by Professor Ross Tucker and Mike Finch
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. <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4295570">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
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Publishing Since
4/28/2019
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April 29, 2025
Hosts Mike and Ross analyze athlete performances at the Boston and London Marathons, debate the use of pacesetters, and test running economy in shoes claimed to be the world's fastest.
April 24, 2025
<p><strong><u>Join our Discourse Community</u></strong></p><br><p>The Science of Sport is more than a podcast — it’s a growing community of curious, thoughtful people in sport and sports science. Join our Discourse by <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/thescienceofsport?redirect=true" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pledging on Patreon </a>and tap into the deeper conversations.</p><br><p><strong><u>Show Notes</u></strong></p><br><p><u>Where do scientific papers come from?</u></p><br><p>In this week’s Spotlight, our main focus is a “birds and bees” conversation of the scientific world. Ross walks Gareth through how a research paper is conceived, conducted, and eventually delivered into the world through publication in scientific journals. We break down what is essential to how a paper fits into the larger sports science puzzle, and share some insider tips for reading research with a critical eye. We explore why the <strong>“why”</strong> behind a study matters more than most people think—and how every piece of research fits into a much bigger picture. Plus, we dive into the obligations and ethical requirements researchers face, and why transparency, study design, and disclosure are the foundations of real science.</p><br><p>But before we get to that deep dive, we tackle a mix of stories from the world of sport:</p><br><p><u>🏃♀️ A sub-4-minute mile for women?</u></p><br><p>There’s fresh talk of breaking the barrier—but Ross is sceptical. Is this genuine progress or just another gimmick? We explore what it would mean if it happened, and what will need to be thrown behind the world's best athlete to make it possible.</p><br><p><u>🚴♂️ Durability > sprint capacity?</u></p><br><p>From Remco’s win over Wout in Brabantse Pijl to takeaways from the Boston Marathon, we examine how this underrated concept—producing a fresh performance while fatigued deeper into a race—plays out in real-world results.</p><br><p><u>🎾 Doping rules, showers, and sample tampering.</u></p><br><p>A new controversy in tennis gets us talking about anti-doping protocols, and some of the wildest attempts in history to game the system</p><br><p>It’s science, scepticism, and sport—exactly how we like it.</p><br><p><strong><u>Links</u></strong></p><br><p>The two papers we discussed in our "Birds and Bees" section:</p><ul><li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejsc.12307" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Greg Roe's Rugby paper: Spot the Difference</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26744483/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nic Tam's Barefoot running pape</a>r: We don't all adapt like the story book said</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>The <a href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/breaking4-faith-kipyegon-vs-the-four-minute-mile" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Breaking 4 campaign launches</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/apr/19/tennis-body-defends-uncomfortable-shower-rule-as-criticism-bubbles-over?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tennis on the defensive about the anti-doping shower policy</a></li></ul> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4295570">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
April 17, 2025
<p><strong>We’ve got a blockbuster episode of Spotlight for you today.</strong></p><br><p>We kick things off with an important discussion around women’s sport and transgender athlete policies, following a landmark ruling from the UK Supreme Court on the legal definition of “woman” in the Equality Act. We know this topic won’t be for everyone, so if you'd prefer to skip ahead to the sports performance and race insights, you can jump straight to that action at about 1:07:12 in the podcast.</p><br><p>For those looking for insight on this important topic, Gareth and I unpack the Supreme Court decision—a ruling with far-reaching implications. We’re joined by Helen Joyce, a leading women’s rights advocate who was in the courtroom for the verdict. She explains why the decision matters, what it means for sports governing bodies, and how it could reshape the future of competitive sport.</p><br><p>Then we shift gears into performance talk: world records fell in the pool and in the discus, and we explore how weather and tech have combined to break new ground. Paris-Roubaix delivered two standout races. In the women’s event, race savvy beat strong legs (for once) as Pauline Ferrand-Prévot stormed to a solo victory in the Roubaix Velodrome. In the men’s race, we got another much-anticipated clash between Pogacar and van der Poel. We break down the physiology behind their efforts, the tactics—including van der Poel’s composed response to Pogacar’s crash—and how plain bad luck robbed the race of a deeper duel.</p><br><p>Gareth also dives into the UK’s gym boom. With more people training than ever, we ask: is it all good news? Or is there more to the story? And finally, we celebrate our Discoursers—listeners and athletes around the world who’ve been tearing it up in races. Gareth shares some standout performances, and we invite you to join the community for world-class training insight and support.</p><br><p><strong><u>Show notes</u></strong></p><br><p><u>Join our Discourse community</u></p><br><p>If you enjoy the podcast, you’ll love our Discourse community. <strong>Become a member of “The Science of Sport” community</strong> by <a href="https://www.patreon.com/thescienceofsport" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">joining with a small monthly pledge on Patreon</a> — and be part of the conversation behind the conversation.</p><br><p><u>Links to topics</u></p><br><p>The <a href="https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2024-0042" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UK Supreme Court Decision</a> discussed in the first part of the show</p><br><p>The<a href="https://www.thefa.com/-/media/cfa/suffolkfa/files/the-fa-policy-on-trans-people-in-football.ashx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> FA's Transgender Policy</a>, and the <a href="https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/rules-and-regulations/edi/transgender-inclusion-policy-appendix-2.ashx?la=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Appendix for Risk acceptance</a> that trans men are required to sign</p><br><p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cy9vn8190wro" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BBC piece discussion implications for sport</a></p><br><p>Article on <a href="https://state-of-swimming.ghost.io/martens-takes-down-shiny-biedermann-textile-thorpe-with-game-changing-3-39-96-in-stockholm-400-free/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paul Biedermann's world record being broken</a></p><br><p><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/558320/day-of-monster-discus-throws-condemned-as-weather-doping" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Discus records galore in Ramona</a></p><br><p><a href="https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/caught-my-eye-52/3690" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gareth's discussion on Discourse about the gym membership increase</a> (Members only)</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4295570">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
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