The Real Science of Sport Podcast

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 running exploits and virus scare, his quest to replenish carbohydrates after racing, and a fascinating insider Discourse chat about the credibility of the fitness industry. How can fitness, health and sports enthusiasts know who to trust, and can they ever be assured of credible, effective advice from personal trainers and fitness influencers whose intentions may be good, but whose knowledge is not always where it needs to be?Show notesJoin DiscourseIf you fancy a bit of the coaching, sports science and sports news conversations with our amazing members, consider a small donation to become a Patron of the site, and get access to our Discourse community, where you can join like-minded fans and sports enthusiasts to keep the conversation going. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? Hosts Mike Finch and Prof. Ross Tucker - along with the Chief Sports Writer of The Guardian, Sean Ingle - look back at what was predicted in 2000 and what could happen 25 years from now. From age-defying world beaters to astonishing tech and the likely future and popularity of sporting events, sport looks set for some radical changes in the second quarter of this century.SHOW NOTESSean’s article looking back at the 2000 predictionsSean’s article predicting sport in 2050Another article by Sean in which he discusses the case for an Olympics every two yearsThe article that predicts that most records will reach a plateau by 2027Example of how digital twins are being used in sportSpeaking of digital twins, Des Linden has one, as explained in this articleAn article on how AI is changing sport. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Christmas and New Year exercise achievements and sports-watching highlights. Discourse hummed along at its usual pace, with stories on doping, low cadence, cycling safety, and exercise challenges, and Gareth and Ross tackle those subjects in this 2025 'ice-breaker'.Show notesJoin DiscourseIf you fancy a bit of the coaching, sports science and sports news conversations with our amazing members, consider a small donation to become a Patron of the site, and get access to our Discourse community, where you can join like-minded fans and sports enthusiasts to keep the conversation going.Articles on topics discussed in this showIndependent scientific experts call China's conclusions on their 23 TMZ swimming cases "intellectually dishonest"Canadian coach calls for doping reform amid doubts over Women's Marathon WR, including bans for countries with more than 10 doped athletesNorway's Mountain Running World Champion accepts a doping ban after claiming contamination for a positive test Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 and sports science in 2025? We draw a spectacular sporting year to a close with a look back at the highlights, lowlights, newsmakers and big stories of 2024. In a somewhat tongue-in-cheek "Sporting Awards" show, Mike, Gareth and Ross pick out their winners and losers, and the achievements that got us talking and debating. Inspired by the contributions and nominations from our Discourse community, we make our selections in categories ranging from the Moment of the Year to the Biggest Anticlimax of the last twelve months, with sports science insights and the big sports science stories covered in between.Join DiscourseIf you fancy sports science and sports news conversations with our amazing members, consider a small donation to become a Patron of the site, and get access to our Discourse community.Podcast highlights: Some of the podcasts from 2024 that came up in this show:Dr Joe Warne on the scientific theme of 2024: Can we trust sports science?The Skeptics guide to sports science - Dr Nick Tiller joined us to talk about how marketing undermines sports science, with a little help from sports scientistsAs Gareth noted on the show, the podcast topic that generated the highest volume of Discourse chat was VO2max, your most important training metricProf Louise Burke joined us to talk about why carbohydrates and not fats power most endurance athletes to better performanceProf Stuart Phillips on weight training - the one that changed Mike's exercise training routines.The science of hydration - this is the one that led to a really lively Discourse discussion about the scientific 'robustness' of hydration claims made on this showThe Olympic Controversy podcast recorded at the time of the DSD controversyRuth Chepngetich smashed the women's World Record, and the debate kicked off. We did a podcast on it in OctoberWe named BJSM as "Worst Team of the Year". This is the podcast we did on their shameful stance on women's sport and loss of scientific credibility Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.