Sports Injury Physio

If you're dealing with Achilles tendonitis (or tendinopathy), you might be wondering whether cycling is a good or bad idea. In this episode, sports physio Alison Gould breaks down the pros and cons of cycling with an Achilles injury.

✅ Learn how cycling can be a great cross-training option to maintain fitness while recovering.

❌ Discover potential risks, such as improper bike setup, footwear issues, or sudden increases in training load.

🔍 Understand whether your pain is from a mid-portion or insertional Achilles tendinopathy, and how that affects your cycling experience.

Cycling isn’t a cure for Achilles tendonitis, but with the right approach, it can be a safe and effective part of your recovery.

👉 Get the type of heel wedges mentioned in the video here. Remember to use them in both shoes!

Some links here are to places where you can buy something relevant. If you do, we might get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

🌟Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your Achilles injury and a tailored treatment plan.

📽️ Other videos mentioned in this episode:

▶️ Achilles Tendonitis Causes

▶️ Why do I Have a Lump in my Achilles Tendon?

▶️ Cross-Training to Maintain Fitness

▶️ How to Use Pain Levels to Manage your Achilles Rehab

▶️ Achilles Tendonitis - Where you Feel your Pain Matters

▶️ The Science Behind Achilles Tendonitis Rehab

📚Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:10 Cycling with Achilles tendinopathy - Good or bad?

00:03:28 It matters where you feel the pain

00:06:18 Cycling load can have an influence

00:07:57 Research into cycling and Achilles tendonitis

What is the relationship between various forms of arthritis and Achilles tendonitis?

Sports physio Alison Gould discusses rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout: How these forms of inflammatory arthritis might interact with insertional Achilles tendonitis and how we can treat it.

Some products mentioned in the video that migh help with pain relief from Achilles tendonitis and/or arthritis in that area:

👉 Heel wedges

👉 And heel cups

Remember to use them in both shoes!

👉 Ice packs for pain relief

Some links here are to places where you can buy something relevant. If you do, we might get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

🌟Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your Achilles injury and a tailored treatment plan.

📽️ Other videos mentioned in this episode:

▶️ Insertional Achilles tendonitis videos

▶️ Gout in the Achilles Tendon: Symptoms & Treatment

▶️ What is Achilles Enthesopathy?

▶️ Persistent/Chronic Achilles Pain? How Understanding Pain Can Help

📚Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:51 Types of arthritis

00:05:58 Is there a link with Achilles tendonitis?

00:09:46 Enthesitis vs. insertional Achilles tendonitis

00:12:37 Treatment

Sports physio Maryke Louw discusses the causes, treatment, and recovery process for chronic Achilles tendonitis, also known as Achilles tendinopathy.

She breaks down what it means when Achilles pain persists for over a year, why chronic pain doesn't always reflect the severity of the injury, and how proper treatment can still lead to full recovery.

The episode also covers common mistakes in rehab, how activity levels and pain sensitivity impact recovery, and practical strategies for managing and overcoming long-term Achilles issues.

🌟Need help with your injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your Achilles injury and a tailored treatment plan.

📽️ Other videos mentioned in this episode:

▶️ Persistent/Chronic Achilles Pain? How Understanding Pain Can Help

▶️ Achilles Tendonitis Treatment - Pain vs. Scan Results

▶️ Achilles Tendonitis Treatments - The Good, the Bad, and the Useless

▶️ Exercises For Achilles Tendonitis/Tendinopathy - What, When, How Often?

📚Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:00 Is it "tendonitis" or "tendinopathy?"

00:01:42 Severity of injury

00:04:36 Is it permanent?

00:04:59 What causes chronic Achilles tendonitis?

00:15:19 Our treatment approach

00:17:57 How we can help

Avid runner David Hellard had a caffeine supplement mishap during a seven-day race through the Sahara Desert ... so he decided to develop his own product. This in-depth interview explores how he uses caffeine to boost endurance, sharpen focus, and manage race-day fatigue.

Discover evidence-based strategies for caffeine dosing, timing, and individual response variability. Learn how to integrate caffeine into your training without compromising sleep or gut health, and why some runners benefit more than others. Perfect for runners curious about using caffeine smarter — not just more.

👉 David's Caffeine Bullet chews in various dosages and flavours:

✅ Mint - 100 mg

✅ Chocolate Orange - 85 mg

✅ Ginger Roars - 33 mg

Some links here are to places where you can buy something relevant. If you do, we might get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

🌟 Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at SIP online via video call for an assessment of your injury and a tailored treatment plan.

👉 This article of mine has the downloadable cheat sheet with caffeine dosage strategies for various race distances.

Find David Hellard here:

➡️ Performance Bullet (Formerly Caffeine Bullet)

➡️ Bad Boy Running Podcast

➡️ Golden Trail Series

Check whether your sports supplement is safe:

✅ Informed Sport

✅ Cologne List

📚 Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:57 Troube in the Marathon des Sables

00:04:18 Caffeine doesn't help all runners

00:09:43 Caffeine dosages

00:13:13 Mental benefits when racing or training

00:17:34 Managing your overall caffeine levels

00:25:10 Cutting down on non-training caffeine

00:27:33 Checking whether a supplement is safe

00:32:16 Caffeine getting you out the door for training sessions

00:34:45 Where to find David online

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Brand new research (2025) suggests that physical therapy exercises to AVOID when you have insertional Achilles tendonitis include calf stretches and movements that compress the injured tendon against your heel bone.

Sports physio Alison Gould demonstrates what exercises to do and what NOT to do when you want to recover from insertional Achilles tendonitis.

Some products mentioned in the video that might help with insertional Achilles tendonitis pain relief:

👉 Heel wedges

👉 And heel cups

Remember to use them in both shoes!

👉 These models of Brooks running shoe have a good heel-to-toe drop to take the strain off the injured tendon:

- Brooks Ghost 15

- Brooks Adrenaline

Some links here are to places where you can buy something relevant. If you do, we might get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

🌟Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your Achilles injury and a tailored treatment plan.

📽️ More advice on how to adapt different types of activity to be kind to your insertional Achilles tendonitis:

▶️ How to Adapt Yoga for Achilles Tendonitis

▶️ Adapting Pilates For Achilles Tendonitis or Pain

▶️ Achilles or Heel Pain when Doing a Squat

▶️ Exercises to Maintain Running Form While Recovering From Achilles Tendonitis

▶️ Is Cycling Good or Bad for Achilles Tendonitis?

📚Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:54 What is insertional Achilles tendonitis?

00:03:41 Stretches to avoid - demo

00:04:34 Footwear advice

00:05:38 Strengthening exercises

00:07:05 New research on exercises for insertional Achilles tendinopathy

00:08:45 DEMO: What exercises to do ... and NOT to do

00:11:50 Moving on to more advanced exercises

00:13:49 DEMO: Bent-knee exercises

Don't listen to people who tell you that orthotic insoles are bad for your feet and that you should never use them.

Sports physio Maryke Louw explains why factors such as your foot shape and the flexibility of the muscles, tendons, and ligamants in and around your foot should determine whether and to what extent you should use orthotics.

👉 Examples of minimalist shoes with arch support mentioned in the video (Amazon):

✅ Weweya (men)

✅ MIFAWA (unisex)

✅ Joomra (women)

🌟 Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at SIP online via video call for an assessment of your injury and a tailored treatment plan.

📽️ Other videos mentioned in this video:

▶️ Exercises to Correct Over-Pronation in Runners

▶️ Test for Hip Control

▶️ Clamshell Exercise Demo

▶️ Glute Bridge Exercise: 4 Progressions + Benefits

📚 Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:49 Why "Orthotics are always bad for your feet" is wrong

00:03:19 Research into orthotics

00:06:21 Five tips I give my patients

00:11:58 How we can help

📰 Subscribe to the Sports Injury Physio e-newsletter: https://geni.us/sipnews

In this episode, Alison explains how the menopause affects women's bodies and why this might increase their risk of getting Achilles tendonitis or tendinopathy.

She also looks at what the current research tells us about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and whether it can help with the treatment of Achilles tendonitis.

🌟Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your Achilles injury and a tailored treatment plan.

More about Achilles tendonitis/tendinopathy:

- Learn how the Menopause can Cause Achilles Tendonitis

- What Causes Achilles Pain and what Treatment Works?

- Why do I Have a Lump in my Achilles Tendon?

📚Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:04 What is Achilles tendonitis/tendinopathy?

00:03:08 Why might the menopause cause trouble?

00:04:41 How does HRT affect this process?

00:07:21 What else helps for Achilles tendinopathy?

In this episode, Maryke discusses what exercises you should do and why when you have gluteal tendinopathy. She also explains why stretching exercises are best avoided.

🌟Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at SIP online via video call for an assessment of your injury and a tailored treatment plan.

👉 More videos about Gluteal Tendinopathy / Lateral Hip Pain

Episode 1: Anatomy

Episode 2: Symptoms

Episode 3: Tips For Sitting

Episode 4: Sleeping Tips

Episode 5: Stretches

Episode 6: The Menopause effect

Episode 7: Exercises That Can Help

Episode 8: Lateral Hip Pain: What Can Cause It?

Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:38 What is gluteal tendinopathy?

00:03:28 Why exercise is essential for gluteal tendinopathy treatment

00:04:10 Avoid these exercises for gluteal tendinopathy

00:05:21 Strength training for gluteal tendinopathy

00:09:25 Why gluteal tendinopathy exercises can't be one-size-fits-all

00:11:33 How we can help you with your gluteal tendinopathy

Going on holiday while recovering from an Achilles injury can be tricky.

Sports physio Ali Gould gives some practical tips on how to manage your injured tendon in terms of the terrain you encounter, the best footwear, and how not to overdo things, while still enjoying your holiday.

👉 Here's an example of the heel-raising shoe inserts to take strain off your Achilles tendon - available on Amazon:

- Beautulip gel + foam heel inserts

👉 Ice your Achilles tendon for pain relief:

- Reusable ice packs with adjustable strap

- Ankle ice pack

Some links here are to places where you can buy something relevant. If you do, we might get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

🌟Need help with an Achilles injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your Achilles injury and a tailored treatment plan.

Related videos:

▶️ Best & Worst Shoes for Achilles Tendonitis

▶️ Choosing Running Shoes To Help Achilles Tendonitis

▶️ How to Adapt Yoga for Achilles Tendonitis

▶️ Adapting Pilates For Achilles Tendonitis

▶️ Achilles or Heel Pain when Doing a Squat

▶️ Ice Treatment for Achilles Tendinopathy

▶️ Exercises For Achilles Tendonitis/Tendinopathy

Useful articles:

- When to use anti-inflammatories

- Is ice or heat better for Achilles tendonitis?

📚Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:17 Terrain

00:04:49 Sharp increase in activity

00:05:48 Spreading the day-to-day load

00:11:22 Shoes

00:15:08 Pain relief

00:19:30 What about my rehab?

📰 Subscribe to our email newsletter for regular Achilles injury treatment and prevention advice.

Oestrogen is in charge of collagen production in your tendons. The Achilles tendon is mainly made up of collagen fibres. Your oestrogen levels drop during the peri-menopause and menopause, and this can affect how your Achilles tendon reacts to exercise.

In this episode, Maryke gives three tips for female runners who suspect that the menopause might be affecting their tendons.

🌟Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your Achilles injury and a tailored treatment plan.

You might also be interested in this video:- Hormone Replacement Therapy, the Menopause, and Achilles Tendonitis

Chapters in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:57 What makes the Achilles tendon so strong?

00:01:32 How the menopause affects the Achilles tendon

00:04:06 Three tips for recovering from Achilles injuries during menopause

00:06:46 How we can help