The ACL Athlete Podcast

In this episode, we dig into one of the most overlooked mistakes in ACL recovery: undereating. It sounds logical on the surface: you are moving less, so you eat less. But what is actually happening inside your body after surgery tells a completely different story. We break down the surgical stress cascade, what the research says about how fast muscle disappears in that first week post-op, and why inadequate protein intake can quietly sabotage your quad strength, your rehab benchmarks, and your entire timeline. Whether you are an athlete early in your recovery, a clinician guiding someone through it, a parent watching your kid struggle to make progress, or a coach trying to connect the dots on why an athlete is stalling, this episode gives you a clear, research-backed picture of what your body actually needs to heal and rebuild, and why food is not the enemy right now.
Link to article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8156786/
Ways we can connect:
My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
Our website: www.theaclathlete.com
Email: [email protected]
_________________

Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer.

Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources

Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up)

1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world.
Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

In this episode, we sit with a quote from Duke Women's Basketball coach Kara Lawson that stopped me in my tracks and immediately made me think of every ACL athlete navigating this process. We don't get to control the length of our adversity. We get to control who we are in it. We unpack why "when will this be over?" is the wrong question to be asking, what it actually means to lock into what's real and true during ACL rehab, and how objective testing, data, and individualized programming are the film and analytics of your recovery. Whether you are in the thick of it right now, supporting someone who is, or a clinician guiding athletes through this every day, this episode is a reminder that the mindset you bring into this process is the one thing fully within your control.
Here's the video link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU27g0tDrpP/
Ways we can connect:
My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
Our website: www.theaclathlete.com
Email: [email protected]
_________________

Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer.

Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources

Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up)

1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world.
Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey
Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

In this episode, we dig into one of the most important and least talked about conversations in ACL rehab: the decision of whether or not to go back to your sport or activity after an ACL injury. We break down why this decision is not one size fits all and how three key factors change the entire equation: injury severity and surgical history, your actual goals, and your current season of life. We walk through real examples from athletes we work with, from dads and moms with young kids to surgeons, teenagers, and weekend warriors, and explain why the true goal of ACL rehab is not necessarily to go back to everything you did before. It is to know that you could. We also draw a hard line between fear-based avoidance and an informed, calculated choice, and why your rehab should get you to a place of strength so you can decide from clarity, not from limitation.

Ways we can connect:
My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
Our website: www.theaclathlete.com
Email: [email protected]
_________________

Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer.

Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources

Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up)

1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world.
Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

In this episode, we break down what it actually means to have a complicated ACL/knee case, from multi-ligament involvement and cartilage damage to post-op complications like cyclops lesions, scar tissue, and quad shutdown/AMI that never resolves. We get honest about why surgeons default to "keep working on it," why patients stay too long with providers who are not helping them, and exactly when it is time to go get another opinion, or a third, or a fourth. If you are months out and still not getting answers, or you have a complex case that nobody seems to know how to handle, this episode is going to give you a framework and the permission to take control of your own rehab.

Ways we can connect:
My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
Our website: www.theaclathlete.com
Email: [email protected]
_________________

Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer.

Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources

Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up)

1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world.
Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

In this episode, we mark five years of The ACL Athlete Podcast by doing something I almost let pass entirely: sitting down with no agenda, and saying the things that have never quite been said clearly enough. We open with a message from a listener that stopped me in my tracks, shares what it actually cost me to go through two ACL tears, and then walks through five lessons that apply just as much to your knee as they do to your life. From why consistency in the hard moments is the whole game, to how asking for help is one of the highest leverage decisions you will ever make, to why fear does not need to leave the room before you take action, this episode is a reminder that the ACL process is not just physical. It is mental and emotional. If you are in the middle of it, just finished PT, watching your kid go through it, or a clinician trying to do better work for your athletes, this one was made for you.

Ways we can connect:
My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
Our website: www.theaclathlete.com
Email: [email protected]
_________________

Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer.

Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources

Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up)

1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world.
Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.