168: Peaking for Performance with Kate Spilsbury

In this episode of the Supporting Champions Podcast, I’m joined by the brilliant Kate Spilsbury—a former colleague, friend, and leading performance physiologist. Kate's journey from nutrition to physiology is both inspiring and instructive, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her to the show.

We explore the critical moments in athlete preparation—particularly tapering and peaking—and why getting them right can lead to breakthroughs or breakdowns in performance. Drawing on her experience in both British athletics and now high-performance sport in Australia, Kate shares deep insights into how training systems compare, how to support athletes through the nerves of tapering, and how individualized approaches are key to unlocking potential.

This conversation is rich with reflections from her research (including Kenyan vs. British runners), her experience leading into the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, and her wisdom on monitoring, recovery, and pacing strategies that really work.

 

✅ Key Topics

✔️ Tapering and peaking for optimal performance
✔️ Transition from nutrition to physiology
✔️ High performance systems in the UK vs. Australia
✔️ Managing training loads and athlete readiness
✔️ Monitoring tools: HRV, pacing, and athlete feedback
✔️ The psychological side of tapering
✔️ Individualization in endurance and team sports
✔️ Environmental factors: heat, altitude, geography
✔️ Recovery strategies and their effectiveness

 

🕒 Chapters

00:00 – Reconnecting and Career Path
02:51 – Transitioning to High Performance Management
06:03 – Comparing Athletic Systems: Australia vs UK
08:50 – The Importance of Tapering and Peaking
12:06 – Understanding the Athlete's Mindset
15:01 – The Risks of Inadequate Tapering
18:10 – Strategies for Effective Peaking
20:52 – Guidelines for Tapering and Peaking
24:06 – Insights from Research on Training Loads
27:18 – Tapering Strategies in Endurance Sports
29:54 – Individualization in Team Sports Training
33:04 – Recovery Methods and Their Impact
36:05 – Environmental Considerations in Tapering
39:11 – Monitoring Athlete Responses During Tapering
41:54 – The Importance of Individualization in Tapering
46:57 – Pacing Strategies and Their Relation to Tapering

Kate’s knowledge is exceptional—and her honesty about the real-world complexities of performance makes this a must-listen for coaches, sports scientists, and anyone working in elite sport.

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