ISESA Podcast

By Bruce Wardrop

The ISESA Podcast takes you behind the scenes of the Irish sport and exercise science community. Through conversations with leading practitioners, academics and athletes, our podcast highlights the

... more

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about ISESA Podcast:

How many episodes does ISESA Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 49 episodes available.

ISESA Podcast episodes:

December 08, 2025Sport Science 3.0: The Return of Heart Rate
With the 2025 season approaching, Bruce chats with Dr. Shane Malone (TU Dublin) about all things pre-season for the team sports. We discuss Shane’s brand new research (co-authored with Martin Buchheit) which suggests we may have become too reliant on GPS, marking the return of heart rate as a critical monitoring tool. Shane reveals why the traditional aerobic slog might be working for your midfielders but failing your explosive corner-forwards due to diminishing returns. Also discussed:

The New Rules: How the "solo-and-go" and the 2-point arc might spike high-speed running demands this year
Sport Science 3.0: Why combining Internal Load (Heart Rate) with External Load (GPS) is the future
The Research: A breakdown of the 2025 "Dose-Response" paper—Endurance vs. Hybrid vs. Speed profiles
Practical Coaching: How to stop the "January Spike" in injuries and why you need to treat your speed merchants differently

References:
Malone, S. & Buchheit, M. (2025). Dose-Response of Heart Rate Load and Performance in Gaelic Football.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 1min
November 24, 2025More Than Just a Kickabout: Transforming Men's Health via Social Football
In this episode, we explore the powerful intersection of social enterprise, sport and exercise science and health promotion. Steve O'Connell, founder of The Football Cooperative, and Dr. Paula Carroll, Senior Lecturer at SETU and Principal Researcher on the Football Co-operative projects join me in studio to chat about their amazing collaboration. We discuss how a simple game of pick up football has evolved into an award-winning social enterprise. We dig into the reality of recreational football as a tool for physical and mental health and Paula breaks down the incredible data behind it, including the staggering €17.60 social return on investment for every €1 spent.

Our talking point include:

Where it all began: How Steve turned a personal need for flexible football into a nationwide movement
The research: Paula explains how they measure "social value" and validate the impact of community sport
Wide ranging benefits: not just for men's health, but family, relationships and the wider community
Scaling and developing: how the research has helped secure funding and scale a grassroots idea into a national project

You can find out more here:
Football Co-Operative website
Football Co-Operative on LinkedIn
Paula Carroll @ SETU
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
56min
November 10, 2025 Science Week 2025: Why Choose Sport and Exercise Science?
This episode is a re-release from last year to coincide with Science Week 2025. Our vision at the Irish Sport and Exercise Science Association is to enhance the health, well-being and performance of individuals through sport and exercise sciences. With that vision in mind and looking to the future, we thought it would be a good idea to put out an episode aimed at anyone who might want to know more about studying sport and exercise science - from current secondary students, to parents, teachers and guidance counselors or someone considering a return to 3rd level education - this is the episode for you. In this short form episode, we will give you the broad strokes of what studying sport and exercise science at 3rd level is all about, what the university experience might entail and importantly, what career opportunities are out there for graduates.

Sharing this episode is particularly important. We would love to reach as many schools, guidance counsellors, teachers, students and parents as possible, so please send this episode to anyone you think might be interested!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
18min
October 27, 2025 Standing in the Hall of Fame
Lynne Cantwell is inductee number 174 in to the World Rugby Hall of Fame. With 86 appearances in green, Lynne is still Ireland's most-capped women's rugby player. In an international career that spanned 13 years, she appeared at no less than four Rugby World Cups and one Rugby Sevens World Cup. As a player, Lynne was integral to Ireland’s most iconic achievements, including their 2013 Six Nations Grand Slam and their magnificent victory over New Zealand at the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Now working as the Head of Women’s Strategy for the IRFU, Lynne continues to be a guiding light in the Women's Game.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
54min
October 13, 2025 Racing Ahead: My Career Fast Track
Niamh O’Brien is the Lead Performance Analyst for the Irish Para Swimming Team. She has just returned from working at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore where the Irish Team secured an astonishing 7 medals. Niamh is a really interesting guest - she is a relative newcomer in the world of high performance sport and only recently graduated from her undergrad in Sport Science and Health in TUD. This hasn't stopped her from making a strong impression on those around her which has resulted in her capitalizing on all opportunities and becoming somewhat of a trailblazer in her own career. In this episode we discuss the work of a performance analyst and Niamh's impressive career trajectory, making it of particular interest to current undergraduate and postgraduate students who are wondering how to get a foothold in their own career.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
54min
September 28, 2025 Getting Marathon Ready with DCU
In this episode, expert from DCU's School of Health and Human Performance present their take on how best to prepare for the Dublin Marathon. Dr. Brendan Egan discusses nutrition Dr. David Nolan extolls the virtues of strength & conditioning for runners, Dr. Aoife Bourke chats about injury prevention when training for a marathon and Dr. Anna Donnla O'Hagan talks about Psychology when Racing.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
58min
June 09, 2025 Elite Athlete Panel
In our latest episode, we bring you our elite athlete discussion panel from the 2025 ISESA Conference, held in SETU Waterford. Tiarnán O'Donnell (Paralympic Rowing), Laura Treacy (Cork Camogie) and Tom Barr (Athletics) share stories and insights which highlight the impact sport & exercise science has had on their career. This session was really well received by the conference delegates so if you weren't able to attend or just want to hear it again, make sure to tune in now!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
34min
April 28, 2025Bitesize: The ISESA Conference Update
The Past, Present and Future of Sport & Exercise Sciences Research and Applied Practice in Ireland.

Pillars of the conference programme content:

Empowering athlete populations
The realities of theory to applied practice
Shaping Careers and Innovation in Contemporary Sport and Exercise

What to expect:

Reflective presentations from world renowned keynote speakers, with actionable take home messages
Topic specific panel discussions with academics, coaches, high performance leaders, athletes
Opportunities for students and professionals to present their research
Networking opportunities including planned social activity
Awards for presentations and recognition of contribution to our sport science community

Location:

SETU Main Campus, Cork Road Campus, Cork Road, Waterford, X91 K0EK
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
15min
April 14, 2025 Athletic Therapy in Ireland
In the latest episode we bring you a double feature into the world of Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy in Ireland (ARTI). First, we have a chat with the President of ARTI to discuss the organization's crucial role in shaping the professional standards for athletic therapists in Ireland, how practitioners gain accreditation, and the future of the profession in Ireland. Then, we have a fascinating, in-depth conversation with ARTI certified athletic therapist Ryan Alexander, who works at the renowned Sports Surgery Clinic (SSC) under Professor Brian Devitt. He provides a awe inspiring glimpse into the daily application of athletic therapy in a high-performance environment, offering practical insights into assessment, rehabilitation, and the collaborative work within a leading sports medicine facility.

ARTI Website

World Congress Website
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
52min
March 31, 2025 Jenny Coe: The Athlete's Alchemist
In this episode I catch up with Jenny Coe who is the Performance and Well-Being Lead for the women’s professional football leagues in the UK. This includes to two top tiers - the Barclays Women’s Super league & Barclays Women’s Championship. Over the last five years, women’s football has grown in popularity, visibility, recognition and financial success. Average match attendance in the top women’s football league in the UK has tripled in the last three seasons bringing with it increased sponsorship, media investment and unique experience for the professional players. Jenny’s role helps to ensure that the clubs involved have the knowledge, tools and personnel to support the players holistically, allowing them to reach peak performance on the pitch. Jenny’s own journey has been far from linear, but she has combined all her personal, professional, education and sporting experience into a special skillset that uniquely qualifies her for this role.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 2min

FAQs about ISESA Podcast:

How many episodes does ISESA Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 49 episodes available.