This week World Rugby announced that they will be including head accelerations measured by smart mouthguards into the sport's head injury assessment protocols used at the top level of the game to help identify potential head injuries during a game. This is how they work, why the tech could be a game changer and the challenges facing their adoption.
Credits: Opening clip Rugby World Cup Youtube channel 
SHOW NOTES
Sean Ingle’s piece on the instrumented mouthguard technology
Two articles that explore the elusive (and likely impossible) concussion threshold And journals.lww.com/acsm-essr/fulltext/2011/01000/biomechanics_of_sport_concussion__quest_for_the.3.aspx
Russ Petty tweet on playing time of the semi-finalists
My article on the iMGs from the Patron page, now public Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rugby's New High-Tech Mouthguards: How They Work And Why?

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. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sports

Dr Nick Tiller literally wrote the book on it, The Skeptics Guide to Sports Science (available from Amazon HERE). As an exercise scientist at Harbour-UCLA in the US, columnist, writer and author, Tiller challenges many of the claims made by marketers and others, in the name of sport science. With the team Tiller delves into the details of questionable sports science, how to spot the good from the bad and the areas where sports science is most vulnerable.
Follow Nick:  Web: www.nbtiller.com Instagram: @nb.tiller X: @NBTiller Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Sceptics Guide To Sports Science with Dr Nick Tiller

The team is joined by Professor Stuart Phillips from the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University and one of the leading experts on resistance training. Phillips is the Director of the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE), the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Health Research and Lab Lead for the Exercise Metabolism Research Group. In this episode Phillips explains the amazing benefits of weight training, why even a little can reap big benefits for everyone and what sort of training suits best depending on your age, sport and goals.
SHOW NOTES:
Join us on Patreon for more content including access to our Science of Sport Discourse platform, and join the conversation!
Follow our guest Prof Stuart Phillips on X
Stuart's recent paper on the coming of age of resistance training as a primary form of exercise for health
A previous article on Stuart's resistance training research from his university
A few of the specific papers on strength training that were discussed on the show: 
Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young menTraining for strength and hypertrophy: an evidence-based approachLow-load high volume resistance exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis more than high-load low volume resistance exercise in young menEffects of once- versus twice-weekly eccentric resistance training on muscular function and structure in older adults: a randomised controlled trial
 Instagram handle for Avery Faigenbaum, Professor of Pediatric Exercise Science, who Stuart mentioned as a good source of information





 
 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Science of Weight Training

A wrap-up of the best stories on our Discourse channel: Spring marathon season: The top performers / Should Eliud Kipchoge go to the Paris Olympics? / Why track and field athletes are earning prize money in Paris for the first time / Is the UCI doing enough to ensure the safety of pro cyclists? / China's doping controversy sparks division in the anti-doping world. 
SHOW NOTES:  The Guardian story on prize money in athletics at the Paris Olympics 
The Guardian story on the 23 Chinese swimmers who won Olympic golds after testing positive for banned drug
WADA statement on the case of the 23 swimmers 
Travis Tygart from USADA releases a statement about WADA statement 
WADA statement following comments by Tygart  Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DISCOURSE: China's Swimming Doping Controversy / Marathon Season Latest / Should Olympic Medallists Get Prize Money?

Building on from our previous discussions on optimal fuelling for endurance exercise, in this episode we go deep into the details of why carbohydrates are the rocket fuel for our bodies, and how we can take advantage of metabolic agility and different fuel strategies to unlock performance gains. To do this, we are joined by Dr Jamie Whitfield, a postdoctoral researcher in exercise nutrition and an expert in muscle physiology and metabolism. We explore how your body ‘chooses’ whether to burn fats or carbs as fuel and which carbs it prioritizes as we change our intensity and diet. We discuss whether fasting or feasting before exercise is beneficial, and we learn whether ketogenic diets hinder or enhance exercise performance.
SHOW NOTES: Jamie’s X account: @jwhitfie
Jamie’s page at the ACU
The article by Jamie and a former guest, Prof Louise Burke, responding to Prof Tim Noakes on Keto diets and performance. The entire point-counterpoint is available at the link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38485731/
A research study that Jamie referred to that looked at how ingesting carbohydrates at different rates affected total carbohydrate use during exercise: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-022-05019-w 
 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

INTERVIEW: How to Fuel For Maximum Endurance Performance

In this special episode we join an exclusive panel discussion - in partnership with World Rugby - to debate the future of the sport as it battles to find a balance between the welfare and safety of players and the enjoyment of the game by both participants and spectators. On the panel is Dr Eanna Falvey, World Rugby’s Chief Medical Officer, and former British & Irish Lions Team Doctor; Kate Zachary, the experienced American women's captain and veteran of two World Cups; Ugo Monye, an English rugby pundit/commentator and former rugby union player who played 14 times for England, 241 times for his only club Harlequins and played twice for the British & Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa; English Test player Sarah Bern, who was shortlisted for World Rugby’s Women’s Player of the Year award in 2019 and our very own co-host Prof Ross Tucker, who is also a Research Consultant and Independent Scientist with World Rugby.
SHOW NOTES:
The videos from the entire Welfare Week, not just those preceding this session, will be available on the World Rugby site soon.  They're not out just yet, unfortunately, but check back here in the next few days for the specific links. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rugby's New High-Tech Mouthguards: How They Work And Why?

Download our free app to listen on your phone