Dr. Keith Baar, a renowned professor at UC Davis specializing in muscle physiology, shares invaluable insights on tendon and ligament health. He discusses strategies for managing hypermobility in athletes, emphasizing how this can impact injury risk. The conversation highlights the importance of isometric loading for injury prevention and recovery. Baar also dives into the role of biologics like PRP for tendon injuries and the surprising effects of caffeine on collagen synthesis. Finally, he stresses the significance of optimizing off-season training to reduce injuries and enhance performance.
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Alfredson Protocol Origin
- Dr. Baar explains how the Alfredson protocol for eccentric tendon loading originated from a therapist trying to rupture his own Achilles.
- The therapist's slow eccentrics, aimed at rupturing the tendon, unexpectedly improved it, leading to the protocol.
Stress Relaxation and Tendon Healing
- Slow movements and isometrics allow for stress relaxation in tendons, distributing load more uniformly.
- This uniform load distribution can promote healing in scarred or damaged tendon tissue.
Rock Climber's Grip Strength
- Rock climber Felix Abrahamsen applied Dr. Baar's research on isometric loading to improve his hand tendon injuries.
- His brother, Emil Abrahamsen, documented a 600% increase in grip strength after 30 days of low-load isometric holds.