We Do Science

Dr Laurent Bannock

We Do Science is the sport and exercise nutrition podcast hosted by Dr Laurent Bannock, practitioner, educator, researcher, and Founder of The Institute of Performance Nutrition. Relaunching in September 2026 for a new era, the show brings together leading researchers, elite practitioners, educators, and thinkers to explore the science, context, and real-world application of performance nutrition. Each episode goes beyond headlines, protocols, and simplistic advice to examine how evidence is interpreted, challenged, and applied in practice. Topics include sport and exercise nutrition, body composition, protein and muscle, supplements, recovery, endurance nutrition, football nutrition, female athlete nutrition, behaviour change, practitioner development, and evidence-informed decision-making. Originally launched as one of the leading podcasts in the sports nutrition field, We Do Science returns with the same core mission: to bridge the gap between science and practice. Whether you are a sports nutritionist, dietitian, performance practitioner, coach, researcher, student, or serious health and fitness professional, this show is designed to help you think more critically, practise more effectively, and make better decisions in the real world. Serious conversations in sport and exercise nutrition — from science to practice.

  1. 15 hr ago

    Nutrition for Pro Cycling: From Plate to Performance - Dr. Dana Lis & Nicki Strobel

    On this episode of We Do Science, Dr Laurent Bannock welcomes back Dr Dana Lis, registered dietitian and performance nutrition practitioner, alongside chef and nutritionist Nicki Strobel, to discuss their paper Plate to Performance: Culinary Nutrition Support for Professional Road Cycling, part of the UCI Sports Nutrition Project. Drawing on years of experience in elite cycling, Dana and Nicki explain how the culinary nutrition team of nutritionists, chefs and soigneurs turns evidence into food riders will actually eat across Grand Tours, Classics and training camps. The conversation covers the chef–nutritionist relationship, on-bike fuelling, menu planning around stage demands, and how power meter data, doubly labelled water and continuous glucose monitors inform daily decisions. Laurent, Dana and Nicki also discuss educating riders in a decentralised sport, building buy-in across the team, planning for illness, crashes and kitchens without power, and where the journey from science to plate most often breaks down. With lessons that apply well beyond cycling, this episode offers sports nutritionists, chefs, coaches, students and athletes a practical look at how performance nutrition is delivered in the real world. Subscribe for more conversations exploring the science and practice of sports nutrition. Read the paper: Plate to Performance: Culinary Nutrition Support for Professional Road Cycling https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/36/3/article-p335.xml Connect with Dana: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dana-lis/ Connect with Nicki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-strobel-44b41347/ Connect with Laurent: Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@laurentbannock⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentbannock/⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/laurent_bannock⁠ Website: ⁠⁠https://www.laurentbannock.com Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:13 Welcoming Dana and Nicki to We Do Science 04:31 Bridging the gap between science and practice 06:35 Dana's background and career 10:08 Nicki's journey from Michelin-star chef to pro cycling 15:20 How the Plate to Performance paper came about 20:38 Why chefs and nutritionists need a shared language 23:18 Cooking on the road: chefs, hotels and logistics 26:27 Prioritising nutrition interventions 28:41 The chef–nutritionist relationship 33:12 On-bike nutrition and the role of soigneurs 38:02 Keeping the evidence intact across the team 42:01 Planning menus around race demands 45:15 Day types, fuelling time points and daily adjustments 49:56 The data behind fuelling decisions 52:55 Energy availability and RED-S in the field 56:16 Turning precise numbers into real meals 59:36 Rider education in a decentralised sport 1:04:06 Building rider buy-in 1:07:11 Working through the rider's support network 1:11:04 Establishing yourself in a new team 1:15:25 When things go wrong on the road 1:17:26 Planning for illness and injury 1:22:09 Where the science breaks down in practice 1:24:47 What Dana and Nicki have changed their minds on

  2. 25 Sept

    How to Make Better Sports Nutrition Decisions | Prof. Michael Gleeson

    We Do Science with Dr Laurent Bannock returns, now with video! In this first episode back, Laurent welcomes Professor Michael Gleeson, Emeritus Professor of Exercise Biochemistry at Loughborough University, to explore the four Ps of performance nutrition: personalise, periodise, pre-fuel and prepare. Drawing on his research and experience in sports nutrition, Michael explains how this framework can help practitioners turn scientific evidence into practical decisions for their athletes. The conversation covers carbohydrate fuelling, hydration, gut training and supplements, alongside the importance of adapting nutrition strategies to training demands, individual preferences and the realities of competition. Laurent and Michael also discuss the role of wearables and testing in personalised nutrition, the challenges of supplement marketing, and why more information doesn’t always lead to better decisions. With examples from football and endurance sport, this episode offers sports nutritionists, coaches, students and athletes a practical look at choosing, applying and evaluating nutrition strategies. Subscribe for more conversations exploring the science and practice of sports nutrition. Connect with Michael: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gleeson-218565b9/ Connect with Laurent: Substack: https://substack.com/@laurentbannock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentbannock/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurent_bannock Website: ⁠https://www.laurentbannock.com Chapters: 00:00 Introduction02:47 Welcoming Michael back to We Do Science04:18 Michael’s background and research08:06 Why develop the four P's of performance nutrition?14:18 Using the framework to guide decisions19:40 Personalise: tailoring nutrition to the athlete24:22 Personalisation, testing and getting the basics right30:28 Periodise: matching nutrition to training demands34:11 Gut training and rehearsing competition nutrition37:23 Pre-fuel: preparing for competition43:22 Prepare: hydration, fuelling and supplements49:19 Athlete preferences and practical problem-solving52:27 Cultural considerations and World Cup nutrition55:29 Choosing what belongs in the framework56:35 Supplement evidence and marketing1:03:38 Applying and evaluating the four Ps1:05:35 The future of personalised sports nutrition1:09:05 The future of sports nutrition textbooks

    How to Make Better Sports Nutrition Decisions | Prof. Michael Gleeson

About

We Do Science is the sport and exercise nutrition podcast hosted by Dr Laurent Bannock, practitioner, educator, researcher, and Founder of The Institute of Performance Nutrition. Relaunching in September 2026 for a new era, the show brings together leading researchers, elite practitioners, educators, and thinkers to explore the science, context, and real-world application of performance nutrition. Each episode goes beyond headlines, protocols, and simplistic advice to examine how evidence is interpreted, challenged, and applied in practice. Topics include sport and exercise nutrition, body composition, protein and muscle, supplements, recovery, endurance nutrition, football nutrition, female athlete nutrition, behaviour change, practitioner development, and evidence-informed decision-making. Originally launched as one of the leading podcasts in the sports nutrition field, We Do Science returns with the same core mission: to bridge the gap between science and practice. Whether you are a sports nutritionist, dietitian, performance practitioner, coach, researcher, student, or serious health and fitness professional, this show is designed to help you think more critically, practise more effectively, and make better decisions in the real world. Serious conversations in sport and exercise nutrition — from science to practice.

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