In this spotlight episode, Ross and Gareth put some of the interesting discussions from our Discourse community in the spotlight. Gareth, master (and moderator) of Discourse, learned all about high cadence training from the coaches in the Discourse community when he tackled a Zwift cycling programme that had him spinning his legs. We discuss whether high cadence training has merit, or whether we should actually be looking at the other extreme - Torque training, with very low cadence, to develop cycling ability? A fascinating recent paper is the basis for that discussion. We also talk about a paper that documents the remarkable energy costs of cycling in the Tour de France Femmes - an incredible 7500 kCal per day, not met by energy intake in the case study. Finally, we tackle two doping stories. The first is a call by the UCI for WADA to "take a position" on alleged Carbon Monoxide misuse by elite cyclists, and the second is the latest step taken by the Enhanced Games, who, among other things, wish to classify aging as a disease. And they'll pay a cool million to a human who runs a sub-9.58s 100m, powered by any means necessary.

Show notes

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The research study that finds that low cadence training enhances performance more than self-selected (high) cadence training during an 8-week polarized training block

The case study of energy demands in an elite woman in the Tour de France

The UCI calls on WADA to take a position on Carbon Monoxide use

The Enhanced Games message to Robert F Kennedy to declare war on aging

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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 ideas around transgender sporting advantage despite persuasive scientific evidence to the contrary, raising the question of whether the BJSM has failed in its mandate to support robust scientific content. The team break down what the BJSM's role in sports science should be, analyse some of the outlandish statements made in the presentation and discuss the implications of what happens if credibility is lost.

SHOW NOTES:

The tweet by the BJSM on the presentation done by Dr Bekker

The photo claiming to show the TWSA and Feminist Approach to the gender debate

Dr Sheree Bekker's website

A link to the BJSM website

Ross's X thread reacting to the presentation

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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 explain one of the most astonishing running performances in history.

SHOW NOTES

The paper by Mason et al on how the shoes have boosted women’s distance runners more then men.

The Joubert & Jones paper that compares different shoes, including Figure 2 that shows the individual variation between models of the same brand.

Another similar paper on individual variability by Knopp et al.

For analysis of the performances since super shoes were introduced.

A piece by Toni Reavis in defence of Chepngetich’s performance.

The article by Amby Burfoot that Reavis mentions. Amby does not hold back.

The AIU list of Kenyans currently serving doping bans. You can count the drug type to see if the show conversation was accurate.

The CAS Decision on Rhonex Kipruto, in which his doping is described as a “sophisticated doping regime.

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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 Sinner and ask if the world governing body for cycling, the UCI, is doing enough to ensure the safety of riders after the death of an 18-year-old at the World Championships.

SHOW NOTES

Jon Wertheim's excellent piece on the Sinner doping scandal from SI.com

The Guardian's piece on the death of Muriel Furrer

Ingebrigtsen's crazy half marathon debut

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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 shorter distances is the best predictor of ability of longer distances, why mega training mileage may not be the right strategy for mega-distance races and the impact of super shoes on trail racing.

SHOW NOTES:

Follow David on Instagram and Youtube

Follow David and wife Dr Megan Roche's podcast Some Work, All Play on Apple Podcasts.

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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 by anti-doping authorities, and the controversial speed with which Sinner was able to continue playing after appealing provisional suspensions on two occasions. We also shine a spotlight on risk in sport, after a tragedy at the CrossFit Games in Texas, where a 28 year old participant died during a swim item. The team explain why swimming is where the danger exists, and then discuss the philosophy of risk and the tension between the core values of a sport, and the duty of care of the sports to protect athletes from foreseeable and unnecessary risks.

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Show notes

Janik Sinner Spotlight

• Summary of the Janik Sinner decision by the ITIA
• The Full Decision of the case can be read here
• The study showing clostebol positive tests through contamination, cited in the defence
• Edmund Willison's article on clostebol positives, primarily in Italy

CrossFit Games Spotlight

• Study on deaths in triathlon, showing the high proportion that happen on the swim leg
• Paper that proposes Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema as a cause of swim-related deaths
• Lay article that explains SIPE and interviews researchers who study it, including discussion of how risk is mitigated and managed by events

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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 University of Edinburgh and Director at Grey Matters Performance Ltd. As an academic, he has over 450 peer review publications and 90 books or chapters. As a practitioner, he has worked with over 90 World or Olympic medallists plus professional teams and performers. Collins has coached to national level in three sports, has a fifth dan in karate, has worked as Director of the Rugby Coaches Association and is a Fellow of the Society of Martial Arts and BASES, Associate Fellow of the BPS and an ex Royal Marine.

SHOW NOTES

The Rocky Road paper that introduced the “talent needs trauma” concept

Champions vs Super Champions: Expanding on the concept of challenge to create champions

A lay article on the concept outlined in the Rocky Road paper

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