The Real Science of Sport Podcast

• Is Exercise for Weight Loss a Waste of Time? / Doping Convictions, Conundrums and Coital Contaminations / Heat Stress Hacks

  DiscourseSupport the show by becoming a Patron, which means a monthly pledge that is equal to buying us a cup of coffee! That gets you access to our Discourse community, where listeners share views and tips on sports science, health and training, and the chance to become part of the Sports Science conversation!Show notesIn this Spotlight, we kick off with three doping stories in Discourse Digest. Ruth Chepngetich got a three year ban, up from two, then down from four, and keeps the marathon world record nobody believes in. We discuss why her case is so frustrating for sport. Imogen Simmonds has been cleared to compete despite an Anti Doping Rule Violation, after she convinced a panel that her positive test was the result of contamination by her partner during intimate contact. And Oier Lazkano has been provisionally suspended by the UCI for athlete biological passport (ABP) abnormalities that date back to 2022. Ross explains the biological passport principles, why a suspension based on the ABP is so rare, and why it might have taken this long to bring the case against Lazkano.In Centre Stage (42:23), two papers on metabolic costs of exercise were published last week, with contradictory findings. We first explore a paper that proposes a metabolic limit of 2.5 our basal metabolic rate, and where that study fits into our understanding of exercise and metabolism. Then we consider another paper that contradicts that understanding by refuting the idea that our bodies constrain certain metabolic functions when we exercise in the equivalent of what Ross calls 'physiological austerity'. We try to explain why these studies contradict one another, the importance of energy balance in metabolism, and why there's a bit of truth in both models on opposite sides of the issue.Our Listener Lens (1:10:12) is inspired by a question from Leon, who asks about using heat as a way to increase cardiovascular stress without overloading his legs. We discuss how heat may be beneficial even without that cardiovascular benefit, why HR may not be the best metric to judge intensity against, and how the approach might be a handy hack, but only part of the approach with a few words of caution.And Finally (1:20:52), Gareth wonders whether the sub-2 hour marathon is more impressive than the sub-11 hour 100 mile record?LinksSean Ingle's article on Nike's new shoesArticle interviewing Pontzer about the constrained modelThe Pontzer study on ultra endurance athletes and the metabolic ceilingThe study that disputes Pontzer's constrained model, arguing instead for an additive effect of exerciseA discussion on X that eventually brings two authors together to discuss the contradictory findingsA comment in Nature on the debate and an attempt to find some middle ground Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Does Cardio Training Kill The "Gainz"? / Are Tennis Players Playing Too Much? / The True Prevalence of Doping? / Unlocking a New Performance Metric

  Join Discourse! No pitch, just a link to sign up and show your support!In this week's show, we tackle intriguing physiological questions raised by listeners, explore whether different types of exercise interfere with one another to undermine training benefits, and run the Spotlight across stories from the sports world.In Digest this week (10:02):One of the great swimmers of the last decade, Ariane Titmus, has retired in her prime, leaving us to ponder the difference between athletes who go early and those who hang on. And cynically, those who switch to The Enhanced Games, which this week announced another former Olympian to its ranks. We discuss the carrot of the Enhanced Games, and how it capitalizes on incentives to entice athletes to join the movementWe wonder whether tennis players are playing too much, and whether the data support claims made by players like Taylor Fritz, who believe a combination of the calendar, courts and balls are threatening their welfare?In doping, 21% of athletes competing for Great Britain at the Commonwealth Games admitted to doping in the previous twelve months. That's only slightly better than the results of the same survey in Spanish athletes, which put the figure at 36%. Ross and Gareth discuss why the true figure is likely higher, and what it means for doping and anti-doping's effectivenessOur Center Stage topic (45:19) is a paper that explores a phenomenon called "the interference effect", where different types of exercise aimed at endurance or power/strength, have been thought to cancel each other out, undermining the adaptations from training. We explain the origins of that theory, and explore why things are not necessarily as simple as they seemed, with some practical advice for all those who like to mix their training types.In Listener Lens (1:08:33), Ali Robinson showcases what Discourse has to offer, making a fantastic observation about our most recent guest, cyclist Andrew Feather, and his physiological capacity. He introduces us to concepts of anaerobic capacity, or the W prime, and Ross explains how we can all use this concept (runners too!) to understand our performance limits, and design effective interval training sessions, including a challenge to Gareth to test his capacity and design training.And Finally, we introduce a paper on a metabolic ceiling that limits endurance athletes, with a promise to explore it in a future Spotlight editionShow notesTaylor Fritz shares views on load in tennis in an X exchange with fansTennis website with data on rally length and ace rateSurveys reveal a minimum prevalence of doping in athletesThe original WADA investigation on doping prevalence, 2011Our Center stage paper - the interference effect for power and endurance training Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The World's Most Famous Amateur Cyclist on Training and Racing

  Forty-year-old lawyer Andrew Feather hit the news headlines recently when he 'beat' Tadej Pogacar in an exhibition handicap uphill cycle race. Even though Feather may not have actually ridden the Pogi challenge faster than the world number 1 (he won by three minutes after getting a six minute head start with the rest of the amateur field), his performance was still staggering given that he is an amateur with all the pressures of a full-time job and a family eating into his time. Feather is arguably one of the most celebrated non-professionals in the world and, as a four-time British Hill Climb champion, has the palmares to prove it. In this interview, Feather shares his insights into training, racing and dropping weight when it matters.Support us on DiscourseAs Gareth mentioned, Discourse is our "sponsorship", our sole source of income. But it's way more than that - it's a community of experts and enthusiasts who share knowledge on everything sports science related. To become part of that, become a Patron of the site and join the conversation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Do You Need Only 10g per Hour of Carbs? Tim Noakes Thinks So / Pacing Implosions: When Regulation Fails

  Support us on DiscourseAs Gareth mentioned, Discourse is our "sponsorship", our sole source of income. But it's way more than that - it's a community of experts and enthusiasts who share knowledge on everything sports science related. To become part of that, become a Patron of the site and join the conversationShow notesThis week on Spotlight, we dive DEEP into the world of physiology, pacing, fatigue and the brain. Using some enthralling races from Kona and Chicago at the weekend, and your Discourse questions and comments, we explore how pacing 'errors' happens, and the physiological consequences of those mistakes. We kick off of with our Discourse Digest segment (00:00) and news that Femke Bol will take a swing at the 800m next year. An exciting development, but what will it involve in terms of training and tactics, and what can we expect from the Dutch star?We then move on to the Chicago Marathon (15:56), won by Jacob Kiplimo, emerging as a real star of the Marathon. His success contained a very specific type of "failure" though, as he was on course to break the World Record right up to 35km, and then...physiology hit. Ross explains how fragile pacing is for elite marathoners, and why physiology collected on its 'loan' for Kiplimo. Another physiological "failure" happened in the Kona Ironman (29:26) where Lucy Charles-Barclay and Taylor Knibb raced so aggressively that they first rode and then ran each other to the point of proverbial physiological destruction. We explore how pacing in the context of a warm day caused those dramatic scenes.In Centre Stage (44:57), it's all about the carbs. Tim Noakes has a paper arguing that you need only 10g/h of glucose during exercise. He uses his "Central Governor" model to explain how the brain is monitoring and regulating blood glucose level to protect the brain, such that the 90g per hour or more being consumed by elites is wasteful and unnecessary, part of an 'old model'. We don't see it the same way, and Ross explains concepts of regulation of performance by the brain, a subject he did his PhD thesis on. We discuss heat, altitude, and fuel, to unpack how the truth behind fatigue, performance and pacing regulation, unlocking more insight on those pacing implosions in Chicago and Kona.In Ross Replies (1:06:59), listener Ian asks a great question about using data from a specific test where you lie down then stand up, and use HR to tell you how recovered you are. Ross explains why that test exists, its limitations, and offers tips for how to make more of data, while avoiding some traps.And Finally (1:21:31), we see again that cycling is allergic to the truth, Gareth learns the truth about NZ Rugby Representation, and we tip our hats to Natalie Grabow.LinksA race report from that dramatic Kona women's raceThe full Taylor Knibb statementThe Noakes TweetRoss' PhD thesis on Anticipatory RegulationArticle on orthostatic testing for HR and HRVThe Six who Sat podcast that Gareth mentioned on the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• How to Avoid the Traps of Bro Science / Protecting the Brain in Contact Sport / "Athlete Trafficking" and Talent Pathways

  DiscourseSupport the show, and get way more fascinating insight than the Bros deliver on the pod! Everything in Spotlight is discussed, dissected and debated on Discourse, and membership is judge a small monthly pledge awayShow notesIt's a Bro-Science discussion today, as listener David inspired debate with a post on his epic Zone 2 indoor ride, and got us thinking - how do we spot Bro Science? Is it all bad? What are the alarm bells that should make us cautious, and how can we learn from the experiences and anecdotes of other people while staying credible. That's our Center Stage topic (47:45).Before that, we whip around the world for a Discourse Digest (1:38) that looks at NCAA 'trafficking' in Kenyan athletes, a win-win, but also maybe a loss for some. We talk Caster Semenya's off-now-on case to fight for inclusion into women's sport, and explore why it's about male advantage, not natural advantage. We also visit rugby, where head impacts and concussions are the focus of a big new study, a new player load guideline, and a link with neurodegenerative diseases in the wake of sad news of Lewis Moody's MND diagnosis.In Ross Replies (1:05:45), Gareth asks about training when fatigued, inviting discussion about the body's physiological resource budget, and how we spend it on stress as opposed to recovery. Listener Lens (1:11:41) fields another listener question, this time from Gianni, about the importance, or necessity, of breakfast before training. And Finally (1:14:52), Tua Tagavailoa has been advised that to prevent concussions, he needs more carbs. It's an idea detached from both reality and theory, but we discuss how it might have come about, and how ideas without basis become entrenched by unquestioning media and public.LinkChris Chavez post about NCAA RecruitingDW article on Semenya's legal caseThe entertaining LetsRun article on Tokyo 2025The large NZ study on neurodegenerative disease in rugby playersWorld Rugby's Load GuidelinesFormer guest James Smoliga's article on Tua Tagavailoa's sugar-concussion prevention belief Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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