The Real Science of Sport Podcast

The 2021 Tour de France is set to be a battle of the all-rounders with less climbing and more time trialling: The team look at the form book and the course, discuss the different training strategies of the favourites and pick the contenders. PLUS... Olympic organisers set to allow non-cheering spectators while the controversy over New Zealand's transgender weightlifter, Laurel Hubbard, rages on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Danish football star Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field during a Euro 2020 clash it raised the question of sudden cardiac arrest in world-class sportsmen and women: But how often does it happen, who is at risk and what could have caused it? The team also discuss the positive dope test of American track star Shelby Houlihan and how super spikes may be distorting track records. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether it's endurance, strength or agility, defining 'fit' is a complex subject. The team talk through definitions, how fitness depends on your discipline or lifestyle, how to know if you're fit and when fitness goes too far. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to fitness it's a case of use it... or lose it! But how fast do we lose fitness, how can we limit the damage when we take time off and is there such a thing as muscle memory?SHOW NOTES AND LINKS:Kramer et al 2017 - an amazing study where people were given bed rest for 60 days, and various physiological measures were assessed before and after. This study found that even 3 min of hopping six days a week cut these changes enormously: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-13659-8Chi et al 1983 - this is the study we discuss where 6 to 12 weeks off causes the oxidative enzymes to drop significantly, but they still remain well above the levels of never-trained people: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6829750/Maldonado-Martin 2017 - this is the study on elite cyclists who stopped for the 4 week off season, and VO2max, RBC, Skinfolds and peak power were among the variables measured: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27476326/Garcia-Palleres 2009 - the kayaking study, where some elite kayakers stopped training entirely, others did about 20% to 30% of their normal training and cut their losses in half: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19997013/Houmard et al 1990 - a study on runners where keeping the intensity of training the same allowed for certain performances to be defended even though volume was cut down significantly: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2318562/Madsen et al 1993 - another runner study, this one showing how high intensity training defends high intensity physiology, but the fat oxidation and endurance capacity drops off significantly: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/jappl.1993.75.4.1444Henwood et al 2008 - one of the two strength training studies we discuss, where detraining and then retraining is able to return strength to pre-detraining levels within about half the time it took to lose it: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18693231/Blocquiaux et al 2020 - the other strength study, which also found a drop in strength that could be regained in about half the time it took to lose it: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32017951/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sporting competitions has created a storm of controversy around human rights. The team get to grips with the facts around moves to prevent transgender athletes from competing in certain women's sports and why fairness, and even safety, are at stake. We also unpack recent comments made by American comedian and social commentator, Sarah Silverman, and explain why she got it so wrong Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Disordered eating is common among sportspeople, both amateur and professional. The team talk to dietician and psychologist, Kim Hofmann, about why most people experience it, how to identify bad habits and the secrets of a healthy - and sustainable - eating plan.Recommended reading:Geneen Roth, Breaking Free From Emotional EatingJan Chozen Bays, Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy Joyful Relationship with FoodLinda Kaye, The Daily Dare for Eating Disorders Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With thousands of studies being conducted around the Covid pandemic, many are now finally producing results. Prof. Ross Tucker and co-host Mike Finch look at the latest research in sport and if fitness level can help mitigate the severity of both Covid and other diseases.SHOW NOTESThe “open window” debate: A debate between scientists about the validity of the Open Window hypothesis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32139352/Inflammatory heart disease in professional athletes with COVID-19 infections - this is the study on 789 USA pro sports athletes: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2777308Cardiac involvement in young athletes with COVID - this is the study in college aged athletes in the USA: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.054824Ben Jones’ studies on transmission of COVID19 in rugby league: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/02/10/bjsports-2020-103714To support our podcast visit https://www.patreon.com/thescienceofsport: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, the team answer your questions. We tackle the effects of the Covid pandemic on elite sport progression, whether the mind is capable of pushing the body to greater performance, how delayed specialisation may benefit young sportspeople and the importance of self talk no matter what your sport.Support our podcast. Visit https://www.patreon.com/thescienceofsport Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the UK Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) recently found former Team Sky and British Cycling head doctor, Dr Richard Freeman, guilty of illegally ordering testosterone for an unnamed rider, it sent shock waves through British sport. The team talk to renowned sports journalist Sean Ingle of The Guardian who followed the case closely for almost two years. Ingle offers a fascinating insight into the testimonies that he witnessed and what the future may hold for British Cycling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sleep, and the quality of it, can dictate everything from our moods to our sporting performances. Prof. Ross Tucker and host Mike Finch interview sleep science expert Dr Dale Rae for a deep dive into the importance of sleep, the effects of poor sleeping habits, how genes can dictate whether we are larks or owls, practical tips on getting better quality naps and if modern tech really works for monitoring our sleep patterns.To support this podcast visit our Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/thescienceofsport Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.