Dr. Sean Burkhardt,DC,FIBFN-FN,CCSP,CFMP,CSCS,CSPS,TSAC-F,PES,CES

The training environment can impact an athlete's training by giving them a sense of comfort and familiar setting. Additionally, acclimation to altitude and heat can also have an impact on training and performance.
 
Transcript: "Hey Markeith, I hope I pronounced that correctly. Dr. Sean here. You have an awesome question. How does the training environment itself impact an athlete's training? So a couple things that I think of are like the home field advantage versus traveling, right? Anytime you're in home field or just a familiar setting that's going to give you that sense of comfort. It's going to down regulate your sympathetic nervous system, your fight-or-flight, and it's going to make you more present-time conscious within your training environment. The other thing that I think of because I am Colorado based, so I am at altitude, is absolutely acclimation to altitude and to heat will impact your training and your performance. So that one is an easier answer for me. So if someone comes to Colorado, I got to make sure that they've been here long enough to adapt to the altitude itself. Also as well to like if it's cold or if it's hot, making sure that they're prepped and they're ready to engage in the environment."

My process for rehabilitating an injured athlete involves obtaining a thorough history and interview, diagnosing the injury both medically and functionally, and then using a methodical approach with passive modalities at first and active care at the end while monitoring progress.
 
Transcript: "Alright, the question reads, what is your process when it comes to rehabilitation for an injured athlete? Well, step number one is always a thorough history and interview with that athlete or that patient. We need to determine was there a very specific mechanism of injury like a trauma or was it something that was repetitive or cumulative in nature. From there, we have to go into an examination. Now I like to come up with two different diagnoses during this examination. One is that medical diagnosis. What's the name of the injury? That will tell us the physiology that's involved and the timeline that that specific injury takes to heal. The second diagnosis is more of a functional diagnosis, meaning was there a breakdown in their movement patterns, was there a lack of strength, or was there repetition? What was going on that caused that medical diagnosis to come to light? That can help us to accommodate while we're doing rehab, but also start to integrate some changes in their lifestyle or particular movement or whatever habits may have led to causing that so we can reinforce it. As far as rehabilitation, there should always be a methodical process over that timeline that it takes to heal where you have these specific goals. So you're going to start off doing the crawl, walk, run method of rehab, meaning a lot of passive modalities up front before we get into active care at the end. I won't go into over details because each injury is unique to the individual and each person might need a different variation on rehab. But the main process is to have a clinical thought process of what may have caused that, what is it, how can we reverse engineer it, and how can we accommodate you during these healing phases and make sure we have markers that keep us measured as practitioners that hold the standards saying we're actually making progress while you're healing up."

I maintain a daily routine, practice self-care and gratitude, exercise regularly, surround myself with positive people, and single task when possible.
 
Transcript: "Hey everyone, Dr. Sean here. My question is, what are the daily habits you have to remain grounded and also happy? Love it. First things first, a morning routine. So I try to wake up at the same time every morning. I'll go on a walk with my dog and then we'll make coffee between my wife and I and usually just try to connect with each other. Second thing after that is I'll take a little bit of me time. I might do some stretching, I might do some breathing, but the point is I'm connecting with myself. After that I usually dirt dive my day, meaning, hey what do I have to accomplish today? Let me make a list, let me set some goals, small or big. That way when I hit them, you know, I get this dopamine hit, it gives me a little sense of invigoration and it keeps me motivated to keep going. Another one is reading, right? By reading you get to take time for yourself but you're also educating yourself and just kind of connecting with different topics that are out there. Yeah, so if you have any interest, like reading is a good one. I like to practice gratitude. I have to get reminded to do this at certain times so when I make a good accomplishment, you know, tell yourself, like, good for you. Don't get stuck on it, move forward, but recognize those small wins. Exercise every day, you know, just staying moving will keep you healthy but it will also change your neurochemistry and actually make you feel happier. So that can be under self-care, it can be under exercise, but either way just stay doing something, stay moving. Surround myself with positive people, right? If you want to be better, you got to be around people that hold themselves to a higher standard so it keeps you moving forward to a higher standard. So I know there's a lot there but I hope these are helpful for you. Also single tasking, right? If you try to multitask, you're gonna get lost. So make sure you're focused on whatever you do, you're present-time conscious with whomever you're with, and those are my habits."

My favorite podcast right now is the Huberman Lab, as it's based in clinical neuroscience and provides useful information that everyone can understand and use.
 
Transcript: "Hey everybody, Dr. Sean here. Eduardo asks, what's your favorite podcast? Man, anytime I have to pick just one it gives me a little bit of anxiety, but what I'll say if I have a favorite one right now, it's actually the Huberman Lab. I'm really into clinical neuroscience, having a degree in it myself, and I like the idea that we can explain why things work from a neurophysiological perspective. And he gives real applicable information to implement immediately. So even though it's all science-based, like how to improve dopamine and the pathways of which dopamine are secreted, that seems like really in-depth, but he'll teach you these little tricks just to make you be able to do it. So it's very applicable, everyone can understand it, so I'd say the Huberman Lab right now is hands-down my favorite podcast that I listen to."

The importance of recovery for athletes is essential. It helps their muscles and systems adapt, allowing them to come back even stronger after their training. Recovery reinforces all of the effort they put in to maintain their health, fitness, and skill.
 
Transcript: "What's up everyone? Next question reads, what is the importance of recovery for athletes? So I would say train hard, recover harder. Your body and your brain are your most important tools and as an athlete you are using these daily to complete the task, the position, the skill that you're engaging in. So when you do your training you're specifically trying to break down these muscles and your systems so they can adapt and come back even stronger. The process of recovery is when that happens. You're not making gains while you're in there working out. You're making gains while you're resting, while you're sleeping, and while you're fueling. So the importance for recovery for athletes is there's no debate, it's just absolutely essential. If you keep driving a car without maintaining it or putting gas in it, eventually it's just not going to work as well. So all the effort that athletes are putting in to make sure they're healthy, that their function is good, that their fitness is up, and that their skill is pristine, the recovery reinforces all of that. So it is absolutely key."

When you're ill, it's important to understand your body and know its limits. Exercise can help boost your immune system, but don't push yourself too hard. If you have a fever or are feeling very unwell, it's best to take some rest. Walking is still beneficial when you're sick, just take it easy.
 
Transcript: "Hey, what's up everyone? Dr. Sean Burkhart here. Michael asked a really valid question. How do you know when to train through illness or when to rest? Well step one, knowing your body. Like if you're getting familiar with training, you're going to understand your limits of how long you can go, how hard you can push, and what it takes to recover. Remember, exercise itself has been shown to have an immune boosting effect. It's actually good for you. So like I can personally attest when I've had a cold or allergies or like an earache or something, I'm able to continue to training. I just might modify the volume or the intensity of my workout. And if you're really good at understanding your vital signs, like knowing what your resting heart rate is, first thing in the morning when you measure that, if your resting heart rate is way up high or not coming down, that might be a good vital sign to say like, yeah, even though this sickness doesn't feel bad, like physiologically it's affecting me. Other ones that are, we'll call them like no brainers, but let's just chat about it, is when that illness is severe. Like if you have a fever, there's a risk of dehydration, you're constantly having to run to the bathroom, then I would advise not to train when you're ill. But it's always good to just try to move. Remember, training doesn't have to always be intense. Simple walking, walking on a treadmill, walking outside, it's good for you when you're sick. But just don't overdo it."