The Real Science of Sport Podcast

1. What Is Zone 2 Training? / The Scale of Child Doping / An Ironman Record on 200g of Carbs an Hour?

   12 novembre 20261 h 24 minÀ suivre

   Become a supporter to get access to our community, and to hear our new series on training zones and prescription that starts next week. Join us on Patreon for the price of a gel a month!Show notesPeter Attia’s …

   Notes de l’épisode

   Become a supporter to get access to our community, and to hear our new series on training zones and prescription that starts next week. Join us on Patreon for the price of a gel a month!

   
   

   Show notes

   
   

   Peter Attia’s zone 2 comments spark a debate about what training zones actually are, before a spin through the week’s news:

   
   

   • (00:00:58) People take their training zones very seriously, and it gets confusing because Zone 2 means different things to different people. We trace how three zones models became five and seven zone models as coaches and athletes solve their own problems, and why diet, heat, sport, and fitness all affect them
   • (00:17:22) Tadej Pogačar’s Whoop documentary puts his zone 2 at 230 to 320 watts and his resting heart rate at 38. Does that explain anything?
   • (00:23:28) How do sports keep their fans and win new ones? Sports are chasing social media eyeballs, while football, the NFL, tennis, and F1 have storylines. Is LIV Golf’s collapse a case for tradition?
   • (00:34:01) Angus Bell’s hip drop yellow card, and Ben Earl’s research finding that players aren’t consulted on law changes
   • (00:44:16) An ARD investigation suggests 5 to 6% of children aged 8 to 17 dope. Ross is surprised it isn't higher, and Gareth is alarmed at the scale of the problem and its seeming lack of a solution
   • (00:51:27) Kilian Jornet on why the quads (the chassis, not the engine) decide pacing in mountain ultras
   • (00:58:19) The 2027 Giro has two stages finishing on motor racing circuits
   • (01:02:03) Will foot-stiffening socks speed up your marathon? Not on a study of 12 people walking
   • (01:04:29) Magnus Ditlev’s 7:19:17 Ironman Florida, on a target of 200 g of carbs an hour. Possible, or useful?
   • (01:11:39) And finally, a bodybuilding row over alleged plastic muscle fillers, Gareth eats crow on natural bodybuilding, and almost every LA 2028 qualifying standard gets harder, including 1:43.00 in the men’s 800m

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2. Andreas Almgren's Perfect New York Debut / Peter Attia’s Zone 2 U-Turn / Is More Ball in Play Good for Rugby?

   5 novembre 20261 h 14 minÀ suivre

   Become a Supporter and join us on Discourse. It costs less than a race entry, and lasts a lot longer!Show notesThis week, Andreas Almgren wins the New York City Marathon on debut, Peter Attia changes his mind …

   Notes de l’épisode

   Become a Supporter and join us on Discourse. It costs less than a race entry, and lasts a lot longer!

   
   

   Show notes

   
   

   This week, Andreas Almgren wins the New York City Marathon on debut, Peter Attia changes his mind on zone 2 training, and we ask what makes an expert credible:

   
   

   • (00:00:19) Andreas Almgren wins New York in 2:06:01 on a perfect marathon debut, ending a run of 54 straight Major wins by African-born men. His second half, under 1:02, is perhaps the fastest ever run in NYC. Ross reckons that makes him a 2:02 marathoner, and we debate whether he should try the 10,000m and the marathon at the 2028 Olympics in LA
   • (00:17:51) Chepkirui wins the women’s race, Jess McClain runs the tangents (and maybe the hills) better than anyone, and we grumble about TV coverage that missed Almgren’s decisive move
   • (00:26:11) Ellis Genge calls rugby’s constant law changes “berserk”. Ross explains why the game has to react to trends like the hip drop tackle, and a lively debate ensues about whether Rugby needs more ball in play to attract and retain fans
   • (00:41:39) Peter Attia admits zone 2 isn’t needed for people training a couple of hours a week. We revisit what drives mitochondrial adaptation, then ask how to tell a credible expert from a confident one, and why a simple message, lacking nuance, is always the biggest red flag
   • (00:54:57) The ATP considers halving doubles, tennis tightens whereabouts at tournaments, and the 2027 WADA Code redefines contamination. Is this the “Sinner rule”?
   • (01:05:42) Follow-ups on the human-powered Channel crossing and our listener Anna’s ride around Australia, then, sadly, a runner’s death in New York, a footballer killed on the field in Spain, and Jack Campbell’s injury in the NFL

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3. What It's Really Like to be a Sports Scientist

   2 novembre 20261 h 26 minÀ suivre

   Dr Joel Mason, PhD, is an international award-winning sport scientist with a PhD in neuromuscular physiology, a decade of experience guiding Australian track and field athletes to international representation …

   Notes de l’épisode

   Dr Joel Mason, PhD, is an international award-winning sport scientist with a PhD in neuromuscular physiology, a decade of experience guiding Australian track and field athletes to international representation, and five years as a high-performance manager for top-flight European football teams, in addition to his roles as an educator and researcher. His research profile spans running performance and biomechanics, neural correlates of performance and health, and injury risk factors, and he recently worked with podcast co-host Prof. Ross Tucker on research into the effects of supershoes on women versus men (see show notes below). Mason also details the challenges facing sports scientists, what job prospects look like, and the satisfaction he gets from applying scientific knowledge to his day-to-day coaching role.

   
   

   SHOW NOTES:

   
   

   • Mason's Trackademic website
   • Follow Mason on Instagram
   • The most recent shoe paper showing that women get more benefit from super shoes than men. Mason collaborated with co-host, Prof. Ross Tucker, on this paper
   • A previous supershoe paper by Mason, which paved the way for the recent analysis in men and women
   • Mason's Google Scholar page, with links to other studies he has published

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4. Jepchirchir Doping Ban and the Marathon's Credibility Crisis / Andreas Almgren’s New York City Marathon Debut / Is the 2027 Tour de France Route Anti-Pogačar?

   29 octobre 20261 h 10 minÀ suivre

   Become a Supporter for less than the price of a Central Park pretzel each month for ad-free shows, a weekly members-only Applied show, and a seat with us on Discord as we watch the New York City Marathon on …

   Notes de l’épisode

   Become a Supporter for less than the price of a Central Park pretzel each month for ad-free shows, a weekly members-only Applied show, and a seat with us on Discord as we watch the New York City Marathon on Sunday!

   
   

   Show notes

   
   

   This week, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir is provisionally suspended for EPO, and we ask what Kenya’s doping problem means for trust in marathon running, before previewing Andreas Almgren’s New York debut:

   
   

   • (00:00:56) Peres Jepchirchir, perhaps the most decorated marathon athlete ever caught doping, tested positive for EPO out of competition in July, a month before winning Sydney. We discuss EPO and the biological passport, why Kenyan doping looks so rudimentary, and her agent's reaction
   • (00:09:47) Should Kenya lose the 2029 World Championships, or be banned outright? Ross explains why punishing the federation flips the incentive and will just cause the problem to be ignored and hidden. Gareth finds that India and Italy have more violations in WADA’s figures, and we look at a 2027 WADA Code rule that triggers automatic investigation of support personnel
   • (00:33:49) The 2027 Tour de France route, with two time trials and the mountains pushed late, is being called “anti-Pogačar”. Ross does the per-kilometer arithmetic on Remco Evenepoel's TT gains, and reckons it only delays the inevitable
   • (00:45:07) Andreas Almgren makes his marathon debut in New York. Why pace calculators can’t account for a course with only 22 times under the top 1000 threshold, why heat training may suit him better than altitude, and whether he can end a run of 54 straight Major wins by African-born runners
   • (00:59:32) And finally, the most extraordinary marathon career in history, Yuki Kawauchi’s 118 marathons (with a PB in his 97th). Plus, a drone stops an Arsenal match, and can anybody really pedal across the English Channel at 400 watts?

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5. Lactate: Fuel or Fiction? / Kona Lessons on Carbs and Pacing / World Rugby Cracks Down on the Hip Drop Tackle

   22 octobre 20261 h 26 minÀ suivre

   Become a Supporter for less than the price of one lactate gel a month, and get ad-free shows, a members-only Applied show every week, and Discourse. We promise it is a better investment than the lactate gel …

   Notes de l’épisode

   Become a Supporter for less than the price of one lactate gel a month, and get ad-free shows, a members-only Applied show every week, and Discourse. We promise it is a better investment than the lactate gel, and it won't cause gut issues either!

   
   

   Show notes

   
   

   This week, lactate gels go on sale with Tadej Pogačar’s name in the promotions, and we test the claim that lactate is a “third fuel source”, before revisiting carbs and the Kona collapses:

   
   

   • (00:00:19) The lactate gel UAE Team Emirates used at the Tour de France is now on sale. We look at the marketing, ask whether 10 grams of lactate can beat 10 more grams of carbs, and go through the studies, which so far suggest stomach problems, unchanged blood lactate levels, and dubious performance benefits. Ross is skeptical, though open to a brain/signalling role, or a buffering effect
   • (00:27:06) What Taylor Knibb got right at Kona (patient pacing, and a walk through an aid station), what Kristian Blummenfelt would change, and why Lucy Charles-Barclay “still doesn’t know what happened”
   • (00:35:41) Tim Noakes now has a “novel” brain mechanism for why 120 grams of carbs an hour works. Is it a U-turn? And is it novel?
   • (00:43:19) Road sprinter Jonathan Milan becomes the first man under 3:59 in the individual pursuit at the Track World Championships
   • (00:51:13) A survey calls British Cycling’s culture “toxic”, and the judge in the Larry Nassar trial says sport has barely changed. Why is safeguarding so hard to implement in elite sports environments?
   • (01:03:45) World Rugby cracks down on hip drop and knee drop tackles, and Ross explains the evidence that informed the decision, from 13,000 coded tackles
   • (01:13:31) Canada beat England, ending their unbeaten run in women’s rugby
   • (01:16:55) And finally, a boxing referee ignores the towel (twice), and Lamine Yamal has played 8,200 minutes of football by the age of 18.

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6. How To Raise a Champion in 2026

   19 octobre 20261 h 36 minÀ suivre

   SHOW NOTESFrom the evidence on early specialisation to the formula most likely to produce a champion sportsperson, talent specialist Stuart Armstrong breaks down the science and data on identifying and …

   Notes de l’épisode

   SHOW NOTES

   From the evidence on early specialisation to the formula most likely to produce a champion sportsperson, talent specialist Stuart Armstrong breaks down the science and data on identifying and developing young talent. For parents everywhere with a child showing sporting promise, Armstrong offers practical advice on how to sustain motivation and decide whether to pursue a pro sporting career or foster a lifelong love of sport. Armstrong also breaks down the path most likely to produce a champion, and it's not what you think. Armstrong is the managing director at Future Coach, a Learning Innovation Architect, Skill Acquisition Specialist and host of the Talent Equation Podcast and has spent most of his career working in the talent ID field, having previously worked for Sport England.

   
   

   Members are invited to submit questions for a follow-up Members podcast with Armstrong via our Discourse channel. Become a Supporter here for ad-free shows, a members-only Applied show every week and regular discussions on our Discourse channel.

   
   

   Links

   
   

   • Stuart's Future Coach website, his new venture.

   
   

   Some of the studies related to the concept of early specialisation, as discussed on the show:

   • A systematic review of professional, elite and Olympic athletes. Those who delayed specialising had fewer injuries and, in most sports, performed better.
   • A systematic review of team sports that found early specialisation is linked to more injuries and more young players quitting. Playing a variety of sports helps them develop.
   • A study of 67,600 track and field athletes. Only about a quarter of the top-100 U18s made the senior top 100, and 68.5% of top-100 seniors had never been in the top 100 as juniors.
   • The study of nearly 6,000 Italian sprinters, hurdlers and throwers. The best reached their peak later, around 23–25, and only about 1 in 5 had been top level at 14–17.
   • A paper showing how inconsistently “early specialisation” is defined. Only 21% of 129 papers used the full four-part definition, which makes it hard to say what the harm actually is.
   • This study of Spanish sprinters found that only 3.8% of the top-20 U14s went on to reach the senior elite.
   • A review on junior tennis concludes that early specialisation raises injury risk and burnout without making it more likely a player reaches the elite. It recommends not specialising before age 12.

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7. Why Did the Kona Ironman Leaders Collapse? Heat, Fuel and Failure / Chicago Marathon’s Underwhelming Fast Times

   15 octobre 20261 h 16 minÀ suivre

   Become a Supporter for ad-free shows, a members-only Applied show every week (durability, this week), and Discourse, where Ironman collapses and other topics are being explored with insight and experience!Show …

   Notes de l’épisode

   Become a Supporter for ad-free shows, a members-only Applied show every week (durability, this week), and Discourse, where Ironman collapses and other topics are being explored with insight and experience!

   
   

   Show notes

   
   

   This week, why Solveig Løvseth and Magnus Ditlev collapsed in the heat at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, whether sports science innovation plays a part, and a Chicago Marathon that was faster than it felt:

   
   

   • (00:01:52) Amos Kipruto and Hawi Feysa win Chicago in the fifth-fastest times in history, though with no splits on screen we were left guessing. Jacob Kiplimo’s hamstring leaves him off a road podium for the first time in 27 races, and treadmill-trained Vincent Mauri made a bid for the US record but also fell foul of hamstring issues
   • (00:07:40) Ross analyses the top 100 marathoners in history. How many races did it take them to run their best time, and what does a suspicious late PB look like?
   • (00:23:02) Paul Seixas wins Il Lombardia, after riders delay the start to protest vehicles on the course. Gareth wants more from the riders, for their own benefit
   • (00:34:05) Solveig Løvseth collapses within reach of a second Kona title, and Ditlev drops out while leading. Her manager blamed nutrition and salt, while she doesn't know what went wrong. We think heat is the likeliest suspect, and that these athletes are highly unlikely to be under fuelling. We ask whether carbs and super shoes have have raised every limit except body temperature, and allowed athletes to crash into it more often? Should races monitor core temperature, and pull staggering/falling athletes out?
   • (00:54:16) Two new carb studies (150 vs 120 vs 10 grams an hour, and 100 beats 60 for improved durability), and how much you really need
   • (01:00:02) Pieter Coetze breaks the 50m backstroke world record. Is he South Africa’s likeliest gold medallist in LA?
   • (01:02:29) And finally, Rwanda will host Africa’s first Grand Prix since 1993, and a FIFPro report shows Luka Modrić played 76 matches in a season, and Moisés Caicedo flew 25,000km for four matches in 14 days.

   
   

   Other links:

   • One of the many famous Ironman "collapses" - the crawl with Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham, this was for 4th/5th in 1997
   • In 1982, perhaps the first, and the one that helped create the aura around Ironman, featured Julie Moss losing the race with 50m to run

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8. Should Grand Tours Be Shorter? The UCI's Future of Cycling Report / Can We Believe Tigst Assefa / Are Athletes Asked to Play Too Much?

   8 octobre 20261 h 15 minÀ suivre

   Become a Supporter for ad-free shows, a members-only Applied episode every week, and Discourse, where Steve Hennings asked one of this week's best questions!Show notesThis week, the UCI's Future of Cycling …

   Notes de l’épisode

   Become a Supporter for ad-free shows, a members-only Applied episode every week, and Discourse, where Steve Hennings asked one of this week's best questions!

   
   

   Show notes

   
   

   This week, the UCI's Future of Cycling report, why people believed Tigst Assefa when they doubted Ruth Chepngetich, and whether athletes are asked to take on too much load and risk of harm:

   
   

   • (00:02:11) The UCI proposes 16-day Grand Tours from 2029, teams of seven or six riders, shared media money, budget caps, and GPS tracking of riders and cars. Ross backs most of it, but asks how any sporting governing body knows what its sport really needs when the loudest voices may not be in the majority
   • (00:17:20) Remco Evenepoel beats Giulio Ciccone to the European title by under three-thousandths of a second, and we explore how a photo finish works
   • (00:25:23) Can Jacob Kiplimo break the marathon world record in Chicago this weekend?
   • (00:28:19) Had Assefa broken Chepngetich's record in Berlin, would we have believed her? We compare their career trajectories, the confounding effect of prototype super shoes, and tease a new paper that Ross is involved in, suggesting women benefit more from the shoes than men
   • (00:41:19) Emma Navarro ends her season after almost three years of under-fuelling and RED-S. How did her team miss it, and what should "normal" feel like?
   • (00:48:44) Player unions take FIFA to court over fixture congestion. Ross plays devil's advocate, since clubs carry most of the load, nobody has defined how many matches is too many, and nobody really considers the other side of the impact of players being classified as workers
   • (01:02:01) Jannik Sinner's season is over, and no semi-final or final was completed at the China Open. Is tennis limping to its year end, and what evidence is needed to fix it?
   • (01:03:31) And finally, Stuart Phillips dismantles a hyped creatine study, and we pick the 2036 Olympic host on tourism grounds alone (Kirsty Coventry, please consider South Africa!)

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9. Diabetes in Exercise and Sport

   5 octobre 20261 h 22 minÀ suivre

   Episode guest Dr Ian Gallen is an award-winning Consultant Endocrinologist at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading. He is a consultant physician, endocrinologist, and diabetologist whose career has included …

   Notes de l’épisode

   Episode guest Dr Ian Gallen is an award-winning Consultant Endocrinologist at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading. He is a consultant physician, endocrinologist, and diabetologist whose career has included clinical medicine, research, medical education, and work relating to diabetes, exercise, and sport. His particular expertise is in diabetes, exercise and sport, including the practical challenges of managing diabetes during physical activity and competitive sport.

   
   

   In this episode, Gallen breaks down the basics of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the latest in management and care, how modern technology is helping sufferers and why there is no reason diabetics cannot play sport at the highest level.

   
   

   His work has explored the relationship between insulin, glucose metabolism, nutrition and exercise, including the practical management of diabetes in people undertaking intensive physical activity. His clinical experience has included work with athletes and physically active people with diabetes. (Society for Endocrinology⁠)

   He has served as a Special Medical Adviser to the London 2012 Olympic Games, with responsibilities relating to medical issues affecting athletes with diabetes. His work in this area has included teaching, lecturing and professional education on diabetes and exercise.

   
   

   Ian has contributed to publications in diabetes, endocrinology, and exercise medicine, including work on exercise physiology, hypoglycaemia, insulin management, and athletic performance in diabetes.

   In 2012 he edited Type 1 Diabetes: Clinical Management of the Athlete, published by Springer. The book addresses the clinical management of athletes with type 1 diabetes and the practical considerations involved in participating in sport. (Springer⁠)

   He has also contributed to professional medical literature, including a chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Sport and Exercise Medicine.

   
   

   Ian has contributed to professional and advisory work relating to diabetes, driving and medical practice. He received the Royal Society of Medicine Gold Medal in 2012 and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019.

   He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (FRCPE) and holds the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD).

   
   

   Ian’s professional interests include the interaction between diabetes, metabolism, exercise and healthy ageing. He is particularly interested in helping people with diabetes participate safely in exercise and sport while managing the physiological challenges of training and competition.

   
   

   Become a member of The Real Science of Sport to discuss all matters sport, health and performance with fellow listeners. There's even a Diabetes in sport thread. Plus, get ad-free listening and exclusive shows.

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10. Inside the Mind of Jakob Ingebrigtsen: The Guardian's Sean Ingle on Talent, Obsession and a Record-Breaking Track Season

    2 octobre 202649 minÀ suivre

    To hear the Ingebrigtsen conversation in this podcast, and every Applied show, become a Supporter. It costs about the price of a coffee a month (or a gel), and also comes with ad-free listening and our …

    Notes de l’épisode

    To hear the Ingebrigtsen conversation in this podcast, and every Applied show, become a Supporter. It costs about the price of a coffee a month (or a gel), and also comes with ad-free listening and our Discourse community!

    
    

    Our Applied shows are normally exclusive to our Supporters. However, the 2026 track and field season has been so good, and given us so many threads to follow, that we've opened up the first part of this one to everyone! The Guardian's Sean Ingle joins us to look back on a year of 17 world records, from Sabastian Sawe's sub-two hour marathon and Josh Kerr's mile record to 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus becoming the youngest ever world champion, and a women's 800m that kept on giving all summer. Sean gives us his inside view on the Ultimate Championships, why World Athletics plans a world championships every year after 2030, why London lost out to Nairobi, why a doping-tainted marathon world record still stands, the brand wars behind the scenes, and whether a skin suit could ever be worth 2.5% over 800m.

    
    

    Then, exclusively for our Supporters, the show becomes a journey into the mind of one of sport's most fascinating characters. Sean spent a day with Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen at his home in Norway, and shares what he learned about his upbringing (serious training from the age of seven), how his talent was shaped, his relationship with running, and the principles that drive him, from 180km weeks and no days off, to his rivalry with Kerr.

    
    

    Links

    • The article on the Ingebrigtsen brothers that we discuss in our exclusive segment (full article available to members on Discourse)
    • Sean's two pieces on Jakob Ingebrigtsen. First, at home with Jakob and "obsession" he feeds
    • And the second instalment - 10 lessons from one of the world's most beguiling athletes
    • Epstein's Sports Gene - the best book on nurturing talent (and nature) you'll ever read
    • The paper that comes up in Sean's Talent discussion, showing that "successful juniors and successful seniors are largely two disparate populations"

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11. Assefa's Achilles "Rupture" and a Near-Miss Marathon World Record / Vollering and McNulty Win the Road Worlds / UCI Crash Data on Road Cycling

    30 septembre 20261 h 3 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter and you'll get Friday's VIP member exclusive half of our Sean Ingle interview on the training and philosophy of Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Plus you'll get ad-free shows and access to our world-class …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter and you'll get Friday's VIP member exclusive half of our Sean Ingle interview on the training and philosophy of Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Plus you'll get ad-free shows and access to our world-class Discourse community.

    
    

    This week, Tigst Assefa's Achilles injury and a near-miss marathon world record in Berlin, Demi Vollering and Brandon McNulty's world titles in Montreal, and the UCI's long-overdue crash and injury data:

    
    

    • (00:00:31) Assefa was on world record pace through 40km of the Berlin Marathon before her Achilles tendon gave way. Ross doubts anyone could run the last 2.2km on a complete rupture, and we discuss whether her super shoes helped, and whether pushing on was brave or foolish
    • (00:17:43) Adidas sweeps both Berlin podiums, and we look ahead to Chicago and Valencia, where Ruth Chepngetich's tainted world record may not last long, and Sawe's 2026 record is also under threat
    • (00:20:04) Vollering adds the world title to her Giro and Tour triumphs, beating Kasia Niewiadoma and Elisa Longo Borghini in a fantastic women's race
    • (00:23:49) McNulty wins a chaotically competitive men's race with help from Quinn Simmons and Matteo Jorgenson, as the chase sits up within ten seconds of him. Is "second group syndrome" ever rational? Plus Paul Seixas's cramps, and a junior double not seen since Remco Evenepoel
    • (00:36:41) New UCI data shows women suffer 4.3 times more head injuries and 2.5 times more fractures in crashes than men. We explore bone health, low energy availability, skill gaps in the peloton, and how this research may open up evidence-led opportunities for rider safety
    • (00:47:35) Does looking fabulous make elite athletes faster? A debate about Keely Hodgkinson's skinsuit (and beige) gets out of hand on Instagram
    • (00:53:52) And finally, a six-year-old Rubik's Cube world record holder, a 15-year-old skateboarder given anaesthetic injections at the Asian Games, and what to do with prodigious talent

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12. How Jakob Ingebrigtsen Was Beaten on the Roads / Why Sprinters Love Altitude and Milers Don't / Pacing the 800m / A 13-Year-Old Asian Games Champion

    23 septembre 20261 h 30 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter for the price of a gel (or half a sachet of lactate), and get ad-free listening, the weekly Applied show, and Discourse, where plenty of this show came from!Show notesThis week: how Jakob …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter for the price of a gel (or half a sachet of lactate), and get ad-free listening, the weekly Applied show, and Discourse, where plenty of this show came from!

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    This week: how Jakob Ingebrigtsen was beaten over 5km on the roads, the physiology of altitude and 800m pacing, and what to do with outrageous teenage talent:

    
    

    • (00:02:33) The Ultimate Championships, national vests, and whether real-time data on release angle could make field events worth watching
    • (00:14:58) The World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, where Ingebrigtsen was beaten by Eritrea's Dawit Seare in the 5km. We trace the decisive suicidal surge at 4km, why closing that three-second gap emptied his tank for the last 200m, and what it means for athletes who race the Norweigian over 5000m in future. Plus, we preview a show focused on the fascinating approach that Ingebrigtsen brings to his life and training
    • (00:26:29) Likina Amebaw wins the women's 5km, Agnes Ngetich sets a women-only half marathon record, and Andreas Almgren runs a 58:06 European record ahead of his New York Marathon debut
    • (00:33:16) Nairobi gets the 2029 World Championships at 1,760m. Why does thin air help sprinters (and track cyclists) but hurt anyone racing 1500m and up?
    • (00:42:08) Athlos, 'action density', Keely Hodgkinson's speed suit, and whether aerodynamics matters in running at all
    • (00:55:05) Are women pacing the 800m wrong? Peripheral fatigue, and why race duration (roughly 100 vs 115 seconds) might shift the optimal strategy
    • (01:01:28) Enric Mas wins the Vuelta, and a wide-open cycling Worlds road race awaits
    • (01:08:29) 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi wins two Asian Games golds. How should coaches handle talent this young?
    • (01:17:18) Joe Warne explains MetaStudent, pooling student research projects into bigger, better studies
    • (01:22:28) And finally, the Red Roses' 39-match winning streak ends, Wales women put 50 on South Africa, and Anna's ride around Australia reaches nine magpie attacks and counting!

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13. The Athlete's Heart: Can You Really Exercise Too Much?

    22 septembre 20261 h 12 minSaison 8À suivre

    In a groundbreaking study - commissioned by the British Heart Foundation and published in July 2025 (see details below) - Dr Peter Swoboda led a team from the University of Leeds to establish whether prolonged …

    Notes de l’épisode

    In a groundbreaking study - commissioned by the British Heart Foundation and published in July 2025 (see details below) - Dr Peter Swoboda led a team from the University of Leeds to establish whether prolonged endurance exercise could be a risk factor for heart health in older athletes. The results offer revealing insight into the role of exercise in long-term heart health and whether endurance training carries any risks. Dr Swoboda also explains the basics of what exercise does for heart health, which types of exercise work best, why sudden death can happen in sporting events, and how best to look after your heart in the long term. Swoboda is an Associate Professor of Cardiology and Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Leeds with over 100 peer-reviewed publications. 

    
    

    Become a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport HERE, and get access to the exclusive post-credit content, ad-free listening and exclusive member-only shows, as well as our Discourse community where listeners share thoughts and insights on sport and sports science topics.

    
    

    SHOW NOTES

    
    

    • The VENTOUX Study led by our guest, Dr Peter Swoboda
    • The British Heart Foundation write up of that study's first finding
    • A recent review article that looks at the overall picture of heart health in endurance trained athletes, discussing the three risk factors we explore on the show
    • One of those risk factors is Coronary Artery Disease, which is studied in this paper
    • Going back some time, this is one of the papers that first raised the fear that endurance training in large doses could be harmful to the heart
    • One of a few studies that showed progressive improvements in life expectancy and health with more exercise
    • Alex Hutchinson has done a great deal to explain the risks, and misplaced fears, of endurance training. Here is one such article
    • Another by Hutchinson, from 2021, providing a good overview of the three purported risks of endurance training on the heart

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14. Why We Were Born To Run

    14 septembre 20261 h 20 minBonusÀ suivre

    More than most other species, humans are perfectly adapted to endurance running. We may not be the fastest or strongest, but our ability to endure meant our early ancestors could survive and thrive, and …

    Notes de l’épisode

    More than most other species, humans are perfectly adapted to endurance running. We may not be the fastest or strongest, but our ability to endure meant our early ancestors could survive and thrive, and modern-day humans can rightfully claim we are all meant to run. Prof. Ross Tucker and sports journalist Mike Finch, who has been the editor of Runner's World SA for 26 years, discuss the amazing adaptations that humans have developed for running, why running may be the most natural sport for you to do, how to train from couch to 5km safely and effectively, the role of shoe tech and why the world seems to be on a running high right now.

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    • The original Lieberman paper, Running and the Evolution of Homo
    • That paper was challenged, not for what, but why. Here's one example
    • The BBC video of a bushman hunting down a kudu
    • In time, evidence emerged to support Lieberman's argument, showing persistence hunting in over 200 geographical locations
    • How many injuries? A systematic review and meta-analysis on injury rates in runners
    • A systematic review on risk factors for injury during running
    • One of the more robust research studies looking at pronation and injury risk
    • Subsequent analysis of that paper offered more support for motion control shoes in specific populations
    • The plot thickens: Another well-conducted study finds that pronation does not increase injury risk in novice runners

    
    

    Become a Supporter of The Science of Sport. A small monthly donation gets you ad-free listening, Member Exclusive shows, and access to our world-class listener discussion forum.

    
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15. Ultimate Championship Day 3 Recap / Jefferson-Wooden in 21.47 / Kerr in Control / Dos Santos Delivers / Broadcast Underperformances

    14 septembre 20261 h 2 minÀ suivre

    Our members are picking this apart on Discourse right now, and not always kindly! Join them for the price of a coffee a month, with ad-free listening and regular bonus exclusive showsShow notesOur recap of the …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Our members are picking this apart on Discourse right now, and not always kindly! Join them for the price of a coffee a month, with ad-free listening and regular bonus exclusive shows

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    Our recap of the final night of the Ultimate Championship in Budapest:

    
    

    • (00:01:53) Jasmine Jones upsets the women's 400m hurdles field in 52.45, while the two who dominated the season may have slightly mistimed their peaks
    • (00:05:57) Alison dos Santos wins the 400m hurdles in 45.98, the third fastest ever run, and we look at what Rai Benjamin's year on the flat may buy him next year.
    • (00:13:10) A solo win for Likina Amebaw in the women's 5000m. She breaks away with a surge faster than world record pace after 2000m, but the broadcast fails to tell the story of her dominant performance
    • (00:25:43) Daniel Sedjati pounces to win a somewhat surprising 800m in 1:41.91. We talk about Marco Arop, who did what was best for him, but also the other main contenders, while Wanyonyi found the 2026 season a week too long
    • (00:32:13) The USA win the mixed 4x400m. We pick apart some of the fastest and slowest segments
    • (00:36:17) Josh Kerr wins the 1500m in 3:29.35 without leaving fourth gear (after being seeded 13th in a 12 man field)!
    • (00:40:41) Kenny Bednarek's 19.52s is the fifth fastest 200m in history, as he delivers what his 100m said he could
    • (00:43:45) Melissa Jefferson-Wooden runs 21.47s to win the women's 200m. It's the third fastest women's 200m ever, and we ask which old sprint record goes first?
    • (00:53:06) Josh Kerr would rather wear his sponsor's kit than his country's. We disagree, and discuss where the Ultimate Championships belong on the global calendar
    • (00:59:26) Our verdict on the first Ultimate Championship, and when it should be held

    
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16. Ultimate Championship Day 2 Recap / Kebinatshipi's 43.39 with a New Race Plan / Werro Controls the 800m to Cap a Dominant Season

    13 septembre 202656 minÀ suivre

    Join us for the last night! Our members watch live together on Discord and pull it apart on Discourse afterwards, all for the price of a coffee a monthShow notesOur day two recap, and a preview of the final …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Join us for the last night! Our members watch live together on Discord and pull it apart on Discourse afterwards, all for the price of a coffee a month

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    Our day two recap, and a preview of the final night of the Ultimate Championships:

    
    

    • (00:01:02) Night two was a clear step up on day one, with six finals and qualifying races that actually mattered and produced intrigue.
    • (00:01:34) Marileidy Paulinho wins the 400m in 49.07 to end an unbeaten season, and we wonder why Lieke Klaver keeps going out so hard.
    • (00:06:53) Collen Kebinatshipi wins the men's 400m in 43.39s, with a new race plan, which he explains himself. A record number of sub-44s in a season, and a 42 second man in the making.
    • (00:15:50) Klaudia Kazimierska outkicks Georgia Hunter Bell in a tactical 1500m, to establish herself as versatile in addition to the world leader.
    • (00:16:15) World Athletics' AI predictions become a running joke, and we offer to fix them (again!).
    • (00:27:42) Audrey Werro leads the 800m from the gun and wins as we predicted, albeit more slowly. Hodgkinson and Bol round out the concrete-ists. We discuss Werro's dominant race, the progressive wind-up, and Hodkingson's stuttering season.
    • (00:34:31) Melissa Jefferson-Wooden's start beats Julien Alfred in the 100m, and Kenny Bednarek surprises Oblique Seville in the men's race.
    • (00:38:37) We preview the final night, with both 400m hurdles finals, a wide open women's 5000m, Josh Kerr's 1500m to win however he pleases, and both 200m finals.
    • (00:54:55) And finally, which event pays the most per second of work?

    
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17. Ultimate Championship Day 1 Recap / Ingebrigtsen Reigns Supreme / Masai Russell's World Record Season

    12 septembre 20261 h 7 minÀ suivre

    Watch it with us! Our members call the races live on Discord, and a small monthly pledge gets you the community and a bonus Applied show every week.Show notesOur day one recap, and a look ahead to a much bigger …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Watch it with us! Our members call the races live on Discord, and a small monthly pledge gets you the community and a bonus Applied show every week.

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    Our day one recap, and a look ahead to a much bigger day two:

    
    

    • (00:00:52) First impressions of the Ultimate Championship. The black infield, the pink sand, a schedule that felt rushed, and camera work that never quite showed us the athleticism. And don't get us started on the predictions
    • (00:07:26) The money, at $150,000 to a winner and $40,000 for third, which beats winning a Diamond League final.
    • (00:15:39) Our featured event, the men's 5000m. Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks 13 minutes off a season wrecked by surgery, and we ask why his rivals let the middle kilometers drift.
    • (00:34:43) Masai Russell caps a season of meeting records at every Diamond League she ran, plus the world record.
    • (00:37:43) Ja'Kobe Tharp, this year's world record breaker, beats Cordell Tinch in the 110m hurdles. Do both hurdles records go again next year?
    • (00:40:25) Day two brings six finals, starting with the 400s, where Marileidy Paulino and Collen Kebinatshipi look untouchable.
    • (00:44:14) The women's 1500m, where tactical intrigue creates an open race
    • (00:47:30) The women's 800m, our race of the weekend. Audrey Werro is unbeaten all year, and Femke Bol and Keely Hodgkinson are both coming for her.
    • (00:56:00) The 100m finals, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden against Julien Alfred, and a men's field covered by six hundredths.
    • (01:01:49) Prestige, or just the cash? Our verdict after one night

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18. Incentives, Toxic Cultures and Doping in School Sport / “Cowards” and “Losers” on Track / It’s Too Damn Hot at the Vuelta

    9 septembre 20261 h 26 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter and the Applied show lands in your feed every week, plus Discourse, where two of this week's arguments are already running.Doping in South African schoolboy rugby, the end of the track …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter and the Applied show lands in your feed every week, plus Discourse, where two of this week's arguments are already running.

    
    

    Doping in South African schoolboy rugby, the end of the track season, and racing in 44 degree heat at the Vuelta. In the news this week:

    
    

    • (00:02:07) The track and field season is winding down, and the Diamond League final felt a little flat. The Ultimate Championships are next, and in a season where they follow the Diamond League, we wonder what purpose the Diamond League final actually serves?
    • (00:10:05) Is the 800m a sprint or an endurance event? Some discussion popped up on Instagram, so we revist the 800m event, get into energy system contribution, why the 1983 world record has survived, and explore why every improvement has come in the first lap, all as part of making the case for the 800m as a sprint-endurance hybrid
    • (00:22:49) Jakob Ingebrigtsen calls the Brussels field cowards and losers after Cole Hocker's training partner is put in as a pacemaker. Should a final have pacemakers at all?
    • (00:31:08) Rumesh Pathirage wins the javelin, and we wonder why the event has the widest geographic spread in athletics
    • (00:36:12) Doping in South African schoolboy rugby, and the perverse incentives that make it so hard to fix. A survey found one in ten schoolboys admitting steroid use, and two thirds said it was to look good rather than to perform. Almost half don't see it as cheating. We discuss the incentives that create toxic culture in many youth sports, with a specific focus on a recent piece on SA schoolboy rugby
    • (00:54:12) Triathlete Joe Skipper gets 18 months for three whereabouts failures. We say that being disorganised is no defence
    • (00:57:41) 44 degrees at the Vuelta, Matthew Brennan calling out the UCI, and whether shortening a stage or moving the race in the calendar helps
    • (01:05:52) Carlos Alcaraz says he'll take longer breaks, tennis has a load management problem, and the one-handed backhand dies after a 149 year run
    • (01:19:08) And finally, why can elite powerlifters squat more than they deadlift? Gareth wants your answer on Discourse

    
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19. Two World Records in Zurich: Alison dos Santos and Masai Russell / Femke Bol's Fascinating 800m Transition / Cycling We Haven’t Seen for Ten Years in The Vuelta

    2 septembre 20261 h 20 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter of the podcast, for the price of a coffee! You'll get ad-free listens, and our exclusive Applied show, including our upcoming dissection of Femke Bol's coach's insights on her amazing …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter of the podcast, for the price of a coffee! You'll get ad-free listens, and our exclusive Applied show, including our upcoming dissection of Femke Bol's coach's insights on her amazing transition, as discussed on the show.

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    • (00:06:29) Alison dos Santos takes Karsten Warholm's 400m hurdles world record with 45.80s, catching Warholm by the fourth hurdle. We get into stride patterns, why Edwin Moses ran 13 strides and Kevin Young 12, which leg leads on the bend, and how shoes may have interacted with fatigue to drive hurdles forward more than sprinting.
    • (00:15:59) Masai Russell's 12.09 is the first 100m hurdles world record set without a following wind since 1986. She was anticipated as the next WR holder, and she delivered, with the promise of faster and an 11.xx on the horizon.
    • (00:24:35) Femke Broders-Bol takes the 800m out from the front against Audrey Werro, and why the tactic was right for her even though it suited Werro perfectly.
    • (00:34:57) Bol revealed her LT and long run paces, to much amazement. But her coach Laurent Meuwly explained this in detail, and sets us up for a fascinating discussion on Bol's transition and ceiling. We talk about her statement that her endurance is "so bad for 800", why her 400m speed matters far more, and tee up our upcoming Applied show where we will dissect her coach's explanations to Citius Mag
    • (00:27:23) Karsten Warholm on a chaotic calendar, with our thoughts
    • (00:43:23) The Vuelta without Tadej Pogačar, where tactical mistakes carry a cost again, and cycling as we haven't seen for a decade. Plus, Tom Pidcock's mountain bike win.
    • (00:52:11) Novak Djokovic's US Open exit, and a physio who refused to treat Terence Atmane's cramp. Is cramp an injury, or a conditioning problem?
    • (00:58:22) Aaron Donald returns to the NFL at 35, and how much conditioning an athlete loses.
    • (01:02:54) Yomif Kejelcha's 56:51 half marathon, and who breaks two hours this autumn? Ross reckons two might do it.
    • (01:09:16) Jeff Browning's heart attack at UTMB, and Jenny Simpson's collapse. Fitness is protective, but it isn't immunity, with David Epstein's terrific article
    • (01:13:35) South Africa against New Zealand, and racing robots in China, where our advice is to stop short of a wall.

    
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20. Inside The World of Sports Broadcasting

    24 août 20261 h 33 minSaison 8 · Épisode 19À suivre

    Briton Tony Davies has pretty much seen it all when it comes to television sport broadcasting. With over 20 years' experience in broadcast TV as a director, producer and writer, Davies has made a number of …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Briton Tony Davies has pretty much seen it all when it comes to television sport broadcasting. With over 20 years' experience in broadcast TV as a director, producer and writer, Davies has made a number of documentaries, including the RTS-nominated A Bat and Ball War, and worked on numerous sports events including the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, Olympic Games, Paralympics, Asian Games, Wimbledon, Open Championship and Tour de France.

    His broadcast experience opened the door to event management roles, and Davies has worked as Broadcast Venue Manager on the past three Rugby World Cups. He was also the Broadcast Project Manager for the Special Olympics in 2019. During his early years, he worked on the legendary sports magazine show, Trans World Sport and his interviewed some of the biggest names in world sport, including Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Maradona, Pele, a 13-year-old Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Wayne Gretzky, Kip Keino and even Whitney Houston and John Candy.

    In this episode we talk about how commentators are chosen, the economics of sports broadcasting, how modern technology is changing how we watch sports and what the future holds in the digital age for viewers.

    Davies lives in Nelson, New Zealand, where he lives with his wife and six (yes, it's not a typo !) children. He enjoys a number of sports including cycling, running, boxing, hunting, fishing and paddling. He is a frequent visitor to the UK, where he still has a base, and to Asia, where he does production work for the BBC.

    
    

    Also, for our Real Science of Sport Members, stick around after the show for some bonus content as we continued our chat with Tony and got even more fascinating insights, including his thoughts on social media influencers as broadcast 'partners', why he doesn't buy into the 'all access' documentaries so frequently made about sports events, and his choice of best documentary ever made. If you're not a member, a small monthly donation gets you that bonus content, ad-free listening, exclusive shows and membership of our Discourse community, of which Tony is a member too!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21. How can a 10,000m Runner Outsprint an 800m Runner? / Werro tops Hodgkinson, Again / Ansah's Missed Doping Test / Swimming World Record Watch

    19 août 20261 h 18 minÀ suivre

    Not yet a member? Ad-free listening, the Discourse community, and a members' show every week, all for less than you spend on gels.Show notesOn the show this week, a European Championships wrap featuring Nadia …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Not yet a member? Ad-free listening, the Discourse community, and a members' show every week, all for less than you spend on gels.

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    On the show this week, a European Championships wrap featuring Nadia Battocletti's astonishing 10,000m finish and Audrey Werro's win over Keely Hodgkinson, a German sprinter under a doping cloud, world records in the pool, and a follow-up on peptides.

    
    

    
    

    
    

    • (00:01:41) A follow-up to the peptides show with Mike, and the thing Ross wishes he had said. The anecdote that BPC-157 failed to fix someone's Achilles is the human version of publication bias, because nobody ever tells you about the thing that didn't work.
    • (00:12:23) The European Championships format and the broadcast, which featured more talking heads than athletics on the BBC, and an athletic programme with far too little action relative to downtime.
    • (00:16:52) The women's 800m, where Werro beat Hodgkinson for her fourth sub-1:55 of the year, and Bol ran a national record in third. Whose trajectory looks best in the medium to long-term?
    • (00:28:26) Batocletti's exceptional sprint finish, and a Tim Noakes tweet asking why she could speed up at all. Ross explains the end spurt, the reserve we all hold back, and why this particular race proves rather less than it appears to.
    • (00:31:52) A stat from Jason Henderson: Batocletti's last 200m was 28.17, Werro's in the 800m was 29.11. Not a typo, and we explain why the fatigue of an 800m is a completely different animal, and speculate that it's probably more common than you'd think for the 10000m races to finish faster than the 800m ones
    • (00:34:37) Andreas Almgren's solo 10,000m, run at 26:43 pace for the final 8.8km. Tactical optimization and a signal for a sub 26:30 in the future?
    • (00:40:22) Amy Hunt's four golds, and a newspaper headline that poured cold water on them.
    • (00:43:42) Owen Ansah wins European gold under a doping cloud, having refused a test because he had a flight to catch. What counts as "compelling justification", and why a 2016 case suggests he is in trouble.
    • (00:52:26) The tragic death of Fin Tarling, the near-impossibility of policing a 1,300km course, and Adam Hansen's call for better helmets, which are certified only to 19.5km/h.
    • (00:59:47) Swimming, where Kate Douglass broke the 50m freestyle world record twice in a day, a 19-year-old German went under 14:30 for the 1500m free, and Lani Pallister beat Katie Ledecky over 800m for the first time.
    • (01:10:46) And finally, South Africa versus New Zealand has branded itself "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry". Gareth is not buying it. Ross offers the context for why it's about more than rugby, but also great rugby

    
    

    No news show next week, but there's an interview show planned for Monday, and the members' Applied show will take overtraining next week Friday.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22. The Science-Backed Truth About Peptides

    17 août 20261 h 21 minSaison 8 · Épisode 18À suivre

    Everywhere you look people are talking about peptides. But what exactly are they, how do they work and how safe are they for human consumption? Mike and Ross review the evidence, discuss the politics that …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Everywhere you look people are talking about peptides. But what exactly are they, how do they work and how safe are they for human consumption? Mike and Ross review the evidence, discuss the politics that continue to muddy the waters around peptide efficacy and regulation, and examine the dangers of using untested peptides. The team also look into the role of the popular GLP-1's that have revolutionised diabetes and weight loss and the controversial BPC-17 peptide, touted as a miracle treatment for tissue repair.

    
    

    Links

    The Undark article that describes the history of BPC157

    More on the FDA and the complex regulation of peptides

    A report on one of the FDA decisions about peptides - in this case BPC157 and KPV

    A paper from the discoverer of BPC157, who has published more than three-quarters of the research on it

    The human safety study on BPC157, with its two participants

    Systematic review of BPC157 evidence, suggesting promise but caution

    A well researched article by Dr Eric Topol raising concerns about safety and regulatory decisions

    Example of a public warning from a regulatory body, this one from South Africa

    Follow the money - Fortune 500 piece on why deregulation could create a multibillion dollar market

    
    

    Become a Supporter of The Science of Sport for about the price of a coffee, or a gel, and help us keep the lights on, and Gareth's candle burning! Plus, you'll get ad free listening, a weekly Applied show, and a community that argues better than the internet does!

    
    

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23. Kasia Niewiadoma's Mont Ventoux Masterclass / The Physiology of Losing a Yellow Jersey / A Doping Ban That Fits a Familiar Pattern

    12 août 20261 h 23 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter of The Science of Sport for about the price of a coffee, or a gel, and help us keep the lights on, and Gareth's candle burning! Plus, you'll get ad free listening, a weekly Applied show, and …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter of The Science of Sport for about the price of a coffee, or a gel, and help us keep the lights on, and Gareth's candle burning! Plus, you'll get ad free listening, a weekly Applied show, and a community that argues better than the internet does!

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    On the show today, the physiology behind the best women's Grand Tour we can remember, and a doping ban that fits a pattern we have seen many times before.

    
    

    • (00:01:00) The Tour de France Femmes was, we think, the best Grand Tour either of us has watched in years, and we explore the nine stages of unpredictable racing that had us intrigued, even if the record will show that Demi Vollering won four of them.
    • (00:05:56) Kasia Niewiadoma's ride on Mont Ventoux, at somewhere between 5.3 and 5.6 W/kg for the climb, is arguably the greatest climbing performance in the history of women's cycling, and we place it against the published power duration curves to show just how far outside the 90th percentile it sits.
    • (00:17:19) Niewiadoma also posted 9.9 W/kg for 86 seconds, and from that single Strava screenshot we work out her FTP and her W', the anaerobic "battery", which lets us answer the question everyone argued about, namely whether being blocked into that corner actually cost her time to rival Vollering. We think the answer is unequivocally yes, and the maths and the principle of pacing explains why.
    • (00:25:50) Praise for Puck Pieterse, sympathy for Marlen Reusser and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, and a wonder about the 'mature' podium, and the prospect of a handover to the next generation in good time, just not 'our time'
    • (00:41:41) The World U20 Championships, where a 17 year old ran 7:28 solo for 3000m, Tate Taylor doubled up in 9.94 and 19.83, and the ever-turning carousel of youth talent that is sometimes derailed by injury and sometimes deposed by the next young phenom
    • (00:45:46) Jakob Ingebrigtsen returns and wins the European 5000m title in 13:16, off a slow race that played into his hands, and he explains, correctly, that a 5000m is not a test of speed but of how much speed you have left. He also promises he'll be "astonishingly a lot better" next time.
    • (00:52:32) Jonah Koech gets a three year ban after an adverse passport finding. We explain how the biological passport actually works, why two suspicious samples means the values must have been wildly out of the norm, and why his 3.2% improvement should have invited scepticism long before the blood results did. Performance is not proof, but pattern recognition lives on, with this its latest illustration.
    • (01:07:46) The WNBA has no eligibility policy, so two former NBA players have declared for the women's draft to prove the point. We discuss why choosing not to decide is itself a decision, how people are choosing to pretend a problem doesn't exist (or that it doesn't matter if it does), and contrast this with the WTA who have implemented screening for eligibility, and just gotten on with it
    • (01:15:29) And finally, the origins of the steeplechase, which begins with two blokes, an Irish pub, a wager, and two church steeples. Plus a nutritionist on social media who watched 96 seconds and decided we had lost all credibility.

    
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24. What Causes a Stitch When You Run? / Josh Kerr's Mile Dominance / Pogačar's VO2max of 100 / Another SA Schoolboy Doping Ban

    5 août 20261 h 17 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport, and you get ad-free listening, an Applied Science bonus show every week, plus a seat at the best conversation in sport. All for less than a decent gel.Show …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport, and you get ad-free listening, an Applied Science bonus show every week, plus a seat at the best conversation in sport. All for less than a decent gel.

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    Josh Kerr, the Commonwealth Games, a stitch explained, the Tour de France Femmes, and yet another South African schoolboy rugby doping ban. In today's show:

    
    

    
    

    • (00:00:38) We joked before Glasgow that this might be the last Commonwealth Games we ever see, and we were wrong. They survived in a cut-down, ten sport form, with India in 2030 and interest from Nigeria and New Zealand for 2034. We debate whether a smaller, cheaper games is actually the point rather than the problem, and what it means that the BBC's sub-one-million-pound bid was rejected, leaving Josh Kerr's mile watched by 200,000 people when Eilish McColgan's 10,000m in 2022 drew six million.
    • (00:02:37) The performances, including Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon running 9.83 in apocalyptic rain, three women under 11 seconds, and Josh Kerr's utterly dominant 3:54 mile off a jogged first kilometre. With the fastest mile in history relative to his peers and a devastating kick, how does anyone actually beat him now, and will the 1500m world record follow? Kerr says he is flying a little close to the sun, and we explain why staying in world record shape is like sitting in the death zone on Everest.
    • (00:24:13) Laura Muir crossed the line 16th and collapsed after a stitch at 3km, so what actually causes one? We go through exercise related transient abdominal pain, the old diaphragmatic ischaemia theory, the newer parietal peritoneum irritation explanation, why shoulder tip pain is referred pain, and the risk factors including drinking before you run, being younger, being female, and having weaker trunk muscles.
    • (00:33:56) Ingebrigtsen returns at the Euros over 5000m off two disrupted seasons and Achilles surgery, and we're not sure it'll be the comeback people hope for.
    • (00:44:52) The Tour de France Femmes is brewing into a genuinely great race, with time gaps after the time-trial necessitating attacking racing as the Tour heads into its hilly and mountain stages. Niewiadoma and Ferrand-Prevot in particular need to claw back big time, while Reuser defends and Vollering waits ominously in pole-position. Instead the world's media is writing about padded bras. Why does cycling always shoot itself in the foot, and why is it a headline for the women when it was an incidental for the men?
    • (00:47:40) Tadej Pogačar's estimated VO2max of over 100 is doing the rounds, using exactly the methods Ross was hammered for using on Contador and Froome fifteen years ago. We explain the modelling, why assumptions can spit out anything between 85 and 101, and what that means for comparing Pogačar to Pantani on Alpe d'Huez.
    • (00:55:56) The full Markéta Vondroušová decision is out, and it reads very differently to the version that had tennis players outraged. Plus a hard look at South African schools rugby, where Deon Botes is the third schoolboy banned in months, this time for a supplement his father allegedly bought for cash from a stranger outside a pharmacy with "ultimate test booster" on the box.
    • (01:12:47) Jannik Sinner walks away from a potential clean sweep of the Masters events to play less tennis before the US Open, while Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Cincinnati and extends a wrist injury layoff that has now cost him May, June, July, and half of August. Two very different answers to the same question, and one that echoes Josh Kerr's approach to racing.
    • (01:15:00) And finally, an update on Anna's ride around Australia. Nine days, 976km, 7,940m of climbing, one chain change, and three magpie attacks.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25. FEATURE: How To Beat the Heat

    3 août 20261 h 45 minSaison 8 · Épisode 17À suivre

    Ross Hemingway, OBE, is a Sport & Exercise Medicine Practitioner at the Commando Training Centre for the Royal Marines. His clinical expertise centres on exertional collapse, in particular the prevention, acute …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Ross Hemingway, OBE, is a Sport & Exercise Medicine Practitioner at the Commando Training Centre for the Royal Marines. His clinical expertise centres on exertional collapse, in particular the prevention, acute management, and rehabilitation of exertional heat illness (EHI) in elite, amateur, and tactical athletes, and is recognised as a UK national expert in this field. Hemingway is also a member of the UK Heat Illness Advisory Group and a contributing author to the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care’s (FPHC) UK consensus statement on the management of Exertional Heat Illness.

    In this interview, Hemingway breaks down the theory of heat illness, how it happens, prevalence, and the best ways of dealing with EHI during exercise.

    Alongside his clinical practice, he is also the founder of Nereus Medical Ltd and inventor of the patented I-CWIK, a lightweight, robust and clinically proven system developed to provide effective cold-water immersion of heat stroke casualties in the pre-hospital and hospital environment.

    
    

    Become a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport, and for the price of a coffee, or a gel, you get a bonus Applied episode every week, ad-free shows, and the best cycling and running community going over on Discourse.

    
    

    SHOW NOTES

    The EHI Consensus Statement website

    
    

    The Full EHI Article, of which Ross is lead author

    
    

    One of the studies Ross alluded to, this one from the World Champs in Doha

    
    

    Another paper he mentioned, discussing athlete management ahead of the Olympic Games

    
    

    The baboon model for heatstroke discussed on the show

    
    

    We published a study years back documenting some heatstrokes in SA endurance events

    
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26. Why Anti-Doping Needs Target Testing and Investigation / Pogačar's Record Tour de France / The Weight-Loss Double Standard

    29 juillet 20261 h 11 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport, and for the price of a coffee, or a gel, you get a bonus Applied episode every week, ad-free shows, and the best cycling and running community going over on …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport, and for the price of a coffee, or a gel, you get a bonus Applied episode every week, ad-free shows, and the best cycling and running community going over on Discourse.

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    This week we recap Tadej Pogačar's record-breaking Tour de France, and then get into the meat of it: why anti-doping leans so heavily on investigation and targeted testing, with insights from our interview with Brett Clothier, head of athletics' Athletics Integrity Unit.

    
    

    • (02:24) Tadej Pogačar wins a fifth Tour de France in what Ross reckons is the most dominant display he has seen in any sport, and we dig into the numbers behind it, including an estimated 7 W/kg on Alpe d'Huez that obliterates Pantani's old mark, why the yellow jersey was effectively settled by stage six, and why the racing everywhere else still made it a decent watch.
    • (13:55) The weight-loss double standard. Remco Evenepoel reportedly dropped around nine pounds for the Tour with barely a murmur, while Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's weight loss dominated the coverage last year. We ask why the reaction differs by sex, and where the line sits between periodised, medically supervised leanness and a genuine eating-disorder risk.
    • (19:42) That Montmartre finale, with Van der Poel and Pogačar breaking clear on the last climb, van der Poel's heroic's to hold off the chasing pack, and Jasper Philipsen's remarkable judgement to "win" by not winning against his team-mate. Plus, we ponder whether the GC should really be neutralised so early on the final day? We say let them race.
    • (32:37) The headline this week: why testing alone rarely catches the big fish, and why investigation and targeted testing do. Prompted by the furore over 2am and 5am testing at the Tour, we hear from Brett Clothier of the Athletics Integrity Unit, and explain the biological passport, the micro-dosing of EPO, fast-clearance methods, gene-doping fears, and why a genuinely "transparent" statement about a target test is close to impossible without prejudicing everyone involved.
    • (46:26) A look ahead to the women's Tour de France, the contenders including Vollering, Blasi, Niewiadoma, Ferrand-Prévot and Reusser. With storylines galore, it features the return of a time trial, and French TV figures showing the women's race is closer to the men's than you might expect.
    • (51:48) Are the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow still worth watching without the stars? Gareth is won over by the weightlifting, and we ask whether you really need the very best in the world to enjoy sport.
    • (58:49) The Ultimate Championship, athletics' new 10 million dollar, three-night, TV-first format, complete with a black infield, real-time win probabilities, Mondo Duplantis on stadium DJ duty, and no country quotas. We react, and Ross pitches what he would add to the broadcast
    • (64:16) Josh Kerr reveals how the pacing lights were slowed over the final 100 metres of his mile record to create the illusion he was beating them. Clever theatre, or are we being deceived?
    • (67:00) And finally, Discourse member Ana sets off on a 15,000km "big lap" of Australia on her gravel bike. We wish her luck, and start plotting the data she should share with our listener community!

    
    

    Links

    
    

    
    

    • This is the ITA statement during the Tour - it's really all they can say and expecting more is a day dream!
    • The article on gene doping - speculative and sounds like sci-fi, but might it be happening
    • The paper on micro-dosing and detection challenges
    • Plugge on how the tests brought doping back to cycling
    • Preview of the TDF for Women
    • Details on the World Athletics Ultimate Championships

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27. The Art and Science of Perfect Pacing (Members' Exclusive Show, Now Unlocked for All)

    27 juillet 202643 minÀ suivre

    Quick heads up before we start: this is not a brand new episode. If you are one of our Members you will have heard it in full about six weeks ago, when we released it as a Members' only Applied show. But we …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Quick heads up before we start: this is not a brand new episode. If you are one of our Members you will have heard it in full about six weeks ago, when we released it as a Members' only Applied show. But we thought it was too interesting and relevant to stay behind the paywall, so we have cut it down into this shorter version and opened it up to everyone, partly because we want sports science to reach as many people as possible, and partly because it is a taste of exactly what supporters get every week, ad free, alongside our Discourse community! So join now and get it early, ad-free and with post-pod chats!

    
    

    The show was sparked by Gareth's admission that he paces his Zwift time trials by "trying not to die", which, as Ross points out, is already a sign the pacing has gone wrong. Pacing is not about reacting to fatigue once it arrives, but about managing effort now based on its future consequences. Using the analogy of a budget, we look at the two things it defends against, depletion of fuel like carbohydrate and creatine phosphate, and accumulation of heat, hydrogen ions, and other metabolites, and why good pacing is a skill that has to be learned.

    
    

    From there we get applied. Why has elite pacing become flatter over the generations, why can you never bank time in a long event when the 400 and 800 metres break that rule, and how should you actually pace a hilly time trial? Drawing on Remco Evenepoel's world title ride, we anchor everything to FTP, unpack the concept of W', your anaerobic battery, and show why the extra effort you should spend climbing or into a headwind is far smaller than instinct suggests.

    
    

    Whether you are chasing a marathon PB, a Zwift time trial, or simply trying not to blow up halfway, there are practical lessons here to get you to the finish faster. And if you enjoy it, this is only half of the full discussion. The complete version, plus a new Applied show every week, is waiting for you in the supporters club.

    
    

    Links

    
    

    • Ross' PhD was on the anticipatory regulation of performance. That is, pacing. This is the main summary article that came out of that PhD and related work
    • The physiological regulation of pacing strategy for performance. Another review article from Ross' PhD work
    • The Hazard Score, and how RPE interacts with distance remaining to regulate pace, as discussed on the podcast
    • The paper that analyses world records and shows the surprising finding that performances have been unlocked with faster starts and smaller endspurts
    • Entropy and positive pacing in the 800m. Nice accurate conclusion, the rest, we aren't so sure we understand!

    
    

    
    

    
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28. The Tour de France 2am Drug-Test Controversy: Why Pogačar and Vingegaard Were Woken to Test / Josh Kerr's Mile World Record / A World Cup Final to Forget

    20 juillet 20261 h 4 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter of The Science of Sport, and along with our undying gratitude you get a bonus Applied show every week, ad-free listening, and a seat in the best community in sport. It costs less than a …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter of The Science of Sport, and along with our undying gratitude you get a bonus Applied show every week, ad-free listening, and a seat in the best community in sport. It costs less than a coffee, or a gel.

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    The big story this week is another Tour de France anti-doping row, with race leaders Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard woken to give samples at 5am and 2am. But first, we discuss a forgettable World Cup final and a long overdue Mile world record

    
    

    
    

    • (00:01:27) Spain beat Argentina to win the World Cup, in what Ross and Gareth reckon was the worst final in living memory. We discuss a game in which Argentina seemed intent on being regressive and aggressive, why the best player in the world was left stranded, the role fatigue and the extra day's rest may have played, and whether a solid tournament deserves better than a grudging seven out of ten.
    • (00:16:14) Josh Kerr does exactly what he said he would and breaks Hicham El Guerrouj's 27 year old mile world record at the London Diamond League, running near-perfect 55 second laps on route to his 222. Point 66. We get into his near-perfect even pace, how wavelight technology has reduced the risk and unburdened the athlete to chase physiological limits, whether that cheapens anything, and why the 1500m record should surely be next.
    • (00:35:23) The big story. Pogačar and Vingegaard were dope-tested at 5am and 2am on the morning of a mountain stage, and all hell broke loose. We explain why an 11pm to 6am block is normally sacrosanct and exempt from doping, but why allowances have to be made to test athletes within it on occasion. We the "serious and specific suspicion" exception that received judicial sign-off under French law, what that implies, and why we will probably never know. Vingegaard later crashed out with a broken collarbone, so we ask whether the two are linked, and the extent to which this is a wake-up call for cycling (and some of its fans), or just more of the same?
    • (00:59:36) And finally, the Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow this weekend, pared back to ten sports and stuck behind a paywall. Did anyone notice? Has the world moved on? We say a fond, faintly baffled farewell.

    
    

    Links

    
    

    
    

    • Some stats from the one-sided World Cup Final
    • How the Mile was won: Some analysis of Kerr's record, including the splits Gareth read out
    • Some details on Josh Kerr's custom shoe
    • Ross' brief thoughts on the early morning testing controversy on X
    • More detail on the exemption made, judicial approval and nature of suspicions (good), along with some speculation about Seixas and a call for transparency (silly)
    • Vingegaard's team on the crash and possible reasons for it

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29. A "Concussion Sensor" Comes to the Tour de France / Spain Dismantle France / Does SA Rugby Have a Doping Problem?

    15 juillet 20261 h 10 minÀ suivre

    Become a Supporter of the Science of Sport and you'll get the Applied show every week, ad-free listening, and a seat in the best community in sports science, all for the price of a coffee a month (or a gel if …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Become a Supporter of the Science of Sport and you'll get the Applied show every week, ad-free listening, and a seat in the best community in sports science, all for the price of a coffee a month (or a gel if you're a cyclist). Here are all the membership benefits, join now!

    
    

    Show notes

    
    

    This week our headline topic is a "concussion sensor" being trialled by some teams at the Tour de France, and why it is a welcome innovation, but one that, for now, invites potentially dangerous false hope. We also take a spin through the rest of the week in sport, covering football, cycling, tennis and track and field. Oh, and hotdogs.

    
    

    • (00:00:20) The World Cup nears its finale, and Spain utterly outplayed France to reach the final, making fools of our predictions after Gareth handed France to Ross. We get into why the France-Spain dynamic flipped so completely, the scarcity of penalty shootouts this tournament, the mooted expansion to 64 teams, hydration-break ad money paying for the broadcast rights, the ref cam, and the goal-line technology row over the England-Norway "wire" incident.
    • (00:16:18) Following our David Bailey podcast, we ask whether the peloton is simply scared of Tadej Pogačar, whose dominance at the Tour has riders like Ben Healy and Florian Lipowitz shaking their heads in bewilderment. We also unpack why "marginal gains" and sports science only ever matter as a point of difference, borrowing points-of-parity and points-of-difference thinking from marketing.
    • (00:24:16) Our headline piece. A "concussion" sensor sitting behind the helmet's BOA dial is being trialled by some teams the Tour, and we explain why the name is a dangerous misnomer. A helmet-mounted device measures helmet acceleration, not the brain, may be triggered off by cobbles, and can never be diagnostic. We explain that it could be used as a triage tool, not a diagnostic one that replaces road-side assessments. Drawing on rugby's mouthguard data, hundreds of thousands of head-acceleration events with poor sensitivity and predictive value, and the case of Torstein Traen, who passed a roadside check yet was later diagnosed with concussion, Ross explains that this is a genuine safety opportunity, but only if cycling gets the framing and the use of it right.
    • (00:40:06) A wrap of the Wimbledon finals, with remarkable mental resilience from the new women's champion Linda Noskova, and Jannik Sinner's dominant serve. We look at Sinner's serve speed and placement, and how Zverev manages type 1 diabetes on court.
    • (00:45:53) A rush of track action from the Monaco Diamond League, including Emmanuel Wanyonyi's 1000m world record and a brave but doomed attempt at the 3000m WR by Birke Haylom, who paid for what ended up being a pacing error by coming last. We also look ahead to the London Diamond League, headlined by Josh Kerr's much-hyped mile world record attempt, the women's 800m with Hodgkinson and Bol, and a stacked men's 800m.
    • (00:57:50) Does South African rugby have a doping problem? A new positive for junior Springbok prop Kai Pratt, SAIDS rejecting the "witch hunt" framing, and Ross digs into the numbers: testing down more than six-fold in a decade, South Africa accounting for one in five rugby doping cases worldwide, and an anti-doping body whose budget has flatlined. We argue why "sour grapes" is no defence, and why the answer is to test more, not deflect.
    • (01:04:57) And Finally, Joey Chestnut wins another July 4th hot dog title, with the Kobayashi method as competitive eating's "super shoes", and an Ironman in Swansea sends us down the rabbit hole of how organisers conjure those economic-impact and "media value" figures, plus the leader who rode straight into a stationary ambulance.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30. The Science Behind a Pro Cycling Team

    13 juillet 20261 h 35 minSaison 8 · Épisode 16À suivre

    Team NSN Cycling is one of the most exciting teams in the World Tour peloton, and Lausanne-based Briton David Bailey is its Head of Sport Science. Amid the pressures of being at the cutting edge of athletic …

    Notes de l’épisode

    Team NSN Cycling is one of the most exciting teams in the World Tour peloton, and Lausanne-based Briton David Bailey is its Head of Sport Science. Amid the pressures of being at the cutting edge of athletic performance, Bailey talks us through the current trends in pro cycling, including nutrition, training, health, tech, and even the role of AI and data management. Bailey has over 20 years of experience in elite sport as a coach, scientist, and performance director, I has supported world-class athletes, including multiple Olympic and World Champions. Bailey has also worked for the BMC and Bahrain Victorius pro cycling teams and comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

    
    

    SHOW NOTES

    Team NSN website

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Voici les 40 derniers épisodes sur 365. Les épisodes plus anciens se trouvent dans le flux du podcast.