Science for Sport Podcast

By Science for SportSports Science Education

Science for Sport Podcast episodes

October 05340: What Saliva Testing Can Tell Us About Athletes
What can a saliva sample tell a performance team that a blood test taken a few times a season might miss?
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Marlon Millard, chemist and founder of Biolyz, to discuss how frequent biomarker testing could help teams understand what is normal for each athlete, and spot changes that deserve a closer look.
Marlon explains what saliva can and cannot reveal, why a cortisol reading needs context, and how testing trends may be more useful than reacting to a single result. They also discuss the practical challenge of turning large amounts of biochemical data into information that medical and performance staff can use alongside training load, wellness and performance measures.
The conversation looks ahead to whether these data could eventually help teams anticipate illness, poor recovery or injury risk, while being clear that reliable prediction still requires more evidence.
In this episode you will learn
Why Marlon moved from chemistry and endocrinology into athlete testing
Where saliva testing can add to, or differ from, blood testing
How frequent testing helps establish an athlete’s individual baseline
Why cortisol alone cannot explain the cause of a change
How training load and other data help make sense of biomarker results
Why one unusual reading should not trigger an immediate response
What is needed before biomarker data can support reliable predictions
About Marlon Millard
Marlon Millard is a chemist and the founder and CEO of Biolyz, a company developing saliva based biomarker testing. His background includes experimental endocrinology and non-invasive testing, followed by medicinal chemistry. He now works on applying frequent, multi-biomarker testing in elite sport.
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22 min
September 28339: Can a Playing Surface Change How an Athlete Moves?
How much does the surface beneath an athlete’s feet really affect performance and injury risk?
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Professor John Sorochan from the University of Tennessee and Alan Thomson, USA Sales Director at SIS Pitches, to explore the science behind the playing surfaces used at the highest levels of sport.
From natural grass and artificial turf to the growing use of hybrid pitches, John and Alan explain what actually happens when an athlete interacts with a playing surface – and why the relationship between the player, their footwear and the surface itself matters.
John takes us inside the testing process, explaining how researchers measure factors such as surface hardness, traction, stability and consistency, and how those measurements help inform decisions around player performance and safety.
The conversation also explores the rapid development of hybrid surfaces. Alan explains how introducing a small percentage of synthetic fibre into natural grass can reinforce the pitch, reduce surface damage and help maintain more consistent playing conditions across demanding schedules.
The pair also discuss one of the biggest challenges in modern sport: creating elite-level natural playing surfaces inside stadiums that are increasingly expected to host football, American football, concerts and other major events throughout the year.
Drawing on their work around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they reveal how surfaces were developed to perform consistently across hugely different environments – from the heat and humidity of Miami to altitude in Mexico and cooler conditions in Canada.
They also look at the debate around artificial turf in the NFL, what research can tell us about hybrid alternatives, and where playing-surface technology could go next.
In this episode you will learn
Why player safety depends on the interaction between the athlete, footwear and playing surface
What researchers actually measure when testing elite sports pitches
How surface hardness, traction and stability can influence player movement
The difference between natural grass, artificial turf and hybrid playing surfaces
Why hybrid pitches are still predominantly natural grass despite their synthetic reinforcement
How hybrid systems can create greater stability and consistency as a pitch begins to wear
How playing surfaces were developed for very different climates during the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Why achieving consistent ball and player interaction across different stadiums is so important
How multi-use stadiums are changing the demands placed on grounds teams and playing surfaces
Why shallow hybrid stitching has opened up new possibilities for temporary and replaceable surfaces
What elite sport can learn from the ongoing debate around artificial turf and player safety
How research, technology and experienced pitch managers work together to produce elite surfaces
About Professor John Sorochan and Alan Thomson
Professor John Sorochan is Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science and Management at the University of Tennessee and one of the leading researchers in sports turf and athletic-field safety.
His career in turfgrass science stretches back more than 30 years, including working as a student on the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Today, his research examines the relationship between playing surfaces, player biomechanics, turf performance and safety.
John has worked with organisations across elite sport including the NFL, Major League Baseball and professional football, and has played a leading role in research designed to deliver safe and consistent pitches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Alan Thomson is USA Sales Director at SIS Pitches and has spent his career working with elite sports surfaces.
After beginning his career in golf-course management in Scotland, Alan moved into the construction, renovation and maintenance of football pitches before joining SIS Pitches. He now works across the United States helping venues implement hybrid playing-surface technology across sports including football, American football, baseball and lacrosse.
His recent work has included major stadium projects across North America and the installation and development of hybrid surfaces used during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
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37 min
September 21338: How Sports Science Has Changed Coaching with Simon Grayson
Few people are better placed to chart the evolution of sports science in professional football than Simon Grayson.
Across a career spanning five decades, Simon has experienced the game as both a player and manager, from an era of bacon sandwiches before training and beers on the team bus, through to the GPS data, individualised programmes and specialist performance departments that are now part of everyday professional football.
This week, Richard Graves sits down with Simon to discuss how that transformation has changed the way players train, recover and prepare for matches, and how his own approach to management has evolved alongside it.
Simon explains what he wants from sports science practitioners as a manager, why information has to be relevant rather than simply available, and why data should always be understood within the context of what actually happened on the pitch.
They also explore one of the challenges facing modern performance teams: finding the right balance between objective data and a coach's experience. Simon discusses why high-speed running is one of the metrics he pays particular attention to, how physical data can influence team selection during congested schedules, and why he has never wanted his training sessions to be dictated entirely by the numbers.
Drawing on his experiences in English football and coaching overseas, Simon also explains how climate, culture and the physical capabilities of players can force coaches to adapt their methods.
And despite everything that has changed, he believes one part of coaching remains as important as ever: getting the best out of people.
In this episode you will learn
How sports science in professional football has changed since Simon began playing in the 1980s
What a manager actually wants from sports science and performance staff
Why more data doesn't necessarily mean better information
Why Simon pays particular attention to high-speed running
How physical data can influence selection during congested fixture schedules
Why training load data needs to be interpreted within the context of the game
How managers balance sports science recommendations with coaching experience
What modern recovery looks like compared with previous generations
How Simon adapted his training methods when coaching in different climates and cultures
Why man-management and relationships remain fundamental regardless of advances in technology
About Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson has spent more than four decades in professional football as a player, coach and manager.
After beginning his career at Leeds United, he went on to play for clubs including Leicester City, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool. His playing career included promotion to the Premier League with Leicester and victory in the 1997 League Cup.
As a manager, Simon has led clubs including Blackpool, Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Preston North End, Sunderland and Bradford City, with promotion-winning campaigns at several clubs. His career has also taken him overseas, giving him experience of working with players and performance teams in different footballing cultures and environments.
More recently, Simon has worked in international football and advisory roles, while also launching the Simon Grayson Football Academy in Leeds.
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Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
42 min
September 14337: Structure, Pacing and Recovery in Fight Preparation
Are elite athletes training harder than the demands of their sport require?
This week, Richard Graves is joined by performance coach Colin Byrne, who spent seven years working with Conor McGregor as part of his training and corner team.
Colin believes many athletes, particularly in combat sports, still confuse doing more work with preparing effectively. He explains why conditioning should reflect the actual structure of competition, how fatigue affects technical execution and why the ability to recover between intense efforts can decide contests.
The conversation explores Colin’s work with McGregor following his first defeat to Nate Diaz. He describes how introducing greater structure, separating skill development from conditioning and helping McGregor understand his own intensity transformed the preparation for their rematch just 14 weeks later.
Colin also introduces his “one-round principle”, challenges the value of routinely exceeding competition distances in training and explains what combat sports can learn from cycling’s measurement-led approach to performance.
In this episode you will learn
Why many combat athletes train too much without training specifically enough
How fatigue affects decision-making and technical execution
What Colin changed after Conor McGregor’s first fight with Nate Diaz
Why skill training and conditioning may need to be separated
How heart rate and power data can help athletes understand pacing
Why recovery between high-intensity efforts matters so much
How the “one-round principle” changes the structure of fight preparation
Why training beyond the demands of competition is not always productive
What coaches can learn from cycling’s approach to measurement
How amateur athletes can make better use of limited training time
About Colin Byrne
Colin Byrne is a performance coach, martial artist and founder of the Shinobi Academy in Portugal. A former professional cyclist and European silver medallist in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he holds black belts in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and ninjutsu.
Colin spent seven years travelling and working with Conor McGregor, helping to structure his conditioning following the first Nate Diaz fight and supporting him as a trainer and cornerman. His approach combines practical coaching experience, measurable performance data and a detailed understanding of the demands placed on combat athletes.
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Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
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Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
34 min
September 07336: How the NFL’s Best Practitioners Use Performance Data
Elite teams have access to more performance data than ever. The real competitive advantage, however, comes from knowing which questions to ask, how to interpret the answers and when to act.
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Jamie Hepner, Director of Applied Sport Science – Football Performance at Catapult.
Drawing on almost 12 years of working with leading NFL and college football programmes, Jamie explains how applied sports science has progressed from simply monitoring athletes to actively shaping training and practice.
The conversation explores how performance teams can combine wearable data, video and practitioner judgement to manage player availability without leaving athletes underprepared. Jamie discusses why training load cannot be viewed in isolation, how deviations at individual and positional-group level require different responses, and why feeling tired after a demanding training block is not necessarily a negative outcome.
Jamie also explains how technology such as Vector 8 is connecting physical performance data with the tactical context of practice. This allows practitioners to examine the demands of particular plays, automate player participation and prescribe the type and number of repetitions an athlete may need during the week.
This is a practical discussion about moving beyond interesting information and using data to make decisions that improve preparation, availability and performance.
In this episode you will learn
What applied sports science looks like within NFL and college football
Why the quality of the question determines the value of the data
How player tracking and video can provide greater context around physical demands
Why minimising training load does not necessarily reduce injury risk
How performance teams balance player availability with adequate preparation
How wearable data can help prescribe practice rather than simply review it
Why individual and positional-group deviations require different responses
How subjective athlete feedback and objective performance data work together
Why fatigue and soreness can sometimes be an intended training response
How practitioners can turn performance information into decisions coaches can use
Why the next stage of athlete monitoring is likely to focus on context rather than data volume
About Jamie Hepner
Jamie is Director of Applied Sport Science – Football Performance at Catapult
He works with leading American football programmes to help practitioners and coaches apply athlete-monitoring data to training, preparation and player-availability decisions. During almost 12 years at Catapult, Jamie has helped the company respond to the evolving performance needs of NFL and college football teams.
Originally from Australia, Jamie relocated to the United States when he joined Catapult during the company’s early expansion into American sport. His previous experience includes athlete management with AFL Victoria and strength and conditioning coaching.
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Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
30 min
August 31335: The Three Outcomes That Define High Performance
What does it take to build a genuinely integrated high-performance programme?
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Dr Trevor Short, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Health, Wellness and Performance at Utah State University.
Trevor explains how Utah State is bringing sports science, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition and mental wellness together around three shared objectives: athlete availability, performance development and readiness to compete.
The conversation explores why alignment must come before data, how monitoring should respond to the questions coaches are actually asking, and why collecting more information does not automatically lead to better decisions. Trevor also discusses the challenge of balancing performance development with athlete availability, adapting thresholds to the demands of the season and communicating the same evidence differently to coaches and senior leaders.
This is a practical discussion about designing high-performance systems in which every intervention has a purpose, departments work beyond their traditional silos and the athlete remains at the centre of decision-making.
In this episode you will learn
Why athlete availability, performance and readiness can be competing objectives
How Utah State is integrating its performance, medical, nutrition and mental wellness teams
Why alignment with coaches should come before collecting data
How to build monitoring systems around meaningful performance questions
Why readiness flags must be interpreted within the context of the season
How multidisciplinary teams can make better decisions for individual athletes
Why the same information should be communicated differently to coaches and administrators
How standard operating procedures can make performance systems more consistent and measurable
Why leadership, culture and trust matter as much as technology
How integrated athlete support can increase a team’s chances of winning
About Trevor Short
Dr Trevor Short is Senior Associate Athletics Director for Health, Wellness and Performance at Utah State University, where he oversees sports medicine, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, mental wellness and sports performance.
Before joining Utah State, Trevor worked as a performance and sports scientist at the University of Hawai‘i, supporting sports science provision across its intercollegiate programmes. His career has also included strength and conditioning, applied research, university teaching, private-sector performance coaching and operational leadership.
Trevor holds a PhD in Kinesiology and is a Certified Performance and Sport Scientist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. His work focuses on integrated high-performance systems, athlete monitoring and the use of evidence to improve athlete availability, readiness and performance.
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Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
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Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
29 min
August 24334: How Elite Athletes Respond Under Pressure
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Dr Alicia Naser, behavioural scientist and founder of The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology.
Dr Naser works with professional athletes and organisations across hockey, tennis, baseball, basketball and golf, helping them understand the relationship between behaviour, physiology and performance under pressure. In this episode, she explains why mental performance should not sit separately from physical preparation, and how fatigue, heart rate, self-talk and emotion can all influence an athlete’s ability to execute when it matters.
The conversation explores the practical value of becoming more aware of internal responses during competition. From using frustration constructively rather than trying to suppress it, to striking the right balance with wearable data, Dr Naser offers a behavioural-science lens on high-performance sport that will be useful for practitioners, coaches and athletes alike.
In this episode you will learn
Why mental health and mental performance are related, but not the same thing
How physical fatigue can affect clarity, decision-making and execution
The relationship between heart rate, anxiety and an athlete’s self-talk
Why emotional awareness can itself be a useful performance intervention
How frustration can be used to create focus and competitive intent
Where breathing strategies fit within performance under pressure
How to use wearable data without becoming overly dependent on it
Why mental and physical preparation should be integrated across a performance programme
How practitioners can use pre- and post-intervention data to build organisational buy-in
A simple journalling exercise athletes and coaches can use to identify performance barriers
About Dr Alicia Naser
Dr Alicia Naser, PhD, BCBA-D, is a behavioural scientist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and founder of The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology. Her work combines behavioural science, physiology and mental performance to support professional athletes, coaches and organisations. Dr Naser has more than 12 years of advanced study, research and applied work in behavioural psychology, and works across a range of elite sports including the NHL, ATP Tour, MLB, NBA, PGA and Premier League.
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Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
30 min
August 17333: Why Athletes Keep Breaking Down
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Dave Emsley, physiotherapist and movement specialist at The Body Mechanics, for a practical conversation on why successful rehabilitation needs to look beyond the site of pain.
Dave explains how the body adapts around injury, why a scan or strength test is only one part of the picture, and what practitioners can learn by observing how an athlete actually moves. From hamstring tears and persistent knee pain to golf swings, fast bowling and return-to-play decisions, this episode explores the relationship between biomechanics, motor patterns and long-term performance.
The discussion also unpacks “adaptive potential”: the body’s remarkable ability to find a way to keep performing when something is not working as it should. But that capacity is not unlimited. For practitioners, the challenge is recognising when an athlete’s compensations are taking them closer to the gutter and helping them restore better options before another area of the system breaks down.
In this episode you will learn
Why pain should be treated as information, rather than simply the problem to remove
How movement compensations can shift load elsewhere in the kinetic chain
Where scans, strength testing and force-plate data fit within a complete assessment
Why data should help confirm a clinical decision, rather than make it in isolation
The difference between quantitative testing and the qualitative assessment of movement
What “adaptive potential” means for injury risk, performance and longevity
Why athletes with the same diagnosis may need very different rehabilitation plans
When technical changes are worth making—and when practitioners should protect an athlete’s existing strengths
Why return-to-play should account for the athlete’s actual performance demands, not just symptom resolution
How practitioners can use movement quality to guide more individualised rehabilitation
About Dave Emsley
Dave Emsley is a physiotherapist and movement specialist at The Body Mechanics. With a background in sports science and physiotherapy, he works with athletes across a range of sports, including golf and football, and consults with Premier League footballers. His work focuses on biomechanical assessment, movement patterns, rehabilitation and helping people return to performance with a better understanding of how their body moves.
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Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
35 min
August 10332: Growth, Maturation and Athletic Development in Tennis
Tennis players need far more than clean technique and a strong forehand. They need to be fast, powerful, durable and able to recover well enough to perform across an unpredictable, year-round competitive schedule.
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Joshua Dragone, Head of Athletic Development at Dukes Meadows Tennis Academy, to explore what effective physical development looks like in tennis.
Joshua explains why tennis S&C demands a different approach: players may be travelling, competing, dealing with limited gym access or adjusting plans after every match. He shares how he identifies the key physical qualities to target, creates structure without becoming rigid, and helps young players build the recovery, hydration and fuelling habits that support long-term development.
The conversation also looks at maturation, the influence of social media on junior training, and why parents, tennis coaches and athletic development coaches need to be aligned around the individual athlete.
In this episode you will learn
Why tennis requires athletes to develop speed, power, change of direction, robustness and energy-system capacity at the same time.
How to plan physical preparation around an unpredictable tournament schedule.
How to identify the one or two physical priorities that matter most for an individual player.
Why growth and maturation should shape expectations and programming in junior tennis.
How to use training windows effectively when players are travelling and competing.
The role of sleep, hydration and fuelling in availability, recovery and performance.
Why junior tennis players are often under-fuelled — and how practitioners and parents can help.
How consistent warm-up and recovery routines reduce friction on competition days.
How to respond constructively when players want to copy professional athletes’ social-media training.
Why alignment between player, parent, tennis coach and S&C coach is essential.
About Joshua Dragone
Joshua Dragone is the Head of Athletic Development at Dukes Meadows Tennis Academy in West London. He joined the academy in 2021 as a Senior Athletic Development Coach and moved into his current role in 2022. With more than a decade of coaching experience across sports including rugby, football and tennis, Joshua now specialises in helping junior tennis players become faster, stronger and more robust through developmentally appropriate, athlete-centred programming.
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Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
26 min
August 03331: Why Energy Management Is the Next Big Performance Tool
How much of an athlete’s performance is shaped by the materials they wear and use?
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Dr Sarah Karmel, Chief Science Officer at RHEON Labs, to explore how dynamic materials are changing the way sport thinks about protection, comfort and performance.
Sarah explains the science behind RHEON’s non-Newtonian polymer technology: materials that remain soft and flexible at rest, but stiffen to manage energy when exposed to force. From NFL helmet components designed to address both linear and rotational impacts, to sports bras that provide support without unnecessary compression, this is material science with practical implications for athletes.
The conversation also looks at vibration damping in tennis and padel rackets, the role of apparel in supporting movement, and why the next step in sports equipment may be creating products that adapt to the athlete, rather than asking the athlete to adapt to the product.
In this episode you will learn
How dynamic polymers respond differently at rest and under force.
Why managing both linear and rotational impacts matters in athlete protection.
Why repetitive lower-energy impacts are receiving greater attention in contact sport.
How sports bra design can influence comfort, movement and the running experience for female athletes.
How dynamic materials can reduce vibration in rackets without removing the feel athletes need.
The potential role of responsive compression apparel in muscle support and tendon loading.
Why energy management is the common thread linking helmets, apparel and sporting equipment.
How material innovation could make sports equipment more individualised and athlete-centred.
About Dr Sarah Karmel
Dr Sarah Karmel is Chief Science Officer at RHEON Labs, where she leads the development of advanced elastomeric materials for sport, protection and performance applications. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and previously held the Blavatnik Fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Her work focuses on translating polymer and material science into practical technologies that improve how athletes are protected, supported and able to perform.
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Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research
23 min

About Science for Sport Podcast

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Discover the Secrets Behind Elite Performance. Join us on the Science for Sport Podcast, where every episode dives into the cutting-edge world of sports science and the untold stories behind the best…