Hey PS+R Crew!
It has been a whirlwind summer for our team! From elite international sidelines to NBA classrooms and cutting-edge clinical research, our team members have been traveling across the country to advance the fields of sports medicine and physical therapy.
Here is a look at what we’ve been up to over the last few months:
After spending the early summer on the West Coast working alongside the US Men’s National Soccer Team, Steve is officially back in Northeast Florida! He has hit the ground running, resuming his vital work with Sporting Jax—supporting the men’s squad through their current season while helping the women’s team gear up for their upcoming kickoff.
Libby had a powerhouse summer on the East Coast. On top of publishing her latest paper—Current Clinical Concepts: Assessment & Management of Acetabular Dysplasia—she is back in the classroom! She led an intensive, two-week lab for our first-term Doctor of Physical Therapy students, teaching a specialized curriculum she and Steve developed firsthand.
Up in the Midwest, Trent has been working alongside basketball’s elite. He recently presented to NBA strength and conditioning coaches on how the latest tendon science translates to the high-flying demands of the court. Immediately following that, he took the stage to share his expertise at the Summer League Sports Medicine Series.
Whether training Olympic-level athletes, educating the next generation of DPTs, or publishing peer-reviewed research, our team stays at the absolute forefront of the industry. We can’t wait to bring these cutting-edge insights back to our community!
Research Spotlight: Brain Health & Lifting
At PS+R, we are always staying up to date with the latest evidence. Here’s a recent study that caught our eye!
As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia), while our brains experience a decline in gray matter volume and alterations in brain metabolism. Researchers wanted to see if building leg strength through resistance training could actually alter and improve the chemical markers of brain health
- Exercise Shielded the Brain from Decline – Over the course of just 12 weeks, the non-exercising control group showed significant drops in activity within the movement and thinking sectors of their brains. However, the group that lifted weights experienced no such decline. Exercise essentially acted as a shield, preserving baseline brain metabolism.
- Stronger Legs = Healthier Brain Chemistry – Researchers found a direct, positive correlation between muscle strength gains and brain chemistry improvements:
- Quads (Knee Extensions): Participants with the highest strength gains showed the greatest preservation and improvement in memory/learning neurotransmitters.
- Hamstrings (Knee Flexions): Gains in hamstring strength also correlated directly with cellular brain health.
While this study focused on older adults, the underlying science holds true at any age:
Lifting heavy loads triggers the release of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, essentially “Miracle-Gro” for the brain. In younger adults, this translates to faster reaction times, sharper motor learning, and better focus under fatigue.
Whether you’re making split-second decisions on the soccer field or managing a high-stress workplace, the brain benefits from the chemical buffering effect of heavy strength work.
The strength and neural connections you build in your 20s, 30s, and 40s create a high baseline of cognitive health, shielding your brain decades down the road.
Ready to level up your strength and protect your brain health?
Whether you’re recovering from an injury, training for a high-performance season, or just looking to build strength for long-term health, our team is here to help you move better.
Visit us at performancesciencerehab.com to learn more. We’d love to be part of your process.
