The Real Science of Sport Podcast

Professor Ross Tucker and Mike Finch
  • 4.8 (12)
  • SPORT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Real Science of Sport Podcast

World-renowned sports scientist Professor Ross Tucker and veteran sports journalist Mike Finch break down the myths, practices and controversies from the world of sport. From athletics to rugby, soccer, cycling and more, the two delve into the most recent research, unearth lessons from the pros and host exclusive interviews with some of the world's leading sporting experts. For those who love sport. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. What Tennis' Latest Scandal Teaches Us About Doping

    6 DAYS AGO

    What Tennis' Latest Scandal Teaches Us About Doping

    World Number Two tennis player Iga Swiatek's positive test for a little-known product called Trimetazidine raises the issue of whether drug testing is going too far. Should there not be a threshold for the level of prohibited substances found in the body? Is there a performance advantage? What fault lies with the athlete? No matter the final outcome, an athlete remains tainted no matter their potential innocence, which could affect performance and sponsorship agreements. In this Spotlight episode, the team discuss the case, its similarities and differences compared to tennis' other high profile doping case, Janik Sinner, and what it means for anti-doping. SHOW NOTES: Join Discourse If you fancy a bit of the coaching, sports science and sports news conversations with our amazing members, consider a small donation to become a Patron of the site, and get access to our Discourse community, where you can join like-minded fans and sports enthusiasts to keep the conversation going. The ITA decision statement BBC story on Swiatek's one-month ban Swiatek's statement on Instagram The timeline of Swiatek's doping case Response from the manufacturer of the drug Article on Jack Burke's KOMs When Burke broke the Alp d'Huez KOM Jack Burke's Strava account Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    58 min
  2. Science of Sport Spotlight 9: To Torque or Not to Torque, energy demands from the Women's Tour, and topical doping debates

    28 NOV

    Science of Sport Spotlight 9: To Torque or Not to Torque, energy demands from the Women's Tour, and topical doping debates

    In this spotlight episode, Ross and Gareth put some of the interesting discussions from our Discourse community in the spotlight. Gareth, master (and moderator) of Discourse, learned all about high cadence training from the coaches in the Discourse community when he tackled a Zwift cycling programme that had him spinning his legs. We discuss whether high cadence training has merit, or whether we should actually be looking at the other extreme - Torque training, with very low cadence, to develop cycling ability? A fascinating recent paper is the basis for that discussion. We also talk about a paper that documents the remarkable energy costs of cycling in the Tour de France Femmes - an incredible 7500 kCal per day, not met by energy intake in the case study. Finally, we tackle two doping stories. The first is a call by the UCI for WADA to "take a position" on alleged Carbon Monoxide misuse by elite cyclists, and the second is the latest step taken by the Enhanced Games, who, among other things, wish to classify aging as a disease. And they'll pay a cool million to a human who runs a sub-9.58s 100m, powered by any means necessary. Show notes Join Discourse If you fancy a bit of the coaching, sports science and sports news conversations with our amazing members, consider a small donation to become a Patron of the site, and get access to our Discourse community, where you can join like-minded fans and sports enthusiasts to keep the conversation going. The research study that finds that low cadence training enhances performance more than self-selected (high) cadence training during an 8-week polarized training block The case study of energy demands in an elite woman in the Tour de France The UCI calls on WADA to take a position on Carbon Monoxide use The Enhanced Games message to Robert F Kennedy to declare war on aging Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 2m
  3. How Far Can You Push the Human Body? Lessons from a Royal Marine Doctor

    26 NOV

    How Far Can You Push the Human Body? Lessons from a Royal Marine Doctor

    Pushing the body to its limits can be the difference between life and death for a Royal Marine. So how far can you push recruits and what lessons can sport learn from the training they endure? In this interview with Dr Ross Hemingway, a Sports & Exercise Medicine Doctor at the Commando Training Centre for Royal Marines in the UK, we take a fascinating look at everything from heat illnesses to fatigue and injuries experienced by some of the fittest men and women on the planet. Hemingway explains how Marines are assessed and tells stories of recruits who overcome extreme hardship in their quest to be among the military elite. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 38m

  4. 15 NOV

    Is the Credibility of Sports Science's Most Respected Journal Under Threat?

    At the recent British Association of Sports & Exercise Medicine (BAsem) conference, the world's most respected journal in sports science - the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) - openly promoted a presentation done on the trans issue by the author of the controversial book Open Play: The Case For Feminist Sport, Dr Sheree Bekker. In the presentation, Bekker challenges the ideas around transgender sporting advantage despite persuasive scientific evidence to the contrary, raising the question of whether the BJSM has failed in its mandate to support robust scientific content. The team break down what the BJSM's role in sports science should be, analyse some of the outlandish statements made in the presentation and discuss the implications of what happens if credibility is lost. SHOW NOTES: The tweet by the BJSM on the presentation done by Dr Bekker The photo claiming to show the TWSA and Feminist Approach to the gender debate Dr Sheree Bekker's website A link to the BJSM website Ross's X thread reacting to the presentation Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 10m

  5. 18 OCT

    Chepng'etich's Marathon World Record Analysis: Too Good To Be True?

    When Kenyan Ruth Chepng'etich took nearly two minutes off the women's marathon world record, the sporting world was aghast. How did she do it? Shoe tech, nutrition, race tactics? With a doping cloud hanging over Kenyan athletics, it's easy to see why so many are sceptical. Join Prof. Ross Tucker and sports journalist Mike Finch as they assess every aspect of the run in an effort to explain one of the most astonishing running performances in history. SHOW NOTES The paper by Mason et al on how the shoes have boosted women’s distance runners more then men. The Joubert & Jones paper that compares different shoes, including Figure 2 that shows the individual variation between models of the same brand. Another similar paper on individual variability by Knopp et al. For analysis of the performances since super shoes were introduced. A piece by Toni Reavis in defence of Chepngetich’s performance. The article by Amby Burfoot that Reavis mentions. Amby does not hold back. The AIU list of Kenyans currently serving doping bans. You can count the drug type to see if the show conversation was accurate.  The CAS Decision on Rhonex Kipruto, in which his doping is described as a “sophisticated doping regime. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 24m
  6. DISCOURSE SPECIAL: Is Elite Cycling Safe Enough? / Rugby's Smart Mouthguards / Is Sinner Guilty of Doping? and Much More

    3 OCT

    DISCOURSE SPECIAL: Is Elite Cycling Safe Enough? / Rugby's Smart Mouthguards / Is Sinner Guilty of Doping? and Much More

    After a post-Olympic break the team wrap up all the latest hot topics and news from our Discourse channel. We share details of how the rollout of rugby's smart mouthguards is going, discuss Jakob Ingebritgsen's crazy half marathon debut and how best to use sport science to help a small-budget cycling team. We also explain the ongoing doping saga of tennis world number one Jannik Sinner and ask if the world governing body for cycling, the UCI, is doing enough to ensure the safety of riders after the death of an 18-year-old at the World Championships. SHOW NOTES Jon Wertheim's excellent piece on the Sinner doping scandal from SI.com The Guardian's piece on the death of Muriel Furrer Ingebrigtsen's crazy half marathon debut Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 53m
  7. How David Roche Used Science To Dominate One Of The World's Biggest Trail Races

    29 AUG

    How David Roche Used Science To Dominate One Of The World's Biggest Trail Races

    American trail star and coach David Roche not only won his first 100-mile trail race at the Leadville 100 this year but also broke a 30-year-old record. In this interview, Roche explains how he adapted to the high altitude using hot baths, trained his body to take in high concentrations of carbohydrates and planned out his race strategy. Roche also talks about how speed over shorter distances is the best predictor of ability of longer distances, why mega training mileage may not be the right strategy for mega-distance races and the impact of super shoes on trail racing. SHOW NOTES: Follow David on Instagram and Youtube Follow David and wife Dr Megan Roche's podcast Some Work, All Play on Apple Podcasts. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 37m
  8. Science of Sport Spotlight 8: A Guilty or Innocent Sinner? And Tragedy at the Crossfit Games

    22 AUG

    Science of Sport Spotlight 8: A Guilty or Innocent Sinner? And Tragedy at the Crossfit Games

    We are back with a Spotlight show, and in this one, we discuss the case of Janik Sinner, who was cleared earlier this week of a doping violation after a panel agreed that his positive test for clostebol was caused by his physiotherapist's use of a banned substance to treat a finger cut while performing massage treatments on the player. We describe the timeline, the challenge faced by anti-doping authorities, and the controversial speed with which Sinner was able to continue playing after appealing provisional suspensions on two occasions. We also shine a spotlight on risk in sport, after a tragedy at the CrossFit Games in Texas, where a 28 year old participant died during a swim item. The team explain why swimming is where the danger exists, and then discuss the philosophy of risk and the tension between the core values of a sport, and the duty of care of the sports to protect athletes from foreseeable and unnecessary risks. Join Discourse If you've enjoyed our Paris Daily podcasts, and generally love sports science, consider a small donation to become a Patron of the site, and get access to our Discourse community, where you can join like-minded fans and sports enthusiasts to keep the conversation going. Show notes Janik Sinner Spotlight Summary of the Janik Sinner decision by the ITIAThe Full Decision of the case can be read hereThe study showing clostebol positive tests through contamination, cited in the defenceEdmund Willison's article on clostebol positives, primarily in Italy CrossFit Games Spotlight Study on deaths in triathlon, showing the high proportion that happen on the swim legPaper that proposes Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema as a cause of swim-related deathsLay article that explains SIPE and interviews researchers who study it, including discussion of how risk is mitigated and managed by events Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 10m
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Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

World-renowned sports scientist Professor Ross Tucker and veteran sports journalist Mike Finch break down the myths, practices and controversies from the world of sport. From athletics to rugby, soccer, cycling and more, the two delve into the most recent research, unearth lessons from the pros and host exclusive interviews with some of the world's leading sporting experts. For those who love sport. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Professor Ross Tucker and Mike Finch
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    201
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Professor Ross Tucker and Mike Finch
  • Show Website
    The Real Science of Sport Podcast

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