The Real Science of Sport Podcast

• Vingegaard's Muscle: No Match for Pogacar? | Who is to Blame for Tour Crash Chaos?

  Discourse - the best thing about this Podcast, is all yours for a small monthly pledge. No exorbitant fee, no toilet paper advert every 510min, and access to hundreds of listeners who share great advice, insight, training strategies and opinion. Join now!The showThis week on The Real Science of Sport Spotlight world records fall and big questions rise. Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet lit up the track in Eugene—how fast can they go, and what happens if (or hopefully when) they clash over 5000m, 3000m, or possibly even 1500m? Their record-breaking performances headlined a meeting that showed track and field can be exciting, modern, and appealing to younger fans. Is the sport in better shape than critics thought? From spikes to strings, we then turn to Wimbledon, where Electronic Line Calling has come under fire. Is the system flawed, or just misunderstood? We break down the tech, the myths, and why perfection was never the point.In our Center Stage (27:44), we focus on the Tour de France, where concussions, broken bones, and questions of responsibility have again reared their head. Do race organizers or riders bear the blame? We explore the UCI's priorities, enforcement of their own rules, and creation of new rules with marginal benefits. We also discuss the race. Jonas Vingegaard says he’s heavier, more muscular, and more powerful than ever. Will that close the gap to Pogacar? The early signs, after the Stage 5 TT, suggest an emphatic "no"? Is he solving the 'wrong' problem, and how will that increased mass play out against a relentless Pogacar in the mountains?We also Spotlight listener insights in Ross Replies (52:00), with a focus on David Roche’s Western States DNF and his pre-race transparency. You wondered whether he created mental and emotional pressure on himself by being so open, and we discuss. In Listener Lens (58:25), we celebrate some Discourse success stories. And finally (1:02:16), are endurance athletes more likely to have daughters? A quirky study suggesting so closes the show.LinksUSADA statement on the father and son banned for testosterone useGuardian article on the tech failures and player mistrust of electronic line callingStrong criticism of the UCI/ASO for a hazardous stage finale in the raceThe Michael Woods Tour diary in which he describes the ASO approach to safety, including his thoughts on how to improve safetyVingegaard's comments about his power, weight and performance prospectsAre athletes getting older - for DISCOURSE only, Max's amazing analysis on age of elite athletes over the yearsEndurance athletes are more likely to have girls - the quirky paper we finished on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• What It's Really Like to be a Tennis Professional on Tour

  Kevin Ullyett has won 34 career tennis titles - including two doubles (2001 US Open, 2005 Australian Open) and one mixed (2002 Australian Open) Grand Slams - and had a world ranking of 107th in singles. So he knows what it's like to fight his way through the ranks and play among the best. In this interview with Ross and Mike, Ullyett explains what it takes to make it to the top tier of professional tennis, the daily and financial pressures of just breaking even, how players cope with loneliness and the ups and downs and how modern developments in string technology have changed the face of the game in the last 10 years. It's a fascinating insight into the realities of a career where unwavering determination is one of the most important qualities a player can have,SHOW NOTESKevin Ullyett's Wikipedia pageAndre Agassi's mind games with Boris BeckerAnother funny Agassi story about a young Rafael Nadal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Spotlight: Failing to Science the Sh*t Out of Running / A Legal Lens on Liability and Sports Injury

  We kick off this Spotlight at the Western States 100, where much of the buzz centered on David Roche’s DNF. Roche, a polarizing figure who promised to “science the shit” out of the race, faced unfair criticism both before and after the race, and Ross reflects on how the scientific process often works best when the "hypothesis" fails, and why confronting failed hypotheses to explain under-performance is more beneficial than riding a wave of success .The "science the shit out of it" theme continues with Nike’s hyped attempt to help Faith Kipyegon break the 4-minute mile. It didn’t just fall short—it missed by a long shot, with Kipyegon never really giving the barrier a scare with a pacing strategy that reveals they all knew it was not truly feasible. Ross and Gareth unpack the science, pseudoscience and "hacks" behind the effort, with honorable mentions for the obviously flawed claims by scientists about drafting benefits, and criticism of many media who parroted hype points without critical thought. We wonder what the athlete who could break 4 looks like, and postulate that they probably don't exist. Yet. From ultra to ultra-short, we shift to the 100m, where Kishane Thompson clocked a blistering 9.75s—the fastest in a decade, leading Gareth to wonder why sprinting seems to have plateaued post-Bolt?In Center Stage (37:14), legal expert Matt Kemp joins us to dissect a recent rugby case where a player successfully sued an opponent for causing a spinal injury with a reckless off-the-ball collision. Could this open the door to more civil claims in contact sports? Matt explains the legal standards around recklessness and duty of care. Ross Replies (1:15:23) to Discourse member Paul on the purpose of sports science and what "truth" means when studies can't be replicated?And in Listener Lens (1:24:15), we explore ATP's role in exercise, wonder whether you can ever “run out” of it, and how the purpose of metabolism is to keep it in good supply. And Finally (1:31:17), we invite you all to join our Tour de France Fantasy League, and see if you can top Gareth and Ross' picks in our two leagues!Join DiscourseJoin the Discourse community, to hang out with the racers, analysts, legal experts, coaches and experts, by making a small monthly pledge at PatreonLinksAnalysis of the 100m event that inspired our 100m chatGymnastic medalists are getting olderReport on the decision ruling in favour of a player injured by opponentMatt, our new legal expert, is a partner at Becker Kemp Solicitors & AttorneysRoss' reply to Tony on the ATP depletion question - members onlyTDF FANTASY LEAGUE - play one of our two leagues Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The Science of Fuelling: Inside the Carbohydrate Performance Paradigm

  Carbohydrates have always been part of the endurance equation—but how much, when, and which types remain hotly debated. In this listener-driven episode, we tackle those questions and more, exploring a new paradigm in performance fueling that’s reshaping how athletes think about energy during exercise. Dr. Jamie Whitfield, Senior Lecturer at Australian Catholic University’s Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, joins us to break it all down.For years, endurance athletes were trained to conserve carbs by becoming better fat-burners—adapting diet, training, and supplements to spare glycogen. But that thinking is evolving. As Jamie explains, the focus now is on maximizing carbohydrate use. Why? Because carbs are a more oxygen-efficient fuel source than fat—providing more energy per unit of oxygen. That efficiency improvement is a performance advantage in itself—like a supershoe, but internal.We dig into how elite athletes are pushing 90 to 120 grams of carbs per hour, and what it takes to train the gut to handle it. Are there limits? What happens when intake exceeds demand? Where does the glucose go? Are there health risks? We also explore carb types and ratios, strategies for carrying fuel without excess weight, and how to tailor intake to your individual needs.Jamie brings clarity to the technical details, helping translate complexity into actionable insight. If you’re fueling training or racing, this episode will reshape your approach to performance nutrition—and maybe your results too.Show notes and linksDiscourse is our VIP community, and it was questions from those listeners that inspired this interview. If you want to be part of the conversation, driving the content, and then engaging with other listeners after the show, you can join by making a small monthly pledge.The Podlogar paper that compared 90g/h to 120g/h, informing some of our discussionThe Jeukendrup study Jamie mentioned that managed to provide 144g/h of carbs with a glucose-fructose mixone of the studies mentioned in which glucose ingested spared liver glycogen use during exerciseA study that looked at performance and tolerance of carb solutions with different ratios of glucose to fructose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Spotlight: Cramping Truths and Myths / Unscientific Trans Non-Advantage Claims / Sports Science's Trust Erosion

  Join DiscourseDiscourse is our VIP community where listeners share insights, opinions and perspectives on the stuff we love to talk about. You can become a member by making a small monthly pledge hereShow notesIn a packed edition of Spotlight, we start our Discourse Digest segment with a dive into the men’s 5000m, where non-African athletes have taken control of the rankings and victories so far in 2025. Is this an aberration, or the beginning of a trend in distance running? We discuss what might be shifting in the sport to close the gap.Next, we explore the phenomenon of athletes switching national allegiance—this time with Jamaican sprinters now competing for Turkey. Ross and Gareth look at historical examples from track, rugby, cricket and football, while defending the right of athletes to make these switches, and the necessity for sport to minimize them. Discussion shifts to the case of a trans cricketer who has claimed “no advantage” based on test results and comparisons to females. Both the science and logic behind the appeal are bluntly rebutted by Ross, who explains how the science is being misused, and that these "data snapshots" actually reveal a mediocre male with advantage rather than a trans athlete without advantage. We also return to youth sport after Gareth flagged eye-catching performances by 10- and 13-year-olds in the UK. While their talent is undeniable, we ask whether early hype might do more harm than good?In Ross Replies (30:00), Ross has an 'off-week', because listener Ewan Morris' fascinating insights carry the segment. He explained how some young athletes experience an expiratory flow limitation during breathing, because lung growth outpaces airway development, as yet another challenge that adolescent athletes experience in the journey to adulthood.In Listener Lens (33:51), we respond to Sean's question about muscle cramps in an ultrarunner he coaches. Ross breaks down two theories—electrolytes vs. fatigue-induced failure of neural regulation—and explains why cramp is far more about the nervous system than sodium and magnesium. We also learn the fascinating reasons why pickle juice may work... but not for the reasons people think, and offer suggestions for what Sean might consider adding to the plan.In Center Stage (53:33), we revisit sports science's replication crisis. Gareth shares his frustration at the sciences, while Ross explores the structural issues behind shaky science, and offers a partial defence of the failures to produce robust science.And Finally (1:15:16), we look ahead to Faith Kipyegon’s attempt at a sub-four minute mile, which haunted Ross' dreams, and we make our predictions.Some linksDistance running shifts: Aberration or a narrowing gap?A review exploring the causes of muscle crampsStudy showing that electrolyte loss is not associated with muscle crampThe pickle juice effect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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