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In this episode, Simon Yates, carbohydrates and the applicability of sports science research to the masses are in our Spotlight. In an interview earlier this week, pro cyclist Simon Yates described a paradigm shift that has changed nutrition and training in the sport. Instead of five hour rides on "two eggs" and "water in the bottles" leaving him feeling exhausted, he talks about 120g/h of carbohydrates in training and racing leading to less fatigue, greater enjoyment, and significantly better performances. That's not new, of course - more carbs has been the name of the game for the elites for some time, as we've discussed in previous shows.

Now, Gareth and Ross explore the extent to which elite practice and behaviours should guide what the rest of us 'mortals' do, and whether the pendulum of advice has swung too far? To do so, we use a recent paper by Louise Burke and her team to explain that sports science research, often done on recreational or moderately trained athletes, often fails to add value to elite athletes. Conversely, we discover that what elites do is not necessarily directly applicable to the rest of us, and that while Yates and others demonstrate important principles of nutrition (yes, you need those carbs for harder training), we need to understand context and circumstances in order to understand exactly how to apply their behaviours to our own situations, and to get the specifics right. Ultimately, we may all be bound by the same (physiological) rules, but we're often playing a different game. We explain how to translate and apply research to practice, and vice-versa.

Plus, a brief look back at the Australian Open, how tennis analytics doesn't quite do justice to the 'adversarial' nature of the sport, and why players shouldn't be too fussed with perceived crowd and media hostility.

Show notes

• The tennis website Gareth mentioned, full of stats and analytics on performance
• Join our Fantasy League for the upcoming Men's Six Nations. Once clicked, you'll need a League ID - 142233 : SoS Discoursers, and a password: DWIVM
• "No bonks". Here is the interview with Simon Yates that reveals the carbohydrate shift in elite cycling, the main subject of today's Spotlight
• The excellent article by Burke et al that describes why elite practice and research doesn't translate to us mortals, and vice-versa

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Richard Hales has spent the last 22 years fixing Royal Marines at the Command Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) Lympstone in the UK and is the Clinical Lead within their bespoke Exercise Rehabilitation Centre. So he knows a thing or two about the role of physiotherapy in a pressurised physical environment. The team delve into the role of a physiotherapist in both prevention and recovery; explains how data drives much of the research, why old-school physio techniques are questionable and whether biomechanics make a difference in causing chronic injury.

Hales graduated with a Sports Science degree from Liverpool University in 1992 before qualifying as a Chartered Physiotherapist from Bath University in 1996.

Having chosen to specialise in musculoskeletal rehabilitation his roles have included six years as Physio with Exeter Chiefs Rugby Union Club, and clinical co-ordinator for Amputee rehabilitation within ‘Adventure Rehab’, as well as Out-Patient work in both the UK and New Zealand before joining the military.

He has just written a book about his time working with the Royal Marines entitled The NOD Fixer which is due out in Easter 2025.

Join Discourse

If 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.