Dr. Jason Ross: Performance Therapy, Injury Prevention, and Rehab in Elite Distance Running

Dr. Jason Ross is performance therapist, chiropractor, and strength coach with the OAC Global Running Team in Boulder, Colorado. He has almost 20 years of experience working with elite athletes and is a former member of the US Bobsled team. This conversation explores how he blends hands-on therapy with strength training to keep athletes moving well, and how he approaches rehab, load, and the coach-therapist-athlete relationship. Timestamped Topics 0:12 – Introduction & Jason’s work with OAC Global, his clinic, and collaborations with ALTIS. 3:44 – From football and rugby to chiropractic school and the US bobsled team 10:27 – Jason’s philosophy: finding the holes and smoothing the path for the athlete 12:25 – The detective work: assessing bone, soft tissue, and nerve, and why feet and ankles are the starting point 17:00 – The long-term effects of surgery and why ACL athletes need to keep loading the tissue 20:08 – How the OAC team is structured and how Jason splits his role between strength coach and therapist 23:10 – Moving from individual programs to group strength programming by event 25:10 – Spinal decompression: post-run and post-travel routines for recovery 28:12 – Why recovery obsession can backfire: ice baths, anabolic windows, and the 8 out of 10 approach 33:51 – Strength training for 800m to marathon runners: ballistic work, intent, and fatigue resistance 39:06 – Building lumbar-pelvic control through isometrics, time under tension, and proprioception 43:30 – Exercise selection: landmine RDLs, step-ups, and why barbells aren’t always the answer 45:08 – “Hitting the save button”: using heavy, active loading to make passive therapy stick 48:20 – Why Jason prefers exercise design over verbal cueing 52:28 – Common rehab misconceptions: fear of load and the overlooked role of speed and coordination 58:35 – Mindset in rehab: stacking days, small wins, and the case study of Alicia Monson’s knee recovery 1:06:36 – The performance triad: how coach, therapist, and athlete communicate around injuries 1:11:43 – Where to find Jason, and his performance therapy course with ALTIS Support the show