Shows / The Real Science of Sport Podcast
The Real Science of Sport Podcast
World-renowned sports scientist Professor Ross Tucker and veteran sports journalist Mike Finch break down the myths, practices and controversies from the world of sport. From athletics to rugby, soccer, cycling and more, the two delve into the most recent research, unearth lessons from the pros and host exclusive interviews with some of the world's leading sporting experts. For those who love sport.
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Episodes
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Failing to Science the Sh*t Out of Running / A Legal Lens on Liability and Sports Injury
We kick off this Spotlight at the Western States 100, where much of the buzz centered on David Roche’s DNF. Roche, a polarizing figure who promised to “science…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastThe Science of Fuelling: Inside the Carbohydrate Performance Paradigm
Carbohydrates have always been part of the endurance equation—but how much, when, and which types remain hotly debated. In this listener-driven episode, we…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Cramping Truths and Myths / Unscientific Trans Non-Advantage Claims / Sports Science's Trust Erosion
Join Discourse Discourse is our VIP community where listeners share insights, opinions and perspectives on the stuff we love to talk about. You can become a…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastMost Sports Science Research is False: The Replication Crisis Hits Sport
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Joe Warne, founder of the Sports Sciences Replication Center (SSRC) and senior author of a landmark new study that should…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: When Talent 'Stalls' / The Carbs vs Fat Shifting Paradigm / The Fragile Future of Track
Join Discourse for more Discourse is the best Sports Science community on the internet, and yes we are biased. But if you want to see for yourself, membership…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSport and Skin Cancer: How Big is the Risk?
Most sport takes place outdoors, and with growing concerns around sun exposure, active people are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer than most. Dr…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Carbs vs Fat in Comrades Champions? / Sinner’s Loss is Tennis' gain?
Join the Discourse A small monthly donation gets you access to Discourse, our VIP community that informs these Spotlights, and exponentially adds value to your…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastThe Science of Recovery
The science of recovery is more complex than you may think. When do you know you have recovered? What does recovery look like? How much do you need to recover?…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastPerfect Bluff: How Yates won the Giro / Boxing’s New Sex Screening / How Science Revealed a Ultra Cheat
Join Discourse The Spotlight is inspired and informed by our Discourse community. If you want to be part of that, sharing insights and inspiration with…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Breaking the Physiological Bank in Training, and Rethinking Rugby’s Red Card
Join Discourse Gareth Davies, Mayor of The Real Science of Sport, is ready to welcome you as a citizen of our VIP community! To join the conversation, make a…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastUltra Endurance: The Science behind Conquering the 400km Cocodona Trail Run
The Cocodona 250-mile (402 km) trail run is one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world, as athletes battle the extreme distance, sleep deprivation…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Peril, Pills, Promises & Potential: Sport's Performance and Ethical Battlegrounds
Join Discourse Nutrition tips, training insight, performance debates, sports opinions — if you’re into it, we’re talking about it. Become part of the “Science…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: High Carbs, High Speeds, High Times…and a Drip Too Far
Become a Discourse member Enjoy the pod? Support us with a small monthly donation on Patreon and unlock access to our exclusive Discourse community—deep dives…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Talent, Trust and Testing Transparency
Join The Discourse Community If you enjoy the podcast, you’ll love our Discourse community. Become a member of “The Science of Sport” community by joining with…
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MARATHON SPECIAL: London & Boston Round-Up / Pacesetters or Not? / We Test What is Claimed to be the World's Fastest Shoe
In this round-up of the two big spring marathons—Boston and London—Mike and Ross rate the performances of the top athletes while debating whether pacesetters…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: The Birds & the Bees of Sports Science Research Papers. How Research is Conceived & Delivered
Join our Discourse Community The Science of Sport is more than a podcast — it’s a growing community of curious, thoughtful people in sport and sports science…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: The UK Supreme Court and Implications for Women's Sport / A Tour of World Records, Paris Roubaix and Discourse Achievers
We’ve got a blockbuster episode of Spotlight for you today. We kick things off with an important discussion around women’s sport and transgender athlete…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Fatigue as a Risk, a Requirement and a Red Herring / Grand Slam Track Reactions / New Olympic Sports
In this Spotlight episode, Ross and Gareth tackle a provocative question: should sports embrace fatigue to make the show better? We kick off with rugby union…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastHeat, Hydration and 'Bum Clinics': The Science of Event Medicine
Join the team as they dive into the complex world of event sports medicine with guest Dr Darren Green. The team talk about the complexity of setting up a…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Matters of the Heart / Heart Health in Marathon Runners / Max HR / Concussion and Coaches
It's a heart-to-heart on Spotlight today, as Gareth and Ross kick off by discussing a Discourse question about whether running marathons is bad for your heart?…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: A New IOC President / A New Tool To Protect Women's Sport / A New Power Metric
It's a bumper Spotlight in a bumper week of big sports news. To cover it comprehensively, Ross & Gareth are joined by Sean Ingle of The Guardian to discuss the…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Teen Sprint Phenoms Accelerate / Talent Difference Makers / Community Rugby Concussion Insights
In this Spotlight, Gareth and Ross kick off by looking back at teen sprint phenom Gout Gout's latest performances, which continue to project a spectacular yet…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Physiological "Frugality", Power and Speed / Discourse Fuelling Success / Trans Sport Update
In this week's Spotlight, we swing the light from cycling to doping, via trans news updates and some success stories from our Discourse members. We kick off…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: The Science of Improving Human Performances / Technological Advances in Sport / Talent Scouting Through Zwift
On today's Spotlight, we ask why runners are racing faster than ever? The same could also be said of cyclists, and we use an intriguing article by Amby Burfoot…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: A Women's Sub 4-minute Mile? / A Tale of Textbook Heat Adaptation
In this Spotlight, Ross and Gareth become "bros" to discuss and critique a recent paper that forecasts a sub-4 min mile in women (specifically, Faith Kipyegon)…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastRethinking Polarised Training with Dr Stephen Seiler
Dr. Stephen Seiler is arguably the world authority on endurance training, and popularized the concept of polarized training. But a new paper has revealed some…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: World Records Galore as Running's Recalibration Resumes / A Final Jannik Sinner Discourse
This week's spotlight turns to the indoor tracks and roads of the world, as we discuss the continuing recalibration of running performance. Every USA Men's…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastCan You Trust Your Sports Watch?
Dr Joe Warne is a former international athlete and the key instigator of the Sports Science Replication Centre at the Technological University in Dublin…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Janik Sinner Banned For Three Months
Tennis star Janik Sinner has accepted an immediate three-month suspension for his 2024 clostebol positives. In this emergency Spotlight, Gareth and Ross…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Protecting Women's Sport - Update on New Developments and Policies From Around the World
In this Spotlight, we address some noteworthy recent developments in the regulation and protection of women's sport. In the most significant of these, World…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastThe Science of Mind Coaching in Sport
From international cricket to chess, boxing and hockey, Paddy Upton has helped the best sportspeople in the world achieve through his role as a performance…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: News Roundup / Forgiveness for Dopers? / Carbon Monoxide Banned / Yellow Cards For Head Injuries Only
We have a news-heavy Spotlight for you this week, with stories from athletics, cycling and Rugby League to discuss. Shelby Houlihan's return from a doping ban…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastCRICKET SPECIAL: Is The Futue of Test Cricket Under Threat? / The Dying Skill of Fast Bowling / Coaching The Best From School To Elite
Former South African top-order batsman Gary Kirsten is one of the most respected voices in the modern game. After playing 101 Tests and 185 one-day…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: You Are Not Simon Yates. But You Can Learn From Him
In this episode, Simon Yates, carbohydrates and the applicability of sports science research to the masses are in our Spotlight. In an interview earlier this…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastThe Role of the Modern Physio: Lessons from the Royal Marines
Richard Hales has spent the last 22 years fixing Royal Marines at the Command Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) Lympstone in the UK and is the Clinical…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Can We Trust Experts in Fitness and Health?
Can we trust "experts" in the fitness and health industry? We put this question under the Spotlight this week, inspired by a combination of Gareth's fell…
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What Will Sport Look Like in 2050?
A lot has changed since 2000 in sport but not everything predicted at the start of the Millennium has happened by 2025. So what may sport look like in 2050?…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastSpotlight: Festive feedback
Gareth and Ross kick off 2025 with a brief Spotlight episode that looks back on the Festive season's interesting sports science news stories, and our own…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastThe 2024 Sports Year In Review
Who were the superstars, and what were the unforgettable moments of 2024? Who failed to launch, and who exceeded expectations? What are your hopes for sport…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastElite Sport's Race to the Bottom, and Anti-Doping's Scramble for Higher Ground
In this Spotlight edition, Gareth Davies and Ross Tucker dive ever deeper into the abyss of sport's Talent Identification and Development inefficiencies. With…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastExclusive: Is Australia's New Sprint Sensation the Next Usain Bolt?
Gout Gout is a sprint phenom. At only 16, he recently broke the Australian men's 200m record with a stunning 20.04s, second on the all-time list for under-18…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastWhat Tennis' Latest Scandal Teaches Us About Doping
World Number Two tennis player Iga Swiatek's positive test for a little-known product called Trimetazidine raises the issue of whether drug testing is going…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastScience of Sport Spotlight 9: To Torque or Not to Torque, energy demands from the Women's Tour, and topical doping debates
In this spotlight episode, Ross and Gareth put some of the interesting discussions from our Discourse community in the spotlight. Gareth, master (and…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastHow Far Can You Push the Human Body? Lessons from a Royal Marine Doctor
Pushing the body to its limits can be the difference between life and death for a Royal Marine. So how far can you push recruits and what lessons can sport…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastIs the Credibility of Sports Science's Most Respected Journal Under Threat?
At the recent British Association of Sports & Exercise Medicine (BAsem) conference, the world's most respected journal in sports science - the British Journal…
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Chepng'etich's Marathon World Record Analysis: Too Good To Be True?
When Kenyan Ruth Chepng'etich took nearly two minutes off the women's marathon world record, the sporting world was aghast. How did she do it? Shoe tech…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastDISCOURSE SPECIAL: Is Elite Cycling Safe Enough? / Rugby's Smart Mouthguards / Is Sinner Guilty of Doping? and Much More
After a post-Olympic break the team wrap up all the latest hot topics and news from our Discourse channel. We share details of how the rollout of rugby's smart…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastHow David Roche Used Science To Dominate One Of The World's Biggest Trail Races
American trail star and coach David Roche not only won his first 100-mile trail race at the Leadville 100 this year but also broke a 30-year-old record. In…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastScience of Sport Spotlight 8: A Guilty or Innocent Sinner? And Tragedy at the Crossfit Games
We are back with a Spotlight show, and in this one, we discuss the case of Janik Sinner, who was cleared earlier this week of a doping violation after a panel…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastDoes Talent Need Trauma To Succeed? A Sports Psychologist Weighs In
Dave Collins is a sports Performance Psychologist who has coached over 90 World or Olympic medallists and professional sports teams and performers. The team…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis 2024 Recap Bumper Show: Highlights, Lowlights, Stats and Final Insights
One last time, we get the band together to bring you our bumper Olympic recap show. Sports editor Mike Finch joins daily hosts Prof. Ross Tucker and Discourse…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis 2024 Daily: Day 16 - Hassan makes History, Track Triumphs for Kipyegon and Ingebrigtsen
The "Zatopek" is complete, and while Sifan Hassan did not perfectly replicate the Czech legend's achievements, she did help close off the Athletics programme…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis 2024 Daily: Day 15 - A Magnificent Marathon and a Night of Redemption on the Track
Tamirat Tola won the men's Olympic Marathon gold today, but it was the marathon course that we thought was the star of the show, as it threw two severe hills…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis 2024 Daily: Day 14 - Tebogo claims the 200m, McLaughlin-Levrone breaks a WR, and Holloway gets his gold
The Paris 2024 Olympics were hyped as the Noah Lyles games, with the American's campaign to win four gold medals the anticipated storyline. That storyline was…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis 2024 Daily: Day 13 - Men's 400m and Steeplechase golds, and a weight loss controversy
The men's 400m Olympic Champion is Quincy Hall, who produced a remarkable final 100m to reel in Matthew Hudson Smith. We discuss the historically fast race…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis Special: The Art and Science of Sport Climbing
Sport Climbing is one of the newest additions to the Olympic sporting menu. In Paris, climbers tackle two distinct disciplines - boulder/lead, and speed…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis 2024 Daily: Day 12 - How Cole Hocker Became an Olympic 1500m Champion in a Race for the Ages
In one of the most hyped, anticipated track races in recent memory, it was Cole Hocker, and not the big favourites Jakob Ingebrigtsen or Josh Kerr, who emerged…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis 2024 Daily: Day 11 - Hodgkinson delivers under pressure and 5000m controversy
Keely Hodgkinson has her Olympic Gold. The pre-race favourite delivered under pressure with a commanding front-running performance to secure an elusive global…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastBonus Episode: Why test the sex of an athlete? The IOC seem confused. We offer some reasons
In a recent press conference, the IOC were asked why they believed sex eligibility tests done on the now controversial boxers were arbitrary? In response, they…
The Real Science of Sport PodcastParis 2024 Daily: Day 10 - How Noah Lyles became Olympic 100m Champion by 5/1000th of a second
It's Noah Lyles. The big 100m showdown in Paris saw the top four separated by 0.03s, wity 5/1000th between gold and silver. Noah Lyles came out on the winning…