The Real Science of Sport Podcast

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.

We asked our Patreon community to pose their most vexing sport science questions so that we could answer them. Prof Tucker and Mike Finch discuss everything from salty sweaters to the real facts behind the 80-20 endurance training rule, women-specific training protocols and the accuracy of modern-day fitness smartwatches to predict VO2 max.NOTES:2020 Review on Occlusion training, a systematic review: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0363546520964454?journalCode=ajsbEarly (2009) review on occlusion training: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2009/06000/the_use_of_occlusion_training_to_produce_muscle.11.aspx#:~:text=LOW%2DINTENSITY%20OCCLUSION%20Potential safety issues with blood flow restriction: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21410544/Review on the mechanisms for improvement with blood flow restriction: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25249278/Health for Performance resources in the context of women’s sport and RED-S: http://health4performance.co.uk/SUPPORT US ON PATREON!https://www.patreon.com/thescienceofsport Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S3, Ep1: In our first episode of 2021 Mike Finch and Prof. RossTucker discuss the science of staying motivated, if Body Mass Index (BMI) is outdated and how exercise affects body temperature. We also discuss plans for the year, the issue of health versus performance and whether or not the Tokyo Olympics may go ahead this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From shoe tech to the effect of crowd support on performance, 2020 has been an unprecedented year that also provided some unique opportunities. Together with some of the leading voices in global sports science, Prof. Ross Tucker and Mike Finch look forward to the breakthroughs and controversies likely to dominate in 2021, why they matter and how they will change the games we play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In early October 2020, World Rugby released its Transgender Guidelines aimed at protecting player safety. But the guidelines were followed by controversy with some unions even refusing to implement them, Prof. Ross Tucker, who was part of the World Rugby committee that decided on the guidelines, explains why the science makes sense and why all sporting codes need to look closely at World Rugby's lead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ground-breaking 2020 London Marathon saw the great Eliud Kipchoge lose his first marathon since 2013 as Ethopian Shura Kitata took the men's win and Brigid Kosgei the women's title. But the real story of the marathon was the weather and what really happened to Kipchoge on race day. Prof. Ross Tucker and Mike Finch take a close look at one of the most dramatic city marathons in history Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar's sensational penultimate stage performance up the famed Les Planche de Belle Filles, on his way to his overall win, will go down in legend as one of most dramatic moments in Tour de France history. Prof. Ross Tucker and Mike Finch break down the numbers, discuss the implications and wrap up an enthralling edition of the world's greatest stage race. They also discuss cadence vs power, the meaning of VAM, the Covid success story and whether leg length and height make a difference in cycling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do excitable fans on the side of the roads really present a threat to cyclists in the midst of the Covid pandemic? Join Mike and Ross for a second week analysis of the 2020 Tour de France as they delve into the facts, the numbers and the stats and look forward to a thrilling final week Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week double Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya lost her appeal in a Swiss Federal Court to have a decision made by World Athletics - effectively forcing her to lower her testosterone levels artificially in order to compete in her favoured event - overturned. Ross and Mike break down this complex issue, question some of the suspect evidence and decisions made by World Athletics and what the future holds for the controversial athlete. Support our podcast @ https://www.patreon.com/thescienceofsport Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.