The Real Science of Sport Podcast Professor Ross Tucker and Mike Finch

Building on from our previous discussions on optimal fuelling for endurance exercise, in this episode we go deep into the details of why carbohydrates are the rocket fuel for our bodies, and how we can take advantage of metabolic agility and different fuel strategies to unlock performance gains. To do this, we are joined by Dr Jamie Whitfield, a postdoctoral researcher in exercise nutrition and an expert in muscle physiology and metabolism. We explore how your body ‘chooses’ whether to burn fats or carbs as fuel and which carbs it prioritizes as we change our intensity and diet. We discuss whether fasting or feasting before exercise is beneficial, and we learn whether ketogenic diets hinder or enhance exercise performance.
SHOW NOTES:
Jamie’s X account: @jwhitfie
Jamie’s page at the ACU
The article by Jamie and a former guest, Prof Louise Burke, responding to Prof Tim Noakes on Keto diets and performance. The entire point-counterpoint is available at the link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38485731/
A research study that Jamie referred to that looked at how ingesting carbohydrates at different rates affected total carbohydrate use during exercise: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-022-05019-w

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In this special episode we join an exclusive panel discussion - in partnership with World Rugby - to debate the future of the sport as it battles to find a balance between the welfare and safety of players and the enjoyment of the game by both participants and spectators. On the panel is Dr Eanna Falvey, World Rugby’s Chief Medical Officer, and former British & Irish Lions Team Doctor; Kate Zachary, the experienced American women's captain and veteran of two World Cups; Ugo Monye, an English rugby pundit/commentator and former rugby union player who played 14 times for England, 241 times for his only club Harlequins and played twice for the British & Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa; English Test player Sarah Bern, who was shortlisted for World Rugby’s Women’s Player of the Year award in 2019 and our very own co-host Prof Ross Tucker, who is also a Research Consultant and Independent Scientist with World Rugby.
SHOW NOTES:
The videos from the entire Welfare Week, not just those preceding this session, will be available on the World Rugby site soon. They're not out just yet, unfortunately, but check back here in the next few days for the specific links.
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It's one of the hottest topics on our Discourse channel but can World Rugby's new law proposasl preserve the spectacle of the game while still ensuring player safety? The team dig into some of the changes being trialled and proposals for more changes.
Plus ultra runners Camille Herron - who broke six world endurance running records on her way to a new women's six-day record - and Jasmin Paris - who became the first female to finish the legendary Barkley Marathon - have raised the question of how women compare to men in endurance sport. Is the gap closing?
Plus why did a group of 26 independent scientists (including Ross) publish a paper to refute the IOC's framework and academic paper on transgender athletes?
Support our work on Patreon HERE at and get free access to our Discourse channel HERE
SHOW NOTES:
Rugby rule changes on our Discourse group.
https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/world-rugby-new-plans-for-the-game/1197/4
Reassessing the use of the TMO in rugby
World Rugby wants to ­overhaul TMO protocol which has come under widespread criticism for bringing too many lengthy stoppages to the game. 
Women's Ultrarunning
Discourse discussion on the Barkley marathon
Sean Ingle's article on Jasmin Paris' Barkley success
Transgender Paper
The academic paper refuting the IOC's Framework and scientific argument
Our Discourse discussion on the paper and the issues
More than 100 elite British sportswomen have told the BBC they would be uncomfortable with transgender women competing in female categories in their sport.
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Never-say-die Maddie le Roux may have been forced to give up her dream of becoming a professional cyclist until the Zwift Academy changed her life and her career. Here's how hard work and pure determination helped this bubbly 27-year-old turn a dream into a reality.
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Is the field of sports science facing a credibility crisis? According to guest Dr Joe Warne, key instigator of the Sports Science Replication Centre at the Technological University in Dublin, most of the research done in the field is unreliable. So what is the true picture, how can studies be done better, what role do journals play in ensuring better standards and how do consumers discern the good from the bad?
Show notes:

Our Patreon page, where you can sign up for access to the Discourse and other benefitsThe Discourse discussion, for all the post podcast discussions, insights into sports science, and even training and injury prevention advice. For Patrons only!Joe Warne's original post on Discourse that inspired this episode (Patron only)Simona Halep is cleared to play. We'll wait for the full CAS Decision for more discussion of this decision, but if you want to read the previous decision that led to the four year ban, it's at this linkFor Patrons, via Discourse, more discussion about Halep's ban and clearing can be found hereArticle on the cycling race in Spain that saw 130 riders out of 182 not finish, and anti-doping had shown up. The degree to which the two are linked remains unclear, as discussedJoe Warne's Sports Science Replication Center websiteOne example of a paper that Warne's group has had published on this issue Get bonus content on Patreon
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Knowing how to measure and train close to your VO2Max may lead to big performance gains. But what is VO2Max and what's the best way to use it? We also discuss the latest developments around rugby's smart mouthguard and the announcement by World Athletics that they are trialling a new way of measuring the long jump which involves a take-off zone rather than a take-off mark. And no, it's not an April Fools joke!
SHOW NOTES
The New Science of Sport Discourse - a Patron exclusive, a community that we aspire to make the most well-informed forum on sports science in the world: https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/. Log in with your patron details
Become a Patron of The Science of Sport to get access to the community: https://www.patreon.com/thescienceofsport
The IFSC Policy on RED-S
Article on that RED-S policy, including athlete interviews
The Long Jump article re changing of the laws
The BBC article on the mouthguards in rugby. Full of holes and errors, a bit of misunderstanding, and some outright dishonesty, which we tried to explain and address in the show
The paper on the sub-2 hour marathon physiology that shows how those elite runners can get to 90% of VO2max for two hours
A more lay explanation of the 2 hour marathon, again discussing how close to max elites can run
Paper on how different durations of interval training affect Power, HR and RPE, which may be useful to guide your choice of interval session structure
The research study that shows how 8 min blocks at close to VO2max improves VO2max and performance, and that the more time you spend close to VO2max, the greater the benefit
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