Applied Sports Science Deep Dive with Marc Lewis, Director of Sports Science at Houston Texas

In this episode of The Speed Lab Podcast, Les Spellman sits down with Dr. Marc Lewis, Director of  Applied Sports Science for the Houston Texans, for a deep, practical conversation on what sport science really looks like inside elite performance environments.

Dr. Lewis shares his unconventional journey — from military service to earning a PhD and leading applied sport science at the NFL level. Together, they unpack how sport science evolved in the U.S., why systems matter more than tech, how to actually manage athlete load (without “doing less”), and what coaches at any level can apply immediately.

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00:00 – Introduction & context

02:00 – Marc Lewis’s early life & military background

06:00 – Discovering human performance

10:00 – Education path & research foundation

14:00 – Entering sport science before it was a role

18:00 – Why sport science over traditional strength coaching

22:00 – Evolution of sport science in the U.S.

27:00 – Building systems vs chasing technology

32:00 – Athlete communication & buy-in

37:00 – Load management philosophy in team sports

44:00 – Practical guidance for high school coaches

52:00 – Fatigue monitoring & force plate philosophy

1:00:00 – Hidden stressors in NFL football

1:04:00 – Final thoughts & future of performance