ESPN West Palm Tonight interviewed Kathleen L. Davenport, MD, physiatrist at HSS Florida, on air to discuss common athlete injuries during the Olympics and sports performance optimization in the current environment.

Dr. Davenport explained the importance of periodization for elite athletes and recommended having a healthy mix of hard days and rest days to avoid overuse injuries and peak at the right time during the Olympics. “We see a lot of overuse injuries, and as a fan, you might not hear about those. In the heat of the moment and extra adrenaline sometimes the overuse chronic injuries can become an acute problem when they need their body the most,” she said.

She also talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed training for elite athletes, especially those in team sports. “Athletes have had to be extremely creative to keep up their training regimen to keep us in a way to be strong as an athlete but safe from a pandemic,” she added.

Dr. Davenport advised younger athletes with Olympic dreams to get the right team around them to reach their goals. She said, “It’s important to listen to your body and focus on periodization, listen to your coaches about correct technique but also assemble a team. By team, not just other players, but those around you make you a better athlete. This can be your health care team and those encouraging you and pushing you and giving positive feedback.”

The segment aired on July 23, 2021.