Science for Sport Podcast

This week on the Science for Sport Podcast, Richard Graves is joined by Rachel Muse, one of the leading performance chefs working with elite athletes across professional sport.Rachel is the founder of Talk Eat Laugh, a specialist performance-chef service supporting athletes in their own homes. Her work bridges the gap between performance nutrition science and real-life eating habits, ensuring athletes follow precise nutritional plans without meals becoming clinical, restrictive, or culturally disconnected.In this episode, Rachel shares her unconventional journey from mathematics graduate to elite performance chef, and explains how chefs, nutritionists, and sports science teams work together to deliver periodised nutrition away from the training ground. The conversation explores how macronutrient targets are delivered in practice, how food preferences and cultural background shape compliance, and why fuelling the brain is just as important as fuelling the body.This is a rare insight into a part of the performance system that is often overlooked, but critical to recovery, consistency, and late-game performance.
In this episode, you will learn
* What periodised nutrition actually means in practice, beyond the theory
* How performance chefs work from nutritionist-led macro prescriptions
* Why chefs should not act as nutritionists, and where the professional boundaries sit
* How to deliver exact macronutrient targets without meals becoming boring or restrictive
* The role of carbohydrates in sustaining physical and cognitive performance late in matchesHow cultural background and food identity influence nutritional compliance
* Why elite performance nutrition is as much about psychology and trust as it is science
* What “success” really looks like when supporting elite athletes away from the club environment
About Rachel Muse
Rachel Muse is a performance chef with a background spanning elite hospitality, private households, and professional sport. After an unconventional route into the culinary world, she founded Talk Eat Laugh, a performance-chef business supporting elite athletes across football, rugby, swimming, and motorsport.Rachel works closely with performance nutritionists and sports science teams to deliver highly specific nutritional strategies in athletes’ home environments. Known for her emphasis on collaboration, precision, privacy, and cultural understanding, Rachel specialises in translating complex nutrition plans into meals athletes genuinely want to eat, consistently and compliantly.You can follow Rachel on LinkedIn or find Talk Eat Laugh on Instagram for insights into performance food done properly.
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Creatine is now one of the most widely used and well-researched supplements in elite sport — but few people know the story of how it first made its way into Olympic performance programmes.
In this episode of the Science for Sport Podcast, Richard Graves sits down with Steven Jennings, one of the key figures behind the early adoption of creatine in elite sport, to unpack a remarkable story that begins long before creatine was common knowledge.
Steven takes us back to the early 1990s — a pre-internet era where sports nutrition research travelled slowly, secrecy mattered, and a single kilogram of creatine played a role in reshaping performance preparation ahead of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. From working directly with pioneering researchers at the Karolinska Institute to navigating Olympic-level scrutiny, this is a rare, first-hand account of how science moved from the lab to the field.
Beyond performance sport, the conversation also looks forward. Steven shares why he believes we are only just beginning to understand creatine’s wider potential — from cognition and ageing to plant-based diets and long-term health.
This is an essential listen for practitioners who want to understand not just what works in performance nutrition, but how evidence, trust, regulation, and timing shape real-world impact.
In this episode you will learn
* What creatine actually is and how it works at a cellular level
* How early research in the early 1990s changed elite sport preparation
* Steven’s role in bringing creatine into Olympic sport ahead of Barcelona 1992
* Why creatine was (and still is) legal, safe, and fundamentally different from banned substances
* How creatine became associated with repeated high-intensity performance and recovery
* Why creatine research is now expanding beyond sport into cognition, ageing, and health
* Why we may still be “scratching the surface” of creatine’s full potential
About Steven Jennings
Steven Jennings is a sports nutrition entrepreneur and former professional cyclist who played a pivotal role in the early commercialisation of creatine for elite sport. In the early 1990s, he worked directly with leading researchers from the Karolinska Institute to help translate groundbreaking creatine research into real-world Olympic performance programmes.
Over the past three decades, Steven has remained closely connected to the evolution of creatine research, from elite performance applications to emerging work in health, cognition, and ageing. Today, he continues to focus on education, innovation, and the future direction of creatine science.
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​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
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This week on the Science for Sport Podcast, Richard Graves is joined by Brian Roy, a strength and conditioning coach who has spent the past decade working at the sharp end of action and lifestyle sports, including Olympic BMX Freestyle.
BMX Freestyle is still a relative newcomer to the Olympic programme, but its physical demands, injury risks and performance challenges are unlike almost any traditional sport. In this episode, Brian shares his unconventional journey into elite sport, from personal training and postgraduate study to travelling the world with BMX athletes on the global stage.
Together, Richard and Brian explore what it really takes to prepare athletes for a sport defined by explosive power, aerial skill, high-impact landings and constant travel. Brian offers a refreshingly honest perspective on athlete buy-in, bespoke programming, and why traditional strength testing and rigid systems don’t always transfer to non-traditional sports.
This is a fascinating conversation for sports scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, and anyone interested in how performance support adapts when the sport doesn’t fit neatly into a textbook.
In this episode you will learn
* The unique physiological and biomechanical demands of BMX Freestyle competition
* How to prepare athletes for repeated 60-second, maximal-effort runs across a full competition day
* Why traditional strength testing and gym-based metrics don’t always translate to action sports
* How Brian adapted training around constant travel, limited gym access, and athlete preferences
* Practical strategies for building resilience and reducing injury risk in high-impact sports
* Why athlete buy-in often comes from listening, adapting, and being present rather than enforcing systems
* How emerging video and motion-analysis technology could shape the future of training in BMX Freestyle and similar sports
About Brian Roy
Brian Roy is a strength and conditioning coach with over 10 years’ experience working in action and lifestyle sports. He holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and is currently undertaking further postgraduate study in Applied Sports Science Analytics.
Brian has worked closely with elite BMX Freestyle athletes on the international stage, including those competing at the Olympic Games, and has developed a reputation for adaptable, athlete-centred training approaches. His work focuses on performance, resilience, and real-world transfer rather than rigid adherence to traditional testing models.
Brian regularly shares insights from his work on LinkedIn and Instagram, where he discusses training philosophy, emerging technology, and lessons learned from working in non-traditional sports environments.

In this episode of the Science for Sport Podcast, host Richard Graves welcomes back Michael Fennell for a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood periods of the performance calendar: winter training.
With the competitive season behind us and Christmas disruptions in full swing, Michael shares a practical, experience-led perspective on how elite athletes and practitioners should approach December and the early winter months. From managing training load and avoiding premature peaks, to maintaining performance standards through smart programming, this episode is packed with real-world insight from the track, the runway, and the training ground.
Drawing on his work across elite athletics, football, rugby, and para sport, Michael breaks down how training priorities shift between individual and team sports, why fundamentals still matter in an age of performance technology, and how micro-sessions can be used to maintain progress when time and facilities are limited.
This is an honest, grounded conversation about perspective, planning, and patience, and why doing the basics exceptionally well still underpins elite performance.
In this episode you will learn:
* How elite athletes should approach December training without peaking too early
* Why maintaining performance is more important than chasing PBs in winter
* How to structure micro-sessions when time, facilities, or routine are disrupted
* The key differences in winter training for team sports vs athletics
* How and when to prioritise plyometrics, speed, strength, and conditioning
* Why fundamentals like ground contact time, elasticity, and movement quality still matter
* How to balance data, technology, and coaching eye in modern performance environments
* The importance of coach collaboration and open-minded learning
* What elite preparation looks like heading into major championships and qualification periods
About Michael Fennell
Michael Fennell is an experienced performance coach working across elite athletics, team sports, and para sport. With close to two decades of coaching experience, he has supported athletes at national and international level, including British champions and elite performers progressing toward major championships.
Michael’s coaching philosophy blends technical excellence, physical fundamentals, and athlete-centred planning, with a strong emphasis on sprint mechanics, jumping performance, plyometrics, and long-term development. He is known for his collaborative approach, regularly working alongside other coaches, strength and conditioning practitioners, and support staff to ensure athletes are prepared for the demands of elite competition.
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​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

The festive period can be one of the most challenging times of the year for athletes and practitioners trying to balance performance, recovery, wellbeing and real life.
In this episode of the Science for Sport Podcast, host Richard Graves welcomes Dan Richardson back to the show to tackle one of the most relevant (and misunderstood) topics in elite sport: how to manage nutrition, fuelling and hydration over Christmas and the New Year.
Drawing on his experience working across football, rugby, rowing and professional cricket, Dan breaks down how athletes can enjoy the festive period without compromising performance. From Boxing Day fixtures and congested travel schedules to Christmas dinners, social events and late nights, this conversation blends applied sports nutrition principles with real-world practicality.
Whether you’re working in elite sport, competing at a high level, or simply want evidence-based guidance on fuelling through a disruptive period of the year, this episode delivers clear, actionable insight, without guilt, extremes or fads.
In this episode you will learn:
* How to apply the 80–20 rule to festive eating without harming performance
* Practical strategies for managing Christmas meals, portion sizes and food choices
* Why under-fuelling can be just as risky as overindulging during the festive period
* How athletes should think about macronutrients vs calories when routines break down
* Smart approaches to travel nutrition and hydration during busy fixture schedules
* Simple habit-based strategies to stay consistent through Christmas and into January
* How elite athletes can enjoy social time while still prioritising recovery and readiness
About Dan Richardson
Dan Richardson is a performance nutritionist who works across elite and professional sport, with experience supporting athletes in football, rugby, rowing and professional cricket. Known for his practical, athlete-centred approach, Dan specialises in helping performers fuel effectively in real-world environments — including congested schedules, travel-heavy periods and high-pressure competitive blocks.
He regularly works with athletes navigating complex training and match demands, translating sports science into clear, actionable habits that support both performance and wellbeing. Dan shares evidence-based insight through his applied work and educational content, making him a trusted voice in modern performance nutrition.
You can find Dan on Instagram at @DRNnutrition.
FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL
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​ Learn Quicker & More Effectively
​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research