Learn more about Brodie's Research Database & AI Assistant 📄🔍

Optimal Nutrition for Tendon Recovery with Jordi Sullivan

📍 Episode Summary:
In this episode, Brodie is joined by sports dietitian Jordi Sullivan, founder of The Fight Dietitian, to unpack one of the most overlooked aspects of injury rehab: nutrition. While the conversation begins with general performance nutrition, the focus soon shifts to actionable strategies for tendon recovery.

Jordi shares his evidence-based, no-nonsense advice on calories, macronutrients, micronutrients, and supplements, while offering simple frameworks to help injured athletes support healing and stay on track with their rehab goals.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why calorie intake is essential—especially during injury
• How to calculate protein needs and why it's vital for tissue repair
• A breakdown of carbs and fats: their role in recovery and daily fueling
• How to spot signs of under-fuelling, both short- and long-term
• When (and if) supplements like collagen, vitamin D, and protein powders are worth using
• How to keep nutrition simple without sacrificing results
• What recreational runners can learn from elite athlete routines—without overdoing it
• The “factory” analogy to understand how your body uses food to heal

👤 Guest Bio:

Jordi Sullivan is a qualified dietitian with a Master's in Dietetics and a background in exercise and nutrition science. He works with a wide range of athletes including combat sport professionals, endurance runners, and team sport athletes. Through The Fight Dietitian, Jordi and his team specialize in helping athletes optimize performance, recovery, and injury resilience using practical, science-backed nutrition.

📌 Resources & Links:

• 🌐 Visit The Fight Dietitian Website
• 🌐 Website 'PDF Guides & Courses'
• 📸 Follow Jordi: @the_fightdietitian
• 📸 Follow Lauren (Endurance Specialist): @thexfitdietitian
• 
  

💬 Key Quotes:

For MORE Run Smarter Resources 🏃‍♂️📚
- Including Free Injury Prevention Courses 🩹🎓
- The Run Smarter Book 📖
- Access to Research Papers 📄🔍
- & Ways to Work with Brodie 🤝👟
👉 CLICK HERE! 🎉✨

Learn more about Brodie's Research Database & AI Assistant 📄🔍

Belinda Beck is a Professor in the school of allied health services at Griffith University. She has been involved in bone health research for 20 years and published over 100 research papers.

Today, we discuss stress fractures and bone health. We start with the adolescent population and why diet, bone loading & peak bone mass is so important in this population. Secondly, Belinda dives into symptoms, risks, causes and treatment of stress fractures. Lastly, we talk about the masters runner and aging populations. What is the best approach for the treatment and management of bone conditions such as osteoporosis?

Click here to head to the bone clinic
You can also find the bone clinic on facebook

Check out some previous podcast episode:
Avoiding & Managing Stress Fractures
The hidden dangers of RED-S with Isobel Ross

For MORE Run Smarter Resources 🏃‍♂️📚
- Including Free Injury Prevention Courses 🩹🎓
- The Run Smarter Book 📖
- Access to Research Papers 📄🔍
- & Ways to Work with Brodie 🤝👟
👉 CLICK HERE! 🎉✨

Learn more about Brodie's Research Database & AI Assistant 📄🔍

🧠 Episode Summary:

In this jam-packed episode, Brodie dives into the latest running research added to the Run Smarter database for March 2025. From tendon rehab protocols to marathon fueling strategies and smartwatch accuracy, you'll walk away with practical takeaways and cutting-edge insights to train and rehab smarter.

🔍 Featured Research Papers:

1. Stress Relaxation & Nutrition in Patellar Tendinopathy (Keith Barr, 2019)
   • Explores how combining gelatin + vitamin C with isometric loading can heal even severe degenerative tendons.
   • Case study of an NBA player with 50% degenerative patellar tendon—healed to normal MRI status after 18 months.
   • Practical rehab protocol: Heavy isometrics (leg extensions, leg press, Spanish squats) + 15g gelatin + 225mg Vitamin C, taken 1 hour before.
   • Key concept: Stress relaxation allows load to reach the injured part of the tendon.
2. Nutrition Timing & Marathon Performance
   • Examines how pre-, during-, and post-race fueling impacts finish times.
   • Top performers consumed 30–60g of carbs per hour (those closer to 60g performed best).
   • Having a nutrition plan, especially one guided by a dietitian, correlated with faster times.
   • Surprisingly, pre-race caffeine, carbs, and fluid intake didn’t significantly affect finish time.
   • Overhydration linked to slower finishes—individualize hydration plans!
3. Smartwatch Accuracy for Predicting Performance (Huawei GT Runner Study)
   • Watches accurately predicted marathon times within 3% error margin based on 5K/10K/HM times.
   • Great alternative to expensive lab VO2 max or lactate threshold tests.
   • Encouraging for recreational runners looking to track and plan training more effectively.

🏃 Key Takeaways for Runners:

• Tendon Rehab: Healing degenerative tendon is possible—target it with specific loading + nutrition.
• Race Day Fueling: Practice your carb intake in training and aim for 60–90g/hr during long races.
• Hydration: Don’t overdo fluids—tailor to sweat rate and environmental conditions.
• Tech Insights: Smartwatches can be surprisingly accurate in predicting race performances—use that data!

For MORE Run Smarter Resources 🏃‍♂️📚
- Including Free Injury Prevention Courses 🩹🎓
- The Run Smarter Book 📖
- Access to Research Papers 📄🔍
- & Ways to Work with Brodie 🤝👟
👉 CLICK HERE! 🎉✨