

Science for Sport Podcast
Science for Sport
Discover the Secrets Behind Elite Performance.
Join us on the Science for Sport Podcast, where every episode dives into the cutting-edge world of sports science and the untold stories behind the best athletes and teams on the planet.
Hosted by Richard Graves, we bring you exclusive insights from elite athletes, world-class coaches, and leading sports scientists who are shaping the future of global sport.
This isn’t just another sports podcast—this is your backstage pass to:
- The science powering record-breaking performances.
- The trends, challenges, and breakthroughs redefining the game.
- Mastering the balance of art and science in coaching.
Whether you’re a sports scientist, coach, physio, nutritionist, teacher, or just a passionate sports fan, this is your chance to learn from the pros and stay ahead of the curve.
Tune in every Monday and uncover what it takes to make the best, better.
Join us on the Science for Sport Podcast, where every episode dives into the cutting-edge world of sports science and the untold stories behind the best athletes and teams on the planet.
Hosted by Richard Graves, we bring you exclusive insights from elite athletes, world-class coaches, and leading sports scientists who are shaping the future of global sport.
This isn’t just another sports podcast—this is your backstage pass to:
- The science powering record-breaking performances.
- The trends, challenges, and breakthroughs redefining the game.
- Mastering the balance of art and science in coaching.
Whether you’re a sports scientist, coach, physio, nutritionist, teacher, or just a passionate sports fan, this is your chance to learn from the pros and stay ahead of the curve.
Tune in every Monday and uncover what it takes to make the best, better.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 9, 2023 • 17min
184: How Physios and S&C Coaches Can Learn From Eachother To Accelerate Thier Careers
In episode 184 Matthew Ibrahim, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Clinical Coordinator and Instructor of Exercise Science at Endicott College, joins us.
Specifically Matthew will be looking at:
What physios, physical therapists, athletic trainers and strength coaches can learn from eachother
How they can go about skill sharing
How to accelerate your career as a practitioner
About Matthew:
"Matthew Ibrahim, a Strength & Conditioning Coach since 2007, has recently shifted over into higher education in an effort to pay it forward to future coaches as they transition from academia to their professional career. Currently, he serves in multiple roles at Endicott College: Clinical Coordinator of Exercise Science and Instructor of Exercise Science, and Volunteer Strength & Conditioning Coach with their NCAA Division III men's and women's basketball student-athletes. He is also the Founder of Athletic Performance University (APU), which is an 8-Week Online Mentorship Course specifically designed to help Strength & Conditioning Coaches and Exercise Science students improve in career cornerstone skills: coaching, creating and communicating. Academically, he is a Ph.D. Candidate in Human & Sport Performance and M.S. student in Sport Leadership. As a public speaker, Matthew has presented nationally 25+ U.S. states, highlighted by his presentations at the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), Perform Better, EXOS inside Google Headquarters, Sports Academy (formerly Mamba Sports Academy) and the UFC Performance Institute. His work has been featured in Exxentric, Future, HoopStudy, Men’s Journal, NSCA Personal Training Quarterly (PTQ), Science for Sport, Mike Boyle’s StrengthCoach.com, T-Nation, TrainHeroic and TrueCoach. Lastly, Matthew is also in the midst of authoring his first book through Human Kinetics on the topic of training for athletic performance, which is set for publication in late 2023."
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Learn Quicker & More Effectively, Freeing Up Time To Spend With Friends And Family
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform
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Oct 2, 2023 • 35min
183: How Goalkeepers Can Change The Game With Elite Level Physical Performance
In episode 183 Julia West, Goalkeeper Coack and Tutor of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Worcester, joins us.
Specifically Julia will be looking at:
Why goalkeepers are unique
How goalkeepers differ between sports
How goalkeepers in football can improve their physical performance
About Julia:
"Dr Julia West is a goalkeeper coach and a tutor in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Worcester. Julia is proud to have played for England Universities and achieved a high level of performance in the women’s game. This experience has laid the foundation for Julia’s coaching interest in all things goalkeeping. Early on, Julia realised there was little information specifically relating to the goalkeeper, their performance or their training. Many outfield coaches have bemoaned the lack of literature or guidance around coaching the goalkeeper and this has lead to a lack of specific goalkeeper coaching in many clubs. Therefore, through her coaching, research and dissemination, Julia has set out to redress this with a ‘something is better than nothing’ philosophy. However, if you are going to do ‘something’, then you might as well do a goalkeeper specific something."
Twitter: @west_jules
Instagram: Julia.west.129
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julia-west-327b4b47
(email: j.west@worc.ac.uk )
University of Worcester page: https://www.worcester.ac.uk/about/profiles/dr-julia-west
Nominate future podcast guests here!
If you want to hear from a particular person on a particular topic, let us know! Hit the link below and we'll see what we can whip up for you.
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SIGN UP NOW:
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JOIN THE SCIENCE FOR SPORT TEAM:
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Learn Quicker & More Effectively, Freeing Up Time To Spend With Friends And Family
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
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Sep 25, 2023 • 29min
182: How To Microdose Testing For Optimal Gym Performance
In episode 182 Travis McMaster, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach with The All Blacks 7s, joins us.
Specifically Travis will be looking at:
The importance of profiling athletes
How to profile athletes
How to use profiles to improve programming
About Travis:
"As a lifelong student, my inspiration to expand my knowledge and continue to grow and strive for mastery comes from my family, students, athletes, colleagues, and mentors alike. I hold a Doctorate in Sports Science (Strength and Conditioning), a Master’s Degree in Sport and Exercise Science and Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology with Honours along with multiple certifications in human performance. My journey as a student, athlete, scientist, educator, writer, coach, mentor, consultant, and performance director have provided him with opportunities to travel the world and experience a diversity of cultures. Over the past 15 years, I have had the privilege to work as a sports scientist, strength and conditioning coach, and performance consultant for successful Professional, National and Olympic sporting organizations and innovative research institutions; including but not limited to the Vegas Golden Knights, All Blacks Sevens, Canadian Freestyle Ski Team, Paralympic Snowboard, Edith Cowan University, AUT University’s Sports Performance Research Institute and the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance. These experiences have allowed me to connect with and learn from inspirational athletes and world leading directors, coaches, scientists, and educators. My vision is to be a leader of, ambassador for, and servant to the science and practice of human performance"
https://www.instagram.com/dr.dtwm/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-mcmaster-b7092967/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel-Mcmaster
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Athlete-Travis-McMaster/dp/0473598965/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Nominate future podcast guests here!
If you want to hear from a particular person on a particular topic, let us know! Hit the link below and we'll see what we can whip up for you.
https://www.scienceforsport.com/nominate/
FREE 7d COACH ACADEMY TRIAL
SIGN UP NOW:
https://bit.ly/sfsepisode182
JOIN THE SCIENCE FOR SPORT TEAM:
https://www.scienceforsport.com/join-our-team/
Learn Quicker & More Effectively, Freeing Up Time To Spend With Friends And Family
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
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Sep 18, 2023 • 35min
181: Bulletproof Your Shoulders With Elite Level Training
In episode 181 Tim Stevenson, Performance Consultant and Shoulder Specialist, joins us.
Specifically Tim will be looking at:
Shoulder structure and function
How to train the shoulder for heath and performance
About Tim:
"Tim is an athletic performance consultant, shoulder strength and conditioning specialist and co-founder of Dynamic Shoulders. He’s worked in elite sport since 2008 coaching athletes to European, Commonwealth, World and Paralympic success. At Dynamic Shoulders, Tim works with performance-minded people to take their upper body training to the next level – reducing pain, instability and overcoming longstanding shoulder issues, whilst delivering performance progression in endurance, strength, speed, and power. He has his own story of shoulder issues having had multiple dislocations and two surgeries. This led him on a personal journey of exploring how to develop shoulders he can trust. Tim is passionate about combining his professional and personal experience with existing and emerging tools to recondition and scale upper body performance by respecting the design of the shoulder."
Instagram: @dynamicshoulders
X: @DynamicShoulder
YouTube: @dynamicshoulders
Website: https://www.dynamicshoulders.com
Nominate future podcast guests here!
If you want to hear from a particular person on a particular topic, let us know! Hit the link below and we'll see what we can whip up for you.
https://www.scienceforsport.com/nominate/
FREE 7d COACH ACADEMY TRIAL
SIGN UP NOW:
https://bit.ly/sfsepisode181
JOIN THE SCIENCE FOR SPORT TEAM:
https://www.scienceforsport.com/join-our-team/
Learn Quicker & More Effectively, Freeing Up Time To Spend With Friends And Family
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher

Sep 11, 2023 • 25min
180: The Force System – What You Need For Athletic Success
In episode 180 Hunter Eisenhower, Associate Head Coach for Sports Performance at Arizona State University, joins us.
Specifically Hunter will be looking at:
The importance of force for sport performance
How to train using Slow, Fast and Human Force
How he uses these gategories to train athletes
About Hunter:
"Hunter Eisenhower is the Associate Head Coach for Sports Performance at Arizona State University working with Men’s Basketball and Triathlon. Previously he was an Assistant Sports Performance Coach & Sports Scientist for the Sacramento Kings. He’s worked at various colleges throughout the US and has his Bachelors & Masters degree in Exercise Physiology. His wife’s name is Leah and they have a 11 month old daughter, Elsie."
Instagram : huntereis_sp
Twitter : huntereis_sc
Move The Needle Podcast (hosted by Hunter and Mike Sullivan) : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/move-the-needle-the-human-performance-podcast/id1695907028
Nominate future podcast guests here!
If you want to hear from a particular person on a particular topic, let us know! Hit the link below and we'll see what we can whip up for you.
https://www.scienceforsport.com/nominate/
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SIGN UP NOW:
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JOIN THE SCIENCE FOR SPORT TEAM:
https://www.scienceforsport.com/join-our-team/
Learn Quicker & More Effectively, Freeing Up Time To Spend With Friends And Family
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher

5 snips
Sep 4, 2023 • 26min
179: Why Data Visualisation Can Be The Key To Unlocking Elite Performance
In episode 179 Arian Forouhandeh, 1st Team Sport Scientist & Data Analyst at Wolverhamptom Wanderers, joins us.
Specifically Arian will be looking at:
Importance of data visualisation
How best communicate data
Examples of how he communicates data
About Arian:
"Arian is a 1st Team Sport Scientist & Data Analyst for Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. He holds a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology, as well as appropriate Data Science & Visualisation certification. Specialising in Sports Performance Data, he has been able to transform the physical data processes in his role in order to answer performance questions and identify actionable insights. Also through his business ‘Data In Sport’, he has worked with several organisations around the world. Transforming and designing their data processes and visualisations, has led to a fluid approach towards finding solutions found in different datasets. This includes visualising their data in a bespoke fashion, and providing quality insights for these practitioners."
LinkedIn: Arian Forouhandeh
Twitter: ArianF14
Instagram: DataInSport
Website: www.datainsport.com
Power Bi for Sports 📊 (scienceforsport.com)
Nominate future podcast guests here!
If you want to hear from a particular person on a particular topic, let us know! Hit the link below and we'll see what we can whip up for you.
https://www.scienceforsport.com/nominate/
FREE 7d COACH ACADEMY TRIAL
SIGN UP NOW:
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JOIN THE SCIENCE FOR SPORT TEAM:
https://www.scienceforsport.com/join-our-team/
Learn Quicker & More Effectively, Freeing Up Time To Spend With Friends And Family
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher

Aug 28, 2023 • 27min
178: How To Use Gym-Based Training To Rocket Your Speed
Guest Matt Tometz, Sports Performance Coach, discusses using gym-based training to improve sprint speed. He explores the role of strength in speed training, specific adaptations for speed improvement, and the use of exercises like med balls and weighted jumps. The episode concludes with a promotion of other resources and the Science for Sport Coach Academy.

Aug 21, 2023 • 31min
177: How To Use Speed To Improve Your Endurance Performance
Gareth Sandford, a sport science consultant specializing in individualized training for sports that demand exceptional speed and endurance, discusses the benefits of endurance training and how to use speed to improve endurance. He emphasizes the importance of balancing intensity levels, building aerobic capacity, and tailoring training based on an athlete's type. Understanding athlete profiles and physiology can enhance performance, with examples from football and short track speed skating.

Aug 14, 2023 • 25min
176: Women's World Cup Special: How And Why Women Footballers Train Differently To Men
In episode 176 Jess Fassnidge, Exercise Physiologist at The University of Worcester, joins us.
Specifically Jess will be looking at:
How football differs for men and women
Key considerations for women footballers
How to train with these considerations in mind
Case study: How to train as a non-elite woman footballer
About Jess:
"Jess currently works as an Exercise Physiologist for the University of Worcester where she conducts all the fitness testing for the Hereford and Worcester Fire Service. Alongside this role she works as an Academy Manager for Science For Sport, is Club Captain for Worcester City Women FC as well as being the Head Coach for the Worcester Movers & Shakers which is an all Parkinson's Walking Football Team. She has a keen passion in promotion of women's sports as well as anything ACL rehabilitation related. Jess received a soccer scholarship to the US where she completed a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Marketing before completing a Post-Graduate Degree in Strength, Conditioning and Performance at University College Birmingham."
Instagram: jess_fasss
Twitter: jess_fass
LinkedIn: Jessica Fassnidge (Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-fassnidge-9867a110a/ )
Worcester City Women FC: https://www.wcwfc.co.uk/
Nominate future podcast guests here!
If you want to hear from a particular person on a particular topic, let us know! Hit the link below and we'll see what we can whip up for you.
https://www.scienceforsport.com/nominate/
FREE 7d COACH ACADEMY TRIAL
SIGN UP NOW:
https://bit.ly/sfsepisode176
JOIN THE SCIENCE FOR SPORT TEAM:
https://www.scienceforsport.com/join-our-team/
Learn Quicker & More Effectively, Freeing Up Time To Spend With Friends And Family
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher

Aug 7, 2023 • 37min
175: Improve Your Bench Press With Essential Lessons From Para-Powerlifting
In episode 175 Connor Macdonald Pathway Performance Coach at Great Britian Para-Powerlifting, joins us.
Specifically Connor will be looking at:
How physiology can influence bench press technique
How to adjust exercises to improve bench press strength
How can others learn from Para-Powerlifting
Case study: How to periodise for a massive bench press
About Connor:
"Connor is the Pathway Performance Coach for Great Britain Para-Powerlifting. Prior to this he has worked with many elite athletes in a range of Paralympic and Professional sports during his MSc in Strength and Conditioning at Loughborough University. This led him to being the lead Para-Powerlifting coach for the Isle of Man at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He currently is busy prepping the Great Britain team to head to Dubai for their World Championships with the goal of qualifying as many athletes as possible for the Paris Paralympic Games next September."
Instagram: @connormac_coach
TikTok: @connormacsandc
https://britishweightlifting.org/start-lifting/para-powerlifting /
https://www.paralympic.org/powerlifting
Nominate future podcast guests here!
If you want to hear from a particular person on a particular topic, let us know! Hit the link below and we'll see what we can whip up for you.
https://www.scienceforsport.com/nominate/
FREE 7d COACH ACADEMY TRIAL
SIGN UP NOW:
https://bit.ly/sfsepisode175
JOIN THE SCIENCE FOR SPORT TEAM:
https://www.scienceforsport.com/join-our-team/
Learn Quicker & More Effectively, Freeing Up Time To Spend With Friends And Family
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher


