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Show notes

Today on the Spotlight, we kick off with a chat about whether your running shoes are causing injuries (4:24). This, after a former elite runner has sued Nike for an injury she claims was the result of running in carbon fiber plated footwear. Ross and Gareth talk about the complexity of running injuries, why proving a single cause is a near-impossible task, but why the claim is not necessarily a total no-hoper, given what we know about injury and these particular shoes. We look back at some precedents, sort of, where shoe companies have settled after claims, but with some very important subtle differences.

We then shift to Track and Field for a pair of stories (32:29). World Athletics crowned their Athletes of the Year this week, with Mondo Duplantis and Sydeny McLaughlin-Levrone taking the overall honours. We throw some praise Mondo's way, and not because he's virtually unbeatable and playing with the World Record. We also discuss Grand Slam Track, which is surely in its final days after the depth of its latest financial hole were announced, and Track and Field Athletics, whose supposed demise may have been greatly exaggerated (37:23)

We finish with a couple of contact sports stories. Ross co-authored a paper he thinks could transform how Rugby Union handles contact training to minimize head impacts (47:40). And we spotlight listener Petulant Skeptic, whose insights on infections and hand-washing in hospitals shed light on Guardian caps and reducing concussion risk (58:39).

Oh, And Finally, Ross has a tale about a mattress that will do things you simply won't believe. Or at least, you shouldn't!

Links to some articles

Former elite runner sues Nike after being injured in Alphaflys
It's not all frivolous - this paper suggests a possible injury risk
Injuries are multifactorial and very complex as this Umbrella Review makes clear
One of the papers I published with Dr Nic Tam on barefoot running, showing that even 8 weeks of supervised progression didn't turn us all into smooth barefoot runners, and may thus increase injury risk for many
Vibram settled - not for causing injury, but for false claims
Reducing full contact training in Rugby barely reduces head impacts in elite men's players - the paper we discussed
The outstanding post by Petulant Skeptic on what infection and handwashing may tell us about Guardian caps

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254: Purpose & Legacy {Inspired by Stephen Hawking}