The Real Science of Sport Podcast

Become a Supporter for ad-free shows, a members-only Applied show every week (durability, this week), and Discourse, where Ironman collapses and other topics are being explored with insight and experience!Show notesThis week, why Solveig Løvseth and Magnus Ditlev collapsed in the heat at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, whether sports science innovation plays a part, and a Chicago Marathon that was faster than it felt:(00:01:52) Amos Kipruto and Hawi Feysa win Chicago in the fifth-fastest times in history, though with no splits on screen we were left guessing. Jacob Kiplimo’s hamstring leaves him off a road podium for the first time in 27 races, and treadmill-trained Vincent Mauri made a bid for the US record but also fell foul of hamstring issues(00:07:40) Ross analyses the top 100 marathoners in history. How many races did it take them to run their best time, and what does a suspicious late PB look like?(00:23:02) Paul Seixas wins Il Lombardia, after riders delay the start to protest vehicles on the course. Gareth wants more from the riders, for their own benefit(00:34:05) Solveig Løvseth collapses within reach of a second Kona title, and Ditlev drops out while leading. Her manager blamed nutrition and salt, while she doesn't know what went wrong. We think heat is the likeliest suspect, and that these athletes are highly unlikely to be under fuelling. We ask whether carbs and super shoes have have raised every limit except body temperature, and allowed athletes to crash into it more often? Should races monitor core temperature, and pull staggering/falling athletes out?(00:54:16) Two new carb studies (150 vs 120 vs 10 grams an hour, and 100 beats 60 for improved durability), and how much you really need(01:00:02) Pieter Coetze breaks the 50m backstroke world record. Is he South Africa’s likeliest gold medallist in LA?(01:02:29) And finally, Rwanda will host Africa’s first Grand Prix since 1993, and a FIFPro report shows Luka Modrić played 76 matches in a season, and Moisés Caicedo flew 25,000km for four matches in 14 days.Other links:One of the many famous Ironman "collapses" - the crawl with Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham, this was for 4th/5th in 1997In 1982, perhaps the first, and the one that helped create the aura around Ironman, featured Julie Moss losing the race with 50m to run Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode guest Dr Ian Gallen is an award-winning Consultant Endocrinologist at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading. He is a consultant physician, endocrinologist, and diabetologist whose career has included clinical medicine, research, medical education, and work relating to diabetes, exercise, and sport. His particular expertise is in diabetes, exercise and sport, including the practical challenges of managing diabetes during physical activity and competitive sport.In this episode, Gallen breaks down the basics of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the latest in management and care, how modern technology is helping sufferers and why there is no reason diabetics cannot play sport at the highest level.His work has explored the relationship between insulin, glucose metabolism, nutrition and exercise, including the practical management of diabetes in people undertaking intensive physical activity. His clinical experience has included work with athletes and physically active people with diabetes. (Society for Endocrinology⁠)He has served as a Special Medical Adviser to the London 2012 Olympic Games, with responsibilities relating to medical issues affecting athletes with diabetes. His work in this area has included teaching, lecturing and professional education on diabetes and exercise.Ian has contributed to publications in diabetes, endocrinology, and exercise medicine, including work on exercise physiology, hypoglycaemia, insulin management, and athletic performance in diabetes.In 2012 he edited Type 1 Diabetes: Clinical Management of the Athlete, published by Springer. The book addresses the clinical management of athletes with type 1 diabetes and the practical considerations involved in participating in sport. (Springer⁠)He has also contributed to professional medical literature, including a chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Sport and Exercise Medicine.Ian has contributed to professional and advisory work relating to diabetes, driving and medical practice. He received the Royal Society of Medicine Gold Medal in 2012 and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019.He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (FRCPE) and holds the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD).Ian’s professional interests include the interaction between diabetes, metabolism, exercise and healthy ageing. He is particularly interested in helping people with diabetes participate safely in exercise and sport while managing the physiological challenges of training and competition.Become a member of The Real Science of Sport to discuss all matters sport, health and performance with fellow listeners. There's even a Diabetes in sport thread. Plus, get ad-free listening and exclusive shows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Become a Supporter and you'll get Friday's VIP member exclusive half of our Sean Ingle interview on the training and philosophy of Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Plus you'll get ad-free shows and access to our world-class Discourse community.This week, Tigst Assefa's Achilles injury and a near-miss marathon world record in Berlin, Demi Vollering and Brandon McNulty's world titles in Montreal, and the UCI's long-overdue crash and injury data:(00:00:31) Assefa was on world record pace through 40km of the Berlin Marathon before her Achilles tendon gave way. Ross doubts anyone could run the last 2.2km on a complete rupture, and we discuss whether her super shoes helped, and whether pushing on was brave or foolish(00:17:43) Adidas sweeps both Berlin podiums, and we look ahead to Chicago and Valencia, where Ruth Chepngetich's tainted world record may not last long, and Sawe's 2026 record is also under threat(00:20:04) Vollering adds the world title to her Giro and Tour triumphs, beating Kasia Niewiadoma and Elisa Longo Borghini in a fantastic women's race(00:23:49) McNulty wins a chaotically competitive men's race with help from Quinn Simmons and Matteo Jorgenson, as the chase sits up within ten seconds of him. Is "second group syndrome" ever rational? Plus Paul Seixas's cramps, and a junior double not seen since Remco Evenepoel(00:36:41) New UCI data shows women suffer 4.3 times more head injuries and 2.5 times more fractures in crashes than men. We explore bone health, low energy availability, skill gaps in the peloton, and how this research may open up evidence-led opportunities for rider safety(00:47:35) Does looking fabulous make elite athletes faster? A debate about Keely Hodgkinson's skinsuit (and beige) gets out of hand on Instagram(00:53:52) And finally, a six-year-old Rubik's Cube world record holder, a 15-year-old skateboarder given anaesthetic injections at the Asian Games, and what to do with prodigious talent Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a groundbreaking study - commissioned by the British Heart Foundation and published in July 2025 (see details below) - Dr Peter Swoboda led a team from the University of Leeds to establish whether prolonged endurance exercise could be a risk factor for heart health in older athletes. The results offer revealing insight into the role of exercise in long-term heart health and whether endurance training carries any risks. Dr Swoboda also explains the basics of what exercise does for heart health, which types of exercise work best, why sudden death can happen in sporting events, and how best to look after your heart in the long term. Swoboda is an Associate Professor of Cardiology and Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Leeds with over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Become a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport HERE, and get access to the exclusive post-credit content, ad-free listening and exclusive member-only shows, as well as our Discourse community where listeners share thoughts and insights on sport and sports science topics.SHOW NOTESThe VENTOUX Study led by our guest, Dr Peter SwobodaThe British Heart Foundation write up of that study's first findingA recent review article that looks at the overall picture of heart health in endurance trained athletes, discussing the three risk factors we explore on the showOne of those risk factors is Coronary Artery Disease, which is studied in this paperGoing back some time, this is one of the papers that first raised the fear that endurance training in large doses could be harmful to the heartOne of a few studies that showed progressive improvements in life expectancy and health with more exerciseAlex Hutchinson has done a great deal to explain the risks, and misplaced fears, of endurance training. Here is one such articleAnother by Hutchinson, from 2021, providing a good overview of the three purported risks of endurance training on the heart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our members are picking this apart on Discourse right now, and not always kindly! Join them for the price of a coffee a month, with ad-free listening and regular bonus exclusive showsShow notesOur recap of the final night of the Ultimate Championship in Budapest:(00:01:53) Jasmine Jones upsets the women's 400m hurdles field in 52.45, while the two who dominated the season may have slightly mistimed their peaks(00:05:57) Alison dos Santos wins the 400m hurdles in 45.98, the third fastest ever run, and we look at what Rai Benjamin's year on the flat may buy him next year.(00:13:10) A solo win for Likina Amebaw in the women's 5000m. She breaks away with a surge faster than world record pace after 2000m, but the broadcast fails to tell the story of her dominant performance(00:25:43) Daniel Sedjati pounces to win a somewhat surprising 800m in 1:41.91. We talk about Marco Arop, who did what was best for him, but also the other main contenders, while Wanyonyi found the 2026 season a week too long(00:32:13) The USA win the mixed 4x400m. We pick apart some of the fastest and slowest segments(00:36:17) Josh Kerr wins the 1500m in 3:29.35 without leaving fourth gear (after being seeded 13th in a 12 man field)!(00:40:41) Kenny Bednarek's 19.52s is the fifth fastest 200m in history, as he delivers what his 100m said he could(00:43:45) Melissa Jefferson-Wooden runs 21.47s to win the women's 200m. It's the third fastest women's 200m ever, and we ask which old sprint record goes first?(00:53:06) Josh Kerr would rather wear his sponsor's kit than his country's. We disagree, and discuss where the Ultimate Championships belong on the global calendar(00:59:26) Our verdict on the first Ultimate Championship, and when it should be held Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch it with us! Our members call the races live on Discord, and a small monthly pledge gets you the community and a bonus Applied show every week.Show notesOur day one recap, and a look ahead to a much bigger day two:(00:00:52) First impressions of the Ultimate Championship. The black infield, the pink sand, a schedule that felt rushed, and camera work that never quite showed us the athleticism. And don't get us started on the predictions(00:07:26) The money, at $150,000 to a winner and $40,000 for third, which beats winning a Diamond League final.(00:15:39) Our featured event, the men's 5000m. Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks 13 minutes off a season wrecked by surgery, and we ask why his rivals let the middle kilometers drift.(00:34:43) Masai Russell caps a season of meeting records at every Diamond League she ran, plus the world record.(00:37:43) Ja'Kobe Tharp, this year's world record breaker, beats Cordell Tinch in the 110m hurdles. Do both hurdles records go again next year?(00:40:25) Day two brings six finals, starting with the 400s, where Marileidy Paulino and Collen Kebinatshipi look untouchable.(00:44:14) The women's 1500m, where tactical intrigue creates an open race(00:47:30) The women's 800m, our race of the weekend. Audrey Werro is unbeaten all year, and Femke Bol and Keely Hodgkinson are both coming for her.(00:56:00) The 100m finals, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden against Julien Alfred, and a men's field covered by six hundredths.(01:01:49) Prestige, or just the cash? Our verdict after one night Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.