Episode 213: In this episode, Andy McDonald is joined by Tom Clark — a sports scientist and performance coach with over a decade of experience working at the highest levels of elite sport.

Currently completing a doctorate focused on jet lag and circadian disruption, Tom brings rare, first-hand insight into the challenges of global travel in high-performance environments. Having coached across the world in Formula One, his work centres on understanding how travel fatigue, disrupted sleep, and circadian misalignment influence athlete readiness and performance.

Across the conversation, Tom unpacks the realities of jet lag in elite sport — exploring how travel affects physiological rhythms, why its impact varies between athletes, and how practitioners can better assess and manage it within performance systems. The discussion also examines practical interventions to minimise disruption, alongside the role of new technologies designed to support high-performance travel.

ㅤ Topics Discussed:

• Understanding jet lag • Impact of travel and circadian disruption on performance • Assessing jet lag in athletes • Key interventions to reduce travel fatigue • Phaze — a solution for high-performance travel

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Where you can find Tom:

• LinkedIn

• Website

• Instagram

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Sponsors

Gameplan is a rehab Project Management & Data Analytics Platform that improves operational & communication efficiency during rehab. Gameplan provides a centralised tool for MDT’s to work collaboratively inside a data rich environment

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

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Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

-

Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Alistair McKenzie
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight

Episode 212: In this episode of Accelerate, Nicola Graham is joined by Jason — Founder of Joyned Capital, former semi-professional footballer in the Netherlands, and a leader at the intersection of athlete identity and technology investment.

Jason’s journey spans elite sport, corporate banking, venture building, and two years designing and running the Qatar SportsTech accelerator programme — giving him a rare perspective on both sides of the performance and investment table. After transitioning out of football, he made it his mission to reshape the narrative around athletes in business and redefine how investors engage with sport and technology.

Now through Joyned Capital, Jason is focused on changing the face of investment — building bridges between high-performance sport and high-growth tech, while empowering athletes to become credible, strategic investors.

Across the conversation, Jason breaks down what the high-performance mindset really looks like beyond the pitch — exploring growth, curiosity, relentlessness and grit in the world of startups and venture capital. He shares practical insights into the different types of capital founders can pursue, and why relationships — not just capital — are the true currency in early-stage investment.

ㅤ Topics Discussed:

• From semi-pro football to founder and investor • Designing and leading Qatar SportsTech’s accelerator • The high-performance mindset in venture • Understanding different types of investment capital • The rise of the athlete investor • Building meaningful investor–founder relationships

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Where you can find Jason:

• LinkedIn

• Website

• Instagram

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Sponsors

Gameplan is a rehab Project Management & Data Analytics Platform that improves operational & communication efficiency during rehab. Gameplan provides a centralised tool for MDT’s to work collaboratively inside a data rich environment

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

-

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

-

Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Alistair McKenzie
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight

Episode 211: In this episode, Andy McDonald is joined by Trent — founder of The Tendon Lab and a specialist in Achilles and Patellar tendon health.

Trent brings nearly a decade of professional basketball experience as a physical therapist, strength coach, and former VP of Player Health and Performance into his focused clinical and research practice in Traverse City, Michigan. A former collegiate basketball player turned tendon scientist, his work now centres exclusively on evaluating and enhancing tendon structure and function.

Alongside consulting with professional teams on high-performance systems and return-to-play processes, Trent is pursuing his PhD in tendon health under one of the world’s leading tendon researchers. His mission is clear: bridge the gap between emerging tendon science and the realities of performance environments.

Across the conversation, Trent unpacks what “tendon health” really means beyond pain or imaging alone. He explores how structure, function, and symptoms interact — and why they don’t always move in parallel. The discussion dives into the role of UTC imaging, intelligent loading strategies, and how to progress athletes toward high-level stretch–shortening cycle (SSC) demands with clarity and confidence.

ㅤ Topics Discussed:

• Defining tendon health • The role of UTC imaging in clinical decision-making • Structure vs. function vs. pain • Strategies for progressive tendon loading • Targeting tendon substructure adaptations • End-stage / SSC tendon loading in performance settings

Where you can find Trent:

• LinkedIn

• Website

• Instagram

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Sponsors

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

-

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

-

Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Alistair McKenzie
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight