Unpacking Athletic Performance Enhancements

On today's Spotlight, we ask why runners are racing faster than ever? The same could also be said of cyclists, and we use an intriguing article by Amby Burfoot to explore and discuss the possible contributors, ranging from super shoes to the "Bannister effect". It leads us back to ground we've covered before (shoe tech, carbs), some areas we have yet to cover in detail (bicarbonate), and down some dark alleys that may contain the future (and possibly present) of doping methods.

We also talk about technology in sport, and about which sports have seen the biggest, fastest leaps as a result of innovation, taking a quick tour of some other devices that have 'recalibrated' sporting performances and human limits.

Finally, we discuss some of the science and performances in the Zwift Academy 2025, the latest iteration of a competition to identify and recruit aspirant cyclists into two professional cycling teams. We explore the tests used on the show, their value, and how hugely confounded the talent prediction is, even in a sport as measurable as cycling.

Show notes

As mentioned, Discourse is where it all goes down, and here's where you click to become a member for a small monthly donation. Sign up as a Patron, and you'll have access to this community, and all the fascinating insights shared by fellow listeners

Links

• Sean Ingle's article on that four-minute mile projection
• Amby Burfoot's intriguing thought experiment canvassing opinion on what is driving faster running performances
• The paper mentioned on the show describing novel drugs to "manage classical heme disorders" - not a huge leap to performance enhancement, but the molecular switch approach to doping may be a concern
• The podcast we once did on technology in sport - includes klapskates, swimsuits, and bicycles
• The BBC article on the increasing prevalence of obesity and overweight
• The Lancet study described in the BBC article
• The first episode of the 2025 Zwift Academy, the rest can be found on the same channel
• Some normative power output from elite men, and elite women's cycling. Compare yourself to the pros. I'll put the summary tables up on Discourse for members

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