Dr. Stephen Seiler is arguably the world authority on endurance training, and popularized the concept of polarized training. But a new paper has revealed some fresh insights into training polarization which suggest that the training structure may only be suitable for certain types of athletes. Enjoy this deep dive into one of the most-discussed endurance topics as we break down the theory, look at the results of this ground-breaking systematic review, discuss how the results can inform training protocols and what future studies are needed. Seiler is an exercise physiologist and Professor of Sports Science from the University of Agder in Norway.

SHOW NOTES

THE PAPER ON Training Intensity Distribution Intervention will Produce the Greatest Improvements in Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Time-Trial Performance in Endurance Athletes? A Systematic Review.

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This week's spotlight turns to the indoor tracks and roads of the world, as we discuss the continuing recalibration of running performance. Every USA Men's Indoor distance record was broken in the course of a week, with two world records among the performances. One of those world records didn't last the week, as Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke it in France. Then on the roads, Jacob Kiplimo took the half marathon into a new galaxy with a sub-57 performance. The two-hour marathon is now clearly within reach. Gareth and Ross discuss those performances, and inspired to some Discourse, look back at a 2008 paper that analyzed race-horses and greyhounds to make predictions about how fast humans can still run. We check in those predictions to discover how shoe tech has moved some events ahead of the curve.

We also shine one last Spotlight on the Janik Sinner three month ban, elaborating on a few matters that arose since our previous emergency Spotlight, and explain why some of the vilification of anti-doping's process may be unwarranted, and in some instances (Tim Henman!) completely detached from reality!

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Show notes

The Mark Denny study using horses and greyhounds to predict human limits, as discussed

The Iga Swiatek Reasoned Decision, where Points 40 and 41 explain No Fault and Utmost Caution principles

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Dr Joe Warne is a former international athlete and the key instigator of the Sports Science Replication Centre at the Technological University in Dublin. Having also worked as a performance coach Warne has spent hours both testing and working with modern tech devices with a key interest in finding out how reliable and trustworthy the data is. In this interview, the team discusses the metrics you can best trust, how to interpret the data you get correctly, and what the future of wearable tech and exercise data could be.

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Tennis star Janik Sinner has accepted an immediate three-month suspension for his 2024 clostebol positives. In this emergency Spotlight, Gareth and Ross discuss the agreement between Sinner and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and explain why both parties would have been incentivized to reach a settlement rather than go to arbitration at CAS in mid-April. We offer insights and early thoughts on whether, as claimed by Nick Kyrgios, this is "a bad day for tennis", or whether a three-month ban is justified and appropriate, giving the accepted facts of the case and what could be proven in previous tribunals.

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Show notes:

• WADA's full statement on the settlement
• BBC article on the settlement, as read in the podcast
• YouTube channel Tennis Talk, who we heard from in the podcast

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In this Spotlight, we address some noteworthy recent developments in the regulation and protection of women's sport. In the most significant of these, World Athletics have announced proposals, still in consultation, that would compel elite female participants to undergo a screening test that looks for the SRY gene as an eligibility requirement. Ross explains why this step, inevitable and necessary for women's sport to deliver on its purpose, may be the most important one taken by any sport in the last few years. We also discuss other proposals that strengthen World Athletics' protection of women's athletics, as well as an Executive Order on women's sport signed by Donald Trump, the NCAA response to that EO, and what this all means for this ongoing controversial issue.

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Links to topics and articles we discussed on the show

• World Athletics page explaining the proposals and the consultation process that includes the pre-clearance (cheek swab) method
• The full World Athletics document outlining proposed changes to eligibility
• The academic article that a group of us wrote last year, explaining how screening should be implemented to support protection of the female category
• Greg Brown's paper comparing boys to girls in running events
• Same author, same approach, different sport - here's Greg Brown's analysis of boys and girls in swimming
• Marina Hyde's article that describes how issues are bundled rather than assessed on their merits, to the detriment, sometimes, of reality
• NCAA update on changes to their eligibility policy, where they take a step towards protecting women's sport, but fail to base it on biology
• The Executive Order signed by Trump earlier this week
• The larger Executive Order that helpfully defines sex, male and female with implications for policy

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From international cricket to chess, boxing and hockey, Paddy Upton has helped the best sportspeople in the world achieve through his role as a performance coach. The team dig into how Upton has helped create the right performance mindset and explains how the best in the world handle mental pressure. Along the way Upton shares some remarkable success stories, explains how he went from a fitness instructor to a mind coach and whether BMT is really a thing.

Upton's approach focuses on four core human aspects of high performance - leadership, culture, teamwork and individual performance - and combines his 30+ years of experience with degrees from four different universities along with an appointment as Professor of Practice at Deakin University (Melbourne, Australia).

Upton has worked with over 350 professional and international level athletes from 21 different sporting codes, including six world champions from six different sports and 25 World Player Of The Year recipients. He has coached in five cricket World Cups and one Olympics (won bronze with the Indian men’s hockey team). He has also helped coach the Indian cricket team to become world test champions for the first time (2009) and win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup for the first time in 28 years. As Performance Director he has also helped coach the South African cricket team to become the first team ever to simultaneously hold the World Number 1 ranking in all three formats of the international game.

He is also the author of the best-selling book, The Barefoot Coach (Life-changing insights from coaching the world’s best cricketers)

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We have a news-heavy Spotlight for you this week, with stories from athletics, cycling and Rugby League to discuss. Shelby Houlihan's return from a doping ban has Gareth wondering about second-chances and forgiveness for dopers? Cycling's authorities met at the Cyclocross World Champs in Lievin and agreed to regulate the use of carbon monoxide and to prevent its misuse for performance enhancement. We talk about that decision and its details, and how it's a positive step, despite some recognized limitations. Cycling safety is also under the spotlight, with the tragic deaths of cyclists around the world a reminder of the perils of the sport, particularly during training.

Finally, Rugby League is considering a change to how players are sent off for high tackles, with a proposal to give yellow cards only when the player on the receiving end of the illegal tackle fails an off-field test indicating possible concussion. Proposed as a means to "get more consistency", Ross explains that if anything, it introduces a (for now) random, unpredictable outcome variable in the decision that will compromise consistency, and may detract from player welfare and behaviour change initiatives.

But first, we kick off the show with our Discourse-first birthday announcement, a thanks to all our fabulous followers, and then revisit last week's Spotlight on carbohydrate requirements to explain why elites need to fuel at rates the rest of us needn't aspire to emulate.

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Show notes

• The paper Ross alluded on the show, that gives an example of relative carb and fat use during exercise
• Article on the proposal to give yellow cards only when the ball carrier fails the head injury assessment in Rugby League

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Former South African top-order batsman Gary Kirsten is one of the most respected voices in the modern game. After playing 101 Tests and 185 one-day internationals, Kirsten went on to a successful career as a coach. From 2008 to 2011 he coached India that included their win at the 2011 World Cup. Later in 2011 he was appointed coach of the South African team until August of 2013 and also had a brief stint with Pakistan in 2024, along with numerous coaching appointments in other formats including India's IPL. In this wide-ranging interview, Kirsten delves into some of the biggest issues facing the game: The threats facing the future of Test cricket, why the art of fast bowling is dying, the role of coaches at both school and international level and concerns over a proposed two-tier system in the global game.

Note: We are aware of a small technical issue where some sections of the pod skip or "jump". We are looking to sort this out in a future upload/version of the pod. Sorry about that!

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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.

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