The Real Science of Sport Podcast

• Spotlight: Carbs vs Fat in Comrades Champions? / Sinner’s Loss is Tennis' gain?

  Join the DiscourseA small monthly donation gets you access to Discourse, our VIP community that informs these Spotlights, and exponentially adds value to your experience! If you want to support, and learn, you can donate hereShow notesThis week on The Spotlight, we put big claims, bold performances, and comeback stories under the microscope.In Discourse Digest (00:00), we discuss why Beatrice Chebet’s near-world record 5000m is not a miss, just a delay. Then we shift to the French Open, where Carlos Alcaraz outlasted Jannik Sinner in a classic. Gareth asks whether Sinner’s loss might be exactly what tennis (and Sinner) needed, and how their rivalry and reputations will shape the sport’s next era.Listener Lens (15:50) features a question from listener Simon, returning from an injury-enforced layoff. Ross offers guidance on regaining lost fitness, why retraining happens faster than we think (the 1:2 rule of thumb), and why doing less will eventually give you the right to do more.Center Stage (22:34) is all about carbs, fat, and fuel—sparked by a tweet from Prof Tim Noakes after the Comrades Marathon. Having watched the race, Noakes claimed that “not a single lead athlete tried to ingest 90–120g/hour of carbohydrates,” and that they “know they don't need carbs to win Comrades” because “fat can provide essentially all the required energy.” We put those claims under the Spotlight, and checked with the elites. Turns out, they were targeting exactly those carb intakes. We explore the science and discover a huge capacity to increase fat oxidation as a function of diet, training and exercise intensity. But that doesn't mean carbs don’t matter - we dig into evidence that carbs improve performance, delay fatigue, and enhance recovery. The real problem? Extremes. Whether it’s high carb or no carb, just because you can doesn’t mean you should.And finally (53:44)—Padel and Pickleball are booming. Why are they so popular, and will they dethrone tennis as the world’s favourite racket sport?LinksThe article Gareth discusses about Sinner's loss being a win for tennisExample of a study where retraining restores strength to pre-detraining levels in half the time taken to lose them (note this is a study on strength, but the principle remains)Our Podcast interview with Louise Burke, where she explains everything you need to know about fats and carbs, and why fat underperforms as a fuelThe Podlogar study discussed on the show, where we don't burn all the ingested carbohydratesBurke's race walker study, with fat oxidation rates three times higher after fat adaptation, but with reduced economy and impaired performance benefitsVolek's study on fat adapted distance runners, also showing huge fat oxidation capacity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The Science of Recovery

  The science of recovery is more complex than you may think. When do you know you have recovered? What does recovery look like? How much do you need to recover? Mike and Ross delve into the subject to discuss the physiology of recovery, the most effective researched recovery methods, what science reveals about the numerous recovery products on the market, and how to utilise the right recovery protocol to enhance performance, long-term motivation and overall ability.LinksSystematic review on Recovery strategies in Endurance athletesAnother review on recovery, which provided us with our very academic definition of recovery! Research paper showing that anti-inflammatories inhibit the adaptation to strength trainingA systematic review on tart-cherry juice and its effects on recoveryJoin DiscourseDiscourse hosts The Real Science of Sport's VIP community, where like minded listeners gather and share their thoughts, opinions, discoveries and insights. If you want to be part of that, you can become a Patron of the Podcast here, make a monthly pledge, and the VIP room will be yours to explore! It won't cost you even 2% of what the Enhanced Games are charging, and our advice actually works, and is safe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Perfect Bluff: How Yates won the Giro / Boxing’s New Sex Screening / How Science Revealed a Ultra Cheat

  Join DiscourseThe Spotlight is inspired and informed by our Discourse community. If you want to be part of that, sharing insights and inspiration with listeners, you can become a Patron of the Podcast here, make a monthly pledge, and the VIP room is yours to explore! It won't cost you even 2% of what the Enhanced Games are charging, and our advice actually works, and is safe!Show notesAt 1:09. In the Discourse Digest news roundup, Gareth and Ross tackle three stories where science and policy collide. First up, the Enhanced Games’ latest scheme—inviting people to pay $399/month for performance-enhancing drug guidance under the guise of anti-aging and health. Then, a look at World Boxing’s new sex screening policy for the women’s category: what the language really means, why it matters, and how sport might manage it. Finally, a compromise attempt in California where extra medals are awarded to navigate the inclusion of trans-identified males in girls’ sport—Gareth and Ross explore what’s gained and lost in that trade-offAt 25:39. A new Listener Lens feature this week comes from Discourse member Tony, who asks: how should you judge your warm-up before a race? Ross and Gareth explore what a warm-up really prepares—neuromuscular readiness, not just heart rate—and share insights from fellow Discourse members who’ve fine-tuned their routinesAt 33:35. And Finally (not quite today!), British ultra runner William Goodge is under fire after suspicious data emerged from his trans-Australia record attempt. Ross recalls a similar case he investigated, and the duo asks: why, in an age of abundant tracking tech, are we still debating whether these runs really happened?At 42:58. This week’s Center Stage belongs to one of the most dramatic finales in recent Grand Tour history. Simon Yates won the Giro d’Italia with a stunning final mountain stage raid—equal parts science, strategy, and surprise. Mike and Ross unpack the physiology and tactics behind Yates’ triumph: Did del Toro and Carapaz concede the maglia rosa because they hit their physiological limits, or were they undone by tactical missteps and pacing errors? And what about Wout van Aert, the satellite rider whose power and presence may have changed the race’s outcome? From record-breaking efforts to tactical stalemates, we break down the science that decided the GiroLinksNick Harris on the Enhanced Games dealWorld Boxing announce the sex screening policyTony's question about Warmup HR, as discussed in Listener Lens (Discourse members only)Story of Rob Young's questioned ultra performance, with a link to the report I co-wrote on itAnalysis of Yates' record performance on the FinestereDerek Gee's Strava file Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Spotlight: Breaking the Physiological Bank in Training, and Rethinking Rugby’s Red Card

  Join DiscourseGareth Davies, Mayor of The Real Science of Sport, is ready to welcome you as a citizen of our VIP community! To join the conversation, make a monthly pledge at Patreon.com and get access to the shared expertise and passion of fellow listenersShow notesIn this week’s Spotlight, we tackle an intriguing training question from a listener in our Discourse community: do short surges during easy or moderate training days undermine the training benefit? To explore this, we look to the current Giro d’Italia, where Richard Carapaz and rising star Isaac del Toro offer real-world examples of how intensity, even in brief bursts, may create a significant physiological cost. While small deviations from planned intensity are not only acceptable but often necessary, trouble arises when these efforts become too frequent or too intense. We introduce the concept of a physiological budget, and how consistent overspending can lead to a kind of training “bankruptcy,” where the cost outweighs the benefit. We break down how it's the intensity that exponentially increases physiological stress, and how to manage that cost wisely in your own training.Then we shift gears to rugby, where the red card rule is about to undergo a significant transformation. Under the new law, a team will no longer play with 14 players for the rest of the match—after 20 minutes, they can bring on a replacement. In response to split opinion in the Rugby community, Gareth asks: “What’s the big deal?”. Ross explains why this change has divided the sport, delving into the broader context of concussion prevention, and how sanction was meant to carry the message for behaviour change. Ross shares insights from his newly published paper showing that women are concussed in the same way as men, adding a crucial layer to the ongoing head injury debate.In our news wrap, we stay on safety, where the NFL has decided not to ban the controversial "tush push". We examine how that decision parallels rugby’s own risk-management principles. Beatrice Chebet ran the second-fastest 3000m in history last week, putting herself onto a controversial list of Chinese names who had appeared to move that World Record out of reach. Ross offers a prediction that it's a matter of time before the WR falls to Chebet (along with others).And the Enhanced Games claim a “world record” performance of its own, leading us to again discuss the ethics, science, and inevitable sales pitch driving the campaign, and why giving oxygen to the now transparent anti-aging commercial objectives of the Games may not be a good idea.LinksThe question that inspired our Training Zone discussion - for Discourse members onlyRoss' recent paper on the risk of head injuries in elite women rugby playersThe NFL does not ban the 'tush push'. For nowArticle by Julian Savulescu on why doping should be allowed (an oldie!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Ultra Endurance: The Science behind Conquering the 400km Cocodona Trail Run

  The Cocodona 250-mile (402 km) trail run is one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world, as athletes battle the extreme distance, sleep deprivation, nutritional challenges, muddy trails and 12,500 m of elevation. Trail legend Ryan Sandes finished second in 2025 and talks to host Mike Finch and guest co-host Sean Robson about his motivation for competing, his training regimen and his own experience competing in this extreme challenge.NOTES:Check out more on the Cocodona 250 HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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