Staying Cool at the Tour - Gimmick or Gain? | Busting the Hype About Salty Sweat

Jul 17, 2025

Explore the surprising impact of cooling techniques, like ice water immersion, on cycling performance during the Tour de France. Discover how sodium loss in sweat is a natural process that challenges common hydration myths. Are rugby strategies pushing the limits of rules, and how do they compare to cycling's concussion protocols? The podcast also dives into nutrition, revealing the staggering caloric needs of elite cyclists, while offering insights into effective pacing strategies for endurance athletes. Get ready for a science-packed ride!

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ANECDOTE

Iga Swiatek's Relentless Wimbledon Win

Iga Swiatek dominated Amanda Anisimova 6-0 in just 57 minutes for a rare Wimbledon shutout win.
Anisimova showed panic and frustration under pressure but Swiatek gave no quarter in the relentless match.

INSIGHT

Athlete Mindset: No Giving Up

Athletes rarely give an opponent an easy game as a gesture; they push hard until the end.
Non-professional viewers might expect sportsmanship concessions, but competitors prioritize winning with intensity.

INSIGHT

Vingegaard’s Muscle: Pros and Cons

Jonas Vingegaard's added muscle lets him match Pogacar on short climbs, but his endurance on long climbs is unproven.
His time trial loss suggests he may struggle in longer mountain stages ahead.

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In a packed episode of Spotlight, we kick off with a Discourse Digest that begins on the grass of Wimbledon, where Jannik Sinner and a dominant Iga Świątek took home the titles. Then it’s to the rugby fields of South Africa, where the Springboks—led by the ever-innovative Rassie Erasmus—have once again found a tactical edge. But is it genius strategy or a rule-bending loophole?

In Center Stage (17:10), the Tour de France is in focus. Jonas Vingegaard's muscle has matched Pogacar on short, punchy climbs, but can he hold his own as the race hits the high mountains? We also break down Remco Evenepoel’s pre-race cooling technique - placing hands and forearms in ice water - to explore what the science says about its effectiveness. Plus, we revisit the ongoing issue of concussions in cycling to explain the paradigm shift that is needed to buy space and time for better concussion identification.

In Ross Responds (52:07), we revisit the topic of cramp and sodium loss, answering a listener question about 'salty sweat' with a dive into how our bodies prioritize the regulation of sodium concentration, and why sweat testing is nothing more than a measure of the body's systems working to defend physiological 'normal'. In Listener Lens (1:00:10), Tim is looking to break a barrier over 10km, and our Discourse community zeros in on the key to unlock that performance: pacing. We offer some advice to help him nail it.

And finally (1:06:53), a Zwift racing series has Ross questioning the platform’s 'fairness'. Are the game's efforts to simulate equipment and drafting creating more distortion than accuracy?

Links

Article on South Africa's innovative midfield maul set up
Stanford study that finds that palm cooling (with a vacuum device) improves performance in bench press and pull ups. Too good to be true
Conversely, study showing that palm cooling does not improve interval running performance
And conversely again, study showing that immersing the hands and forearm in cold water improves sprint performance
Healy's power numbers from the day, the trigger for our IF discussion
Cycling's concussion policy
For Discourse members only, Tim's question about his 10km quest and discussions on improving pacing
Discourse members talk cramp

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