The Real Science of Sport Podcast

Nov 15 2024 198 ep. 72 mins 3.5k
The Real Science of Sport Podcast artwork

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. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Is the Credibility of Sports Science's Most Respected Journal Under Threat?

Nov 15 2024 70 mins  
At the recent British Association of Sports & Exercise Medicine (BAsem) conference, the world's most respected journal in sports science - the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) - openly promoted a presentation done on the trans issue by the author of the controversial book Open Play: The Case For Feminist Sport, Dr Sheree Bekker. In the presentation, Bekker challenges the i

Chepng'etich's Marathon World Record Analysis: Too Good To Be True?

Oct 18 2024 83 mins  
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, nutrition, race tactics? With a doping cloud hanging over Kenyan athletics, it's easy to see why so many are sceptical. Join Prof. Ross Tucker and sports journalist Mike Finch as they assess every aspect of the run in an effort to

DISCOURSE SPECIAL: Is Elite Cycling Safe Enough? / Rugby's Smart Mouthguards / Is Sinner Guilty of Doping? and Much More

Oct 03 2024 113 mins  
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 mouthguards is going, discuss Jakob Ingebritgsen's crazy half marathon debut and how best to use sport science to help a small-budget cycling team. We also explain the ongoing doping saga of tennis world number one Jannik Si

How David Roche Used Science To Dominate One Of The World's Biggest Trail Races

Aug 29 2024 97 mins  
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 this interview, Roche explains how he adapted to the high altitude using hot baths, trained his body to take in high concentrations of carbohydrates and planned out his race strategy. Roche also talks about how speed over shorte

Science of Sport Spotlight 8: A Guilty or Innocent Sinner? And Tragedy at the Crossfit Games

Aug 22 2024 70 mins  
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 agreed that his positive test for clostebol was caused by his physiotherapist's use of a banned substance to treat a finger cut while performing massage treatments on the player. We describe the timeline, the challenge faced

Does Talent Need Trauma To Succeed? A Sports Psychologist Weighs In

Aug 20 2024 86 mins  
Dave Collins is a sports Performance Psychologist who has coached over 90 World or Olympic medallists and professional sports teams and performers. The team delve into the concept of what makes great sporting champions, whether trauma is an essential ingredient and how competition and disappointment play a role in long terms success. Collins is a Professorial Fellow at the Uni

Paris 2024 Recap Bumper Show: Highlights, Lowlights, Stats and Final Insights

Aug 14 2024 117 mins  
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 moderator Gareth Davies to look back on the Paris Games. We discuss and debate our highlights, lowlights, winners, losers, surprises and disappointments and offer perspectives on the medal tables and individual performances:

Paris 2024 Daily: Day 16 - Hassan makes History, Track Triumphs for Kipyegon and Ingebrigtsen

Aug 11 2024 89 mins  
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 of the Paris Olympics in spectacular fashion, winning the women's Marathon gold. We review the race, and explain how once again, the course added great intrigue to create a great race and spectacle. We also look back on the fi

Paris 2024 Daily: Day 15 - A Magnificent Marathon and a Night of Redemption on the Track

Aug 10 2024 83 mins  
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 at the athletes, creating a dynamic, unpredictable race full of excitement. We explain how Tola conquered that course in remarkable fashion to break the Olympic Record with aggressive hill running. We also look back on the tra

Paris 2024 Daily: Day 14 - Tebogo claims the 200m, McLaughlin-Levrone breaks a WR, and Holloway gets his gold

Aug 09 2024 88 mins  
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 terminated by Botswana's Letsile Tebogo in the men's 200m final last night, and it was subsequently revealed that Lyles had tested positive for Covid on Tuesday. We discuss Tebogo's 19.46s victory, and contrast his approach t