Science for Sport Podcast

301: Training for the Unknown: Olympic BMX Freestyle with Brian Roy

January 5th, 2026  |  24 mins 1 sec

action sports, applied sports science, athlete buy-in, athlete development, biomechanics, bmx freestyle, coaching philosophy, high-performance sport, injury prevention, olympic performance, performance training, sports science, strength and conditioning, training adaptation

Brian Roy joins the Science for Sport Podcast to unpack the unique demands of Olympic BMX Freestyle and why traditional strength and conditioning models often fall short in action sports. Drawing on a decade of experience, he shares how adaptable, athlete-led approaches, resilience training and emerging technology are shaping performance in a sport with no rulebook.

300: Training Through Disruption: Managing Load, Time, and Performance in Winter with Michael Fennell

December 29th, 2025  |  26 mins 34 secs

applied sports science, athlete preparation, athletic development, elite sport, high performance, performance coaching, plyometrics, speed training, sports science, sprint performance, strength and conditioning, track and field, training load management, winter training

Michael Fennell joins Richard Graves to unpack how elite athletes and coaches should approach winter training, focusing on maintaining performance, avoiding early peaks, and prioritising fundamentals during a disrupted December. Drawing on experience across athletics and team sports, the episode explores micro-sessions, plyometrics, and why context and coaching judgement still matter in an age of data.

299: Managing Performance Nutrition Over Christmas with Dan Richardson

December 22nd, 2025  |  29 mins 50 secs

80-20 rule, applied sports science, athlete fueling, athlete recovery, athlete wellbeing, christmas nutrition, cricket performance, elite sport, festive nutrition, football performance, hydration strategies, macronutrients, performance nutrition, professional sport, rugby performance, science for sport podcast, sports nutrition, sports science, travel nutrition, under-fuelling

Dan Richardson joins Richard Graves to break down how athletes can navigate Christmas nutrition, travel and social commitments without compromising performance. Drawing on elite sport experience, Dan shares practical, evidence-based strategies to enjoy the festive period while staying fuelled, recovered and ready for the New Year.

298: Building Better Athletes. Michigan’s High-Performance Approach with Lew Porchiazzo

December 15th, 2025  |  33 mins 49 secs

athlete development, athletic performance, catapult sports, chatgpt said: strength and conditioning, coaching athletes, durability training, elite performance, gymnastics training, high performance sport, lew porchiazzo, perch training system, performance data, soccer strength and conditioning, softball strength and conditioning, sports science, sports technology, training load management, university of michigan, vbt, velocity based training

In this episode, Richard Graves speaks with University of Michigan’s Lew Porchiazzo about developing high-performance athletes through trust-driven coaching, intelligent use of technology, and a focus on raising the floor of athletic development. Lew shares practical insights on strength, conditioning, velocity-based training, and guiding young athletes toward long-term success.

297: Finding the Competitive Edge: Elite Performance with FC Midtjylland’s Niklas Virtanen

December 8th, 2025  |  26 mins 24 secs

applied sports science, athlete monitoring, catapult, coaching science, data analytics, elite coaching, elite sport, fc midtjylland, football analytics, football performance, football science, gps tracking, high performance, high-speed running, inertial data, injury risk, load monitoring, match preparation, micro-actions, performance coaching, performance data, performance optimisation, player development, scandinavian football, set piece analysis, sports physiology, sports science, sports technology, talent development, trackman

This episode explores how FC Midtjylland punch above their weight using advanced data, inertial tracking, and smart performance processes. Niklas Virtanen reveals how he blends science, coaching, and communication to drive elite on-pitch results.

296: The Mental Game: What Athletes Really Carry with Them

December 1st, 2025  |  27 mins 36 secs

athlete support, athlete welfare, athlete wellbeing, british basketball, elite sport, high performance, kofi josephs, mental health, performance psychology, preventative mental health, psychology in sport, richard graves, science for sport, sport, sports science, whynoti

Former GB basketball player Kofi Josephs joins Richard Graves to share his powerful journey through elite sport, opening up about injury, pressure, mental health, and the reality behind performance. He also reveals how his platform WhyNotI is helping teams take a preventative, data-driven approach to athlete wellbeing.

294: The Science Behind England’s Ashes Preparation – with Lead Nutritionist Charlie Binns

November 17th, 2025  |  32 mins 27 secs

ashes 2025, ashes preparation, ashes series, athlete recovery, charlie binns, cricket nutrition, cricket performance, cricket podcast, ecb, elite sport, england cricket, england cricket team, england vs australia, fuelling performance, performance nutrition, richard graves, sports nutrition, sports science, sports science podcast, test cricket

England Men’s Lead Nutritionist Charlie Binns joins the show from Australia to reveal how the team fuels, hydrates, and recovers ahead of the Ashes. From carb-loading strategies to match-day snack tables, Charlie lifts the lid on the science and logistics behind keeping England’s cricketers performing at their peak.

293: Johnny Nelson on the Gym that Created World Champions

November 10th, 2025  |  32 mins 20 secs

athlete development, athlete mindset, athlete resilience, boxing podcast, brendan ingle, coaching philosophy, elite athlete stories, elite mindset, elite performance, high performance sport, human performance, johnny nelson, leadership in sport, mental fitness, mental toughness, mindset, motivation, overcoming failure, performance coaching, performance culture, physical conditioning, resilience, self belief, sheffield boxing, sport psychology, sports performance, sports science, training science, wincobank gym, world champion, world champion mindset

Former world champion Johnny Nelson joins Richard Graves to share how he went from a struggling amateur to the longest-reigning cruiserweight champion in history. He reveals the mindset, coaching, and resilience that turned failure into fuel, with lessons every sports science professional can apply to elite performance.

292: How the NFL Uses Sports Science to Build Better Fields

November 3rd, 2025  |  31 mins 55 secs

artificial turf, athlete performance, beast device, biomechanics, data analysis, digital athlete, field management, injury prevention, natural grass, nfl, nfl international games, performance optimisation, performance science, player safety, sports engineering, sports science, sports technology, strike device, surface testing, turf science

NFL Field Director Nick Pappas joins host Richard Graves to reveal the science, data, and innovation behind the league’s playing surfaces, from injury prevention to performance optimisation. Discover how the NFL uses cutting-edge testing to keep players safe on every field, from the Super Bowl to Madrid.

291: Managing Workload and Performance in the NHL

October 27th, 2025  |  31 mins 39 secs

ai in sport, applied research, athlete monitoring, catapult, coaching, data analytics, high performance, ice hockey, load management, new jersey devils, nhl, performance analysis, phd research, recovery, return to play, sports data, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning, workload management

In this episode, New Jersey Devils Sports Scientist Steven Nightingale joins host Richard Graves to discuss how data, workload management, and recovery strategies are applied in the NHL’s demanding 82-game season. He shares insights from his global career and PhD research, revealing how science and practical experience combine to keep athletes performing at their best.

290: Rewiring Performance: The Neuroscience Behind Mindset and Recovery

October 20th, 2025  |  32 mins 7 secs

athlete development, born superhuman, brain training, chatgpt said: mindset, coaching, dan metcalfe, elite performance, high performance, human potential, leadership, mental training, motivation, neuroscience, performance psychology, recovery, rehabilitation, resilience, richard graves, science for sport podcast, sports science

In this episode, performance coach Dan Metcalfe joins host Richard Graves to discuss the neuroscience of mindset, recovery, and human potential. Drawing on his remarkable journey from paralysis to coaching elite athletes, Dan explores how belief, brain training, and resilience shape performance at every level.

289: What Sport Teaches Us About Leadership, Culture & the Human Mind

October 13th, 2025  |  29 mins 23 secs

accountability, athlete transition, athlete wellbeing, brisbane broncos, career transition, catalan dragons, courage, david mead, elite performance, leadership, life after sport, mental health in sport, nrl, performance coaching, professional sport, resilience, respect, rugby league, sports psychology, sports science, team culture

ChatGPT said:

Former NRL and Super League star David Mead joins host Richard Graves to share his journey from elite sport to business, exploring how athletes can successfully navigate life after competition. He reveals how the principles of courage, respect, and accountability learned on the field can drive leadership and performance beyond sport.

288: How Scotland Built a Fitter, Faster, Stronger Rugby Team

October 6th, 2025  |  33 mins 37 secs

athlete development, continuous improvement in sport, elite athlete training, elite rugby training, high performance sport, physical performance, player performance, rugby coaching, rugby fitness, rugby pathways, rugby preparation, rugby strength and conditioning, rugby strength training, rugby union, scottish rugby, six nations rugby, sports performance, sports science podcast, strength and conditioning coach, stuart yule

Host Richard Graves speaks with Stuart Yule, Head of Physical Performance for Scottish Rugby, about the journey that’s taken him from Commonwealth Games athlete to driving force behind Scotland’s rise on the international stage. Stuart shares how alignment, culture, and lessons from other sports are shaping Scotland’s physical edge and continual push for improvement.

287: Data With Purpose: How the Houston Texans Use Sports Science to Drive Performance

September 29th, 2025  |  42 mins 20 secs

applied sports science, artificial intelligence in sport, athlete monitoring, athlete recovery, collaboration in sport, data-driven decision making, exercise physiology, high performance, houston texans, marc lewis, nfl, performance science, research to practice, sports analytics, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning, subjective monitoring

In this episode, Houston Texans Director of Applied Sports Science Marc Lewis shares his journey from the U.S. Army to the NFL, highlighting how discipline, research, and collaboration shaped his career. He explains how effective systems, clear communication, and purposeful data collection drive athlete performance and decision-making in high-performance environments.

286: NFL’s Digital Athlete – How Data is Transforming Player Health & Safety

September 22nd, 2025  |  26 mins 27 secs

athlete monitoring, aws, biomechanics, computer vision, concussion prevention, data analytics, digital athlete, injury prevention, load management, machine learning, nfl, performance analysis, player health, player safety, rule changes, sports data, sports innovation, sports performance, sports science, sports technology

This episode dives into the NFL’s groundbreaking Digital Athlete, as host Richard Graves speaks with Dr Mackenzie Herzog (NFL) and Julie Souza (AWS) about how data and AI are transforming player health, safety, and performance.
Discover how advanced analytics, computer vision, and machine learning are driving injury prevention, rule changes, and equipment innovation across the league.

285: Ellie Wilson: Inside the High-Performance World of Women’s Football

September 15th, 2025  |  35 mins 28 secs

acl recovery, athlete development, athlete mindset, elite sport, ellie wilson, england youth teams, high performance, injury rehabilitation, melbourne victory, performance psychology, player welfare, sports science, strength and conditioning, talent pathways, women’s football

Professional footballer Ellie Wilson joins host Richard Graves to share her journey through elite women’s football — from academy rejection and England youth caps to overcoming a 13-month ACL injury and helping Melbourne Victory break club records. She offers powerful insights into the demands, psychology, and support systems needed to thrive in high-performance sport.