Simple Exercises That Can Repair Tendons — Dr. Keith Baar

Dr. Keith Baar is a Professor at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. During his Ph.D. studies, his research revealed that mechanical strain on muscle fibers activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, a crucial regulator of muscular hypertrophy. Subsequently, he studied the molecular dynamics of skeletal muscle adaptation to endurance training under the guidance of Dr. John Holloszy, a legend in the field of exercise physiology, considered the father of modern exercise biochemistry. Building on all of this experience, he conducted research into tendon health and the potential for engineering ligaments, which could have implications for treatment and recovery from injuries. This episode is brought to you by: Cresset prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: https://cressetcapital.com/tim (book a call today) AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.) Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period) * Links to everything discussed: https://tim.blog/2025/02/26/dr-keith-baar/ Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running. Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/ Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/ Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/ Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tferriss/ Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/ Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/ [00:00] Start [01:14] How I discovered Keith's work through a tweet about tennis elbow and rock climbing. [02:01] Emil Abrahamsson's hangboard training protocol. [03:29] The fundamental principles of strength training and connective tissue adaptation. [04:46] mTOR complex 1 and its role in muscle growth. [06:12] Engineered ligaments and the discovery of minimal effective doses for tendon adaptation. [07:59] The refractory period between optimal tendon loading sessions. [10:58] Rapamycin's effects on muscle hypertrophy. [13:10] Protocols for tennis elbow rehabilitation. [14:48] Why isometrics work better than eccentrics for tendon healing. [16:32] Stress shielding and how load distribution affects tendon healing. [23:28] The misconception about eccentric loading for tendon injuries and why velocity matters. [24:22] Ideal duration for isometric holds (10-30 seconds) based on injury status. [27:14] My elbow issues and current rehab approach. [29:22] Overcoming vs. yielding isometrics and optimal loading strategies. [40:43] Dr. Barr's movement prescription for my tennis elbow. [45:51] Loading timing post-surgery and RICE protocol criticism. [50:33] Achilles tendon rehabilitation after surgery. [53:54] Critique of orthopedic suturing techniques and recommendation for resorbable sutures. [57:43] Multiple position isometrics for tennis elbow rehabilitation. [01:01:12] Collagen synthesis, supplementation, and vitamin C timing. [01:06:44] Critique of BPC-157 and other injectable peptides for tendon healing. [01:12:09] Evaluation of orthobiologics' (PRP, prolotherapy, stem cells) effectiveness. [01:15:23] JAK-STAT inhibitor drugs and their effects on tendon growth. [01:19:15] Drugs that increase risk of tendon ruptures (fluoroquinolones, AT-1 receptor drugs). [01:23:03] How estrogen affects tendon stiffness and injury risk in women. [01:26:19] Testosterone's opposite effects on tendon compared to estrogen. [01:29:00] Protein intake recommendations and timing. [01:33:47] Ketogenic diet effects on mitochondrial biogenesis and longevity. [01:35:35] Comparison of ketogenic diet, low protein diet, and rapamycin for longevity. [01:40:56] Inflammation's role in adaptation and when to reduce it. [01:44:49] Timing of ice baths relative to training for optimal recovery. [01:46:01] Parting thoughts.

Dr. Keith BaarguestTim Ferrisshost

Feb 27, 20251h 47mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: February 27, 2025
Duration: 1h 47m
Channel: Tim Ferriss
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr. Keith Baar is a Professor at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. During his Ph.D. studies, his research revealed that mechanical strain on muscle fibers activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, a crucial regulator of muscular hypertrophy. Subsequently, he studied the molecular dynamics of skeletal muscle adaptation to endurance training under the guidance of Dr. John Holloszy, a legend in the field of exercise physiology, considered the father of modern exercise biochemistry. Building on all of this experience, he conducted research into tendon health and the potential for engineering ligaments, which could have implications for treatment and recovery from injuries. This episode is brought to you by: Cresset prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: https://cressetcapital.com/tim (book a call today) AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.) Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period) * Links to everything discussed: https://tim.blog/2025/02/26/dr-keith-baar/ Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running. Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/ Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/ Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/ Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tferriss/ Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/ Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/ [00:00] Start [01:14] How I discovered Keith's work through a tweet about tennis elbow and rock climbing. [02:01] Emil Abrahamsson's hangboard training protocol. [03:29] The fundamental principles of strength training and connective tissue adaptation. [04:46] mTOR complex 1 and its role in muscle growth. [06:12] Engineered ligaments and the discovery of minimal effective doses for tendon adaptation. [07:59] The refractory period between optimal tendon loading sessions. [10:58] Rapamycin's effects on muscle hypertrophy. [13:10] Protocols for tennis elbow rehabilitation. [14:48] Why isometrics work better than eccentrics for tendon healing. [16:32] Stress shielding and how load distribution affects tendon healing. [23:28] The misconception about eccentric loading for tendon injuries and why velocity matters. [24:22] Ideal duration for isometric holds (10-30 seconds) based on injury status. [27:14] My elbow issues and current rehab approach. [29:22] Overcoming vs. yielding isometrics and optimal loading strategies. [40:43] Dr. Barr's movement prescription for my tennis elbow. [45:51] Loading timing post-surgery and RICE protocol criticism. [50:33] Achilles tendon rehabilitation after surgery. [53:54] Critique of orthopedic suturing techniques and recommendation for resorbable sutures. [57:43] Multiple position isometrics for tennis elbow rehabilitation. [01:01:12] Collagen synthesis, supplementation, and vitamin C timing. [01:06:44] Critique of BPC-157 and other injectable peptides for tendon healing. [01:12:09] Evaluation of orthobiologics' (PRP, prolotherapy, stem cells) effectiveness. [01:15:23] JAK-STAT inhibitor drugs and their effects on tendon growth. [01:19:15] Drugs that increase risk of tendon ruptures (fluoroquinolones, AT-1 receptor drugs). [01:23:03] How estrogen affects tendon stiffness and injury risk in women. [01:26:19] Testosterone's opposite effects on tendon compared to estrogen. [01:29:00] Protein intake recommendations and timing. [01:33:47] Ketogenic diet effects on mitochondrial biogenesis and longevity. [01:35:35] Comparison of ketogenic diet, low protein diet, and rapamycin for longevity. [01:40:56] Inflammation's role in adaptation and when to reduce it. [01:44:49] Timing of ice baths relative to training for optimal recovery. [01:46:01] Parting thoughts.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Keith Baar
guest
Professor and researcher in muscle/tendon physiology and connective-tissue adaptation, focused on tendon/ligament remodeling and rehab loading.
Tim Ferriss
host
Host of The Tim Ferriss Show and interviewer covering performance, health, and science.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Tim Ferriss, featuring Dr. Keith Baar and Tim Ferriss, Simple Exercises That Can Repair Tendons — Dr. Keith Baar explores why brief isometrics can rebuild tendons faster than eccentrics Dr. Keith Baar explains that tendon/ligament adaptation has a short signaling window (about 10 minutes) and benefits from being repeated after a 6–8 hour refractory period, which helps explain rapid grip gains seen in climbers using brief isometric “hang” protocols.

RELATED EPISODES