07/05/2026
The paper’s framework is essentially a warning against the two biggest rehab and performance mistakes:
*Rushing adaptation*
*Underpreparing the athlete*
The “floor” is the athlete’s current physical capacity: what they can safely tolerate today.
The “ceiling” is the physical demand required by their sport: what they must tolerate to compete effectively and safely.
“Time” is the bridge between those two points.
The body does not adapt instantly. Tendons, muscles, aerobic systems, neuromuscular coordination, and tissue tolerance all adapt at different speeds. If load rises faster than adaptation, the athlete may temporarily perform but their tissues may not yet tolerate the demand; and that is where injury risk escalates.
The paper also argues that injury prevention is not simply “doing less.”
Underloading athletes creates another problem: they become fragile, underprepared, and incapable of handling high-intensity competition demands.
