157 episodes

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

    • Sport

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.

    50 Days to Go: Let the (build up to the) Games begin

    50 Days to Go: Let the (build up to the) Games begin

    With 50 days to go to the Paris Olympics, it's all systems go for athletes, coaches, and media. Sean Ingle will be covering his 7th Olympic Games, and he joins us from Rome's European Track and Field Championships to talk about some of the themes we expect to make the news at these Paris Games. They include tech's pervasive and unavoidable influence on performance, a simmering feud in the world of anti-doping, and the evolution and relevance of the Olympic Games in the face of both external and internal pressures. We also present The Official Science of Sport surveys in which you get to vote for your favourite event of the Games, and our ambitious consensus project to classify the Olympic Sports by their physiological and psychological demands. A busy period of great sport starts here!
    Show notes:
    Here is where you sign up to become a Patron and get access to our awesome and informative Discourse community
    The Discourse page, for those who are already Patrons of the pod (you sign in with your Patron log-ins)
    If you want to join our survey to rate the Olympic sports for their athletic components, here is the link to the once-off survey
    Our 'bracket' challenge to pick your most engaging, popular specific event
    We spoke of tech in cycling on the show, and here's an announcement from Team GB/Lotus about their track bikes for their Paris campaign
    Here's the paper with Kenenisa Bekele has a co-author, that recognizes that the new era performances, powered by super shoes, and aided by wavelights, need an asterisk alongside them
    Follow Sean Ingle on Twitter/X

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    • 1 hr 19 min
    The Habits of Good Sleep

    The Habits of Good Sleep

    Join host Mike Finch, co-host Prof. Jill Warner and Dr Dale Rae, Director at Sleep Science and a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Physiological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, as they discuss what good sleeping habits look like, what constitutes a good sleep routine, catching up on sleep, the effects of sleep deprivation and why sleep dictates mood regulation, body health and even weight gain.

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    • 32 min
    The Sceptics Guide To Sports Science with Dr Nick Tiller

    The Sceptics Guide To Sports Science with Dr Nick Tiller

    Dr Nick Tiller literally wrote the book on it, The Skeptics Guide to Sports Science (available from Amazon HERE). As an exercise scientist at Harbour-UCLA in the US, columnist, writer and author, Tiller challenges many of the claims made by marketers and others, in the name of sport science. With the team Tiller delves into the details of questionable sports science, how to spot the good from the bad and the areas where sports science is most vulnerable.
    Follow Nick:
    Web: www.nbtiller.com Instagram: @nb.tiller X: @NBTiller
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    • 1 hr 14 min
    The Science of Weight Training

    The Science of Weight Training

    The team is joined by Professor Stuart Phillips from the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University and one of the leading experts on resistance training. Phillips is the Director of the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE), the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Health Research and Lab Lead for the Exercise Metabolism Research Group. In this episode Phillips explains the amazing benefits of weight training, why even a little can reap big benefits for everyone and what sort of training suits best depending on your age, sport and goals.
    SHOW NOTES:
    Join us on Patreon for more content including access to our Science of Sport Discourse platform, and join the conversation!
    Follow our guest Prof Stuart Phillips on X
    Stuart's recent paper on the coming of age of resistance training as a primary form of exercise for health
    A previous article on Stuart's resistance training research from his university
    A few of the specific papers on strength training that were discussed on the show:

    Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young menTraining for strength and hypertrophy: an evidence-based approachLow-load high volume resistance exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis more than high-load low volume resistance exercise in young menEffects of once- versus twice-weekly eccentric resistance training on muscular function and structure in older adults: a randomised controlled trial
    Instagram handle for Avery Faigenbaum, Professor of Pediatric Exercise Science, who Stuart mentioned as a good source of information




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    • 1 hr 29 min
    DISCOURSE: China's Swimming Doping Controversy / Marathon Season Latest / Should Olympic Medallists Get Prize Money?

    DISCOURSE: China's Swimming Doping Controversy / Marathon Season Latest / Should Olympic Medallists Get Prize Money?

    A wrap-up of the best stories on our Discourse channel: Spring marathon season: The top performers / Should Eliud Kipchoge go to the Paris Olympics? / Why track and field athletes are earning prize money in Paris for the first time / Is the UCI doing enough to ensure the safety of pro cyclists? / China's doping controversy sparks division in the anti-doping world.
    SHOW NOTES:
    The Guardian story on prize money in athletics at the Paris Olympics
    The Guardian story on the 23 Chinese swimmers who won Olympic golds after testing positive for banned drug
    WADA statement on the case of the 23 swimmers
    Travis Tygart from USADA releases a statement about WADA statement
    WADA statement following comments by Tygart
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    • 1 hr 31 min
    INTERVIEW: How to Fuel For Maximum Endurance Performance

    INTERVIEW: How to Fuel For Maximum Endurance Performance

    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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    • 1 hr 19 min

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