#124 Alan Needle | The Brain-Ankle Connection, Injury Prevention, & Running for the Long Haul

<p>The MidPacker Pod is part of the Freetrail network of Podcasts.</p><p><br></p><p>Join the Newsletter at:⁠ <a href="https://troymeadows.substack.com/subscribe"><u>⁠MidPack Musings SubStack⁠⁠</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Join the Free Newsletter or</p><p>Become a supporting member:<a href="https://troymeadows.substack.com/subscribe"><u> https://troymeadows.substack.com/subscribe</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://runtraillife.com/collections/midpacker-pod-merch"><u>Check Out MPP Merch ⁠</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Make sure you leave us a rating and review wherever you get your pods.</p><p><br></p><p>Looking for 1:1 Ultra Running Coaching? </p><p>Check out<a href="https://runtraillife.com/pages/rtl-coaching-services"> <u>⁠Troy’s Coaching Page ⁠</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>STOKED TO PARTNER WITH<strong> </strong> </p><p><a href="https://kilarun.com/"><strong>KILA</strong></a><strong> - </strong>$50 off your order</p><p><a href="https://gobrewing.com/discount/MIDPACKER"><u>⁠</u><strong>GO BREWING</strong><u>⁠</u></a><strong> </strong>- 20% off your first order</p><p><br></p><p>USE <strong>MIDPACKER </strong>TO GET THAT DISCOUNT FRIENDS</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.rendezvu.co/troy-meadows"><strong>RENDEZVU.CO</strong></a> - Check out the Gear I love your purchases support me directly</p><p><br></p><p><strong>JOIN THE APP STATE INJURY LAB: TRAIL RUNNING STUDY</strong></p><p><strong></strong><a href="https://forms.gle/iWRESvzk5Xkx3NJh6"><strong>HERE : </strong></a><a href="https://forms.gle/iWRESvzk5Xkx3NJh6"><u>https://forms.gle/iWRESvzk5Xkx3NJh6</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>“In order to treat these injuries, we need to treat the brain.”</p><p><br></p><p>Dr. Alan Needle has spent more than a decade running ultras while building a research career around a problem most trail runners know all too well: rolling an ankle.</p><p>In this episode, Troy talks with Alan about his work at Appalachian State studying chronic ankle instability and the surprising role the brain and nervous system may play in repeated injuries. Alan explains how changes in proprioception and the way the brain communicates with a joint can affect stability, and why treating an injury may require looking beyond the ankle itself.</p><p>Now Alan is bringing that research directly onto the trails. His team is studying runners at races across the Southeast to understand why one runner falls or rolls an ankle while another doesn&#39;t.</p><p>They dig into:</p><ul><li><p>The connectio