The Fight Science Podcast

Dr. Duncan French is the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.

Dr. French has worked in high performance for over twenty years and three Olympic cycles working with Elite and Olympic level athletes.

In this episode, we discuss the systems he put in place to ensure a high-performance culture at the UFC PI, the impact the PI has had on the sport, how they collect and collate data on athletes, and what the future holds for the PI.

Mark Germaine is a Performance Nutritionist and Alumni of prestigious Liverpool John Moores University in Liverpool, England.

Mark returns to the podcast to discuss how his practice has changed over the past twelve months based on the latest scientific literature.

We discuss the role of carbohydrates in training, low carb diets, heat acclimation and cutting weight in the bath.

Charles Stull is the Performance Nutrition Manager at the UFC Performance Institute, Las Vegas.

Charles has been pivotal in creating and applying a revolutionary Fight Week Nutrition service to UFC athletes during a UFC Fight Week.

Alongside Trifecta, the UFC PI team provides athletes with individualised Fight Week strategies and meals to ensure they are making weight in the safest and most scientific manner possible.

Dr. Lewis James is a lecturer and researcher at Loughborough University, England.

Dr. Lewis completed his Ph.D. in human water balance and has himself has been a lifelong martial artist.

In this episode, we discuss the specifics of fight week strategies leading into the rapid weight loss phase (weight cut) and what to consider to optimally rehydrate and refuel the athlete post-weigh-in.

Dr. Oliver Barley is a researcher from Edith Cowan University who is arguably Australia's leading Combat Sports Researcher.

Dr. Oliver is a specialist in hydration and in this episode, we discuss his newest research that assesses the validity of the common lab based hydration tests.

We also discuss the theoretical and practical benefits of combat athletes utilising a heat acclimation protocol.

Dr. Jacobi is one of Australia’s leading experts in the treatment of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a common cause of IBS. She frequently lectures nationally and internationally on this topic.

She has twenty years clinical experience as a Naturopathic Doctor and specializes in functional gut disorders. She is the Director of the Biome clinic where she treats patients with SIBO.

In this episode, we discuss what SIBO is, the symptoms of it, and how to treat it. We also discuss the carnivore diet and its affect on the microbiome as well as the benefits of polyphenol rich foods.

Dr. Lindsay Bottoms is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Hertfordshire University and is currently the research lead for Sport, Health and Exercise. She is on the board of the American College of Sports Medicine Combat Sports Special Interest Group and is a former elite level fencer.

In this episode, we discuss the lesser-known combat sport of fencing and it’s unique nutritional requirements as well as Dr. Linday's research into carbohydrate mouth rinsing, fluid balance, and tart cherry juice.

Dr. James Morehen is a Performance Nutritionist who works with elite level rugby players, footballers, and professional boxers.

He completed his Ph.D. at world renowned Liverpool John Moores University where he assessed the Nutritional and Energetic demands of Rugby Players.

In this episode, we discuss his work with former WBA Super Middleweight Champion Rocky Fielding and how Dr. James uses his knowledge of Performance Nutrition to ensure Rocky is stepping in to the ring in peak condition.

Dr. Francine Marques is a researcher who investigates the relationship between gut microbiota and heart health.

Her research interests include finding new therapies and early markers to prevent cardiovascular disease, in particular high blood pressure and heart failure. Her research has shown that a diet reach in fibre is able to lower blood pressure and improve heart function through the modulation of the bacteria in our gut.

In this episode, we discuss Dr. Marques personal journey with ovarian cancer and how that impacted her research focus, and how having a healthy gut can lead to having a healthy heart.

Joseph Matthews is a Lecturer in Sports Therapy at Birmingham City University with an interest in sports nutrition and muscle physiology. His research focus is on rapid weight loss in combat sports athletes and the risks associated with making-weight; with the aim to help drive change to protect the health and wellbeing of athletes.
Joe is also completing his Ph.D. at Nottingham Trent University where he is investigating the biological roles of carnosine and beta alanine in skeletal muscle.

In this episode, Joe and I have some great organic discussion about why certain problems exist in combat sports and why research is important in solving them to make it safer for everyone who enjoys them. We also discuss in depth his research in to beta alanine and its use for performance and health.