Science for Sport Podcast
Episode Archive
Episode Archive
295 episodes of Science for Sport Podcast since the first episode, which aired on April 4th, 2020.
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279: Culture, Consistency, and Coaching Success in Elite Sport with Steve McNamara
August 4th, 2025 | 35 mins 27 secs
athlete development, catalans dragons, coaching, coaching philosophy, elite sport, england rugby league, high performance, performance sport, player development, rugby league, rugby podcast, sports coaching, sports leadership, steve mcnamara, team culture
In this episode, Richard Graves speaks with legendary Rugby League coach Steve McNamara about his 36-year journey through the sport, from playing in Hull to coaching England and Catalans Dragons. Steve shares powerful lessons on leadership, culture, and the evolution of the modern game.
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278: Carbs, Gels & Behaviour Change: The Real Science of Sports Fueling with Ted Munson
July 28th, 2025 | 34 mins 9 secs
athletefueling, behaviourchange, brentfordfc, carbloading, eliteathletes, footballfitness, footballnutrition, footballscience, fuellikeapro, grassrootsfootball, matchdayfuel, nutrition, performancenutrition, pregamefuel, premierleague, recoverynutrition, scienceforsport, sportsnutrition, sportsperformance, tedmunson
Ted Munson, Lead Performance Nutritionist at Brentford FC, joins the podcast to share what it really takes to fuel elite footballers. From carb loading and travel routines to behaviour change and common fuelling mistakes, Ted offers practical advice for professionals and grassroots athletes alike.
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277: Is Youth Football in Crisis? With Andrew Hyde
July 21st, 2025 | 31 mins 54 secs
academy football, athlete wellbeing, coaching, early specialisation, football, long-term athlete development, maturation, multisport, parental pressure, performance, social media in sport, sport psychology, strength and conditioning, talent development, youth development
In this episode, strength and conditioning coach Andrew Hyde explores the pressures facing young footballers, from early specialisation to social media and parental expectations. He shares practical insights on how coaches and parents can better support long-term athlete development while keeping the joy in sport.
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276: Coaching Through Rehab with Michael Carolan
July 14th, 2025 | 35 mins 27 secs
acl rehab, athlete rehab, coaching injured athletes, coaching psychology, communication in sport, elite athlete rehab, functional training, injury prevention, injury recovery, load management, mental health in athletes, performance coaching, professional sport rehab, rehab coaching, rehab protocols, return to play, sport performance, sports rehabilitation, sports science, strength and conditioning
In this episode, performance coach and rehab expert Michael Carolan shares his athlete-first approach to coaching through injury, blending science, communication, and real-world experience. From pro footballers to military personnel, Michael explains how tailored rehab, psychological support, and smart coaching can turn setbacks into comebacks.
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275: What It Really Takes: A Look at Life as a Professional Footballer
July 7th, 2025 | 33 mins 48 secs
acl recovery, athlete mental health, athlete mindset, athlete wellbeing, career transition, elite sport, football, football career, football injuries, football mentorship, football nutrition, football training, life after sport, player development, professional footballer, resilience in sport, sam winnall, science for sport, sports performance, sports psychology, sports science
Former professional footballer Sam Winnall joins the Science for Sport podcast to share honest insights from his 15-year career, including the highs, lows, and mental demands of life in elite football. He also discusses his transition into mentoring athletes and the importance of mindset, resilience, and life beyond sport.
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274: The Truth About Blood Flow Restriction with Dr. Warren Bradley
June 30th, 2025 | 25 mins 38 secs
athlete recovery, athletic recovery, bfr training, blood flow restriction, elite athlete training, endurance training, exercise physiology, fitness innovation, hytro, injury rehab, muscle growth, nasa training, performance coaching, professional sports, space training, sports performance, sports science, strength and conditioning, strength training, wearable fitness technology
Dr. Warren Bradley is the Founder and Chief Science Officer of Hytro, a pioneer in blood flow restriction (BFR) wearables. With a PhD in Exercise Physiology and over a decade working in elite sport, he’s helped make BFR training accessible to athletes at all levels, from Premier League stars to grassroots performers.
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273: Creating Complete Athletes
June 23rd, 2025 | 34 mins 46 secs
athlete development, athlete wellbeing, coaching athletes, coaching science, elite athletes, elite performance, extrinsic motivation, high performance sport, imposter syndrome, intrinsic motivation, mental performance, motivation in sport, performance mindset, psychological safety, sport coaching, sport neuroscience, sports psychology, sports science, strength and conditioning, youth athlete development
Sports scientist and psychologist Julia Eyre joins Richard Graves to explore what it really takes to develop complete, high-performing athletes. From motivation and mindset to imposter syndrome and psychological safety, this episode challenges conventional thinking in elite sport.
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272: Inside Catapult: Global Trends, Common Pitfalls & the Future of Sports Science
June 16th, 2025 | 43 mins 21 secs
athlete monitoring, athlete performance, catapult sports, coaching insights, data analytics in sport, elite sport, fatigue monitoring, gps tracking, high performance, performance analysis, performance trends, professional sport, sports data, sports science, sports science careers, sports scientist, sports tech, sports technology, training load, wearable technology
Catapult’s VP of Customer Success, Chris Polley, joins the show to share global trends, common pitfalls, and real-world insights from working with 4,400+ elite teams. Discover how the world’s best apply sports science tech to gain a competitive edge.
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271: Strength First: Why It Underpins Everything
June 9th, 2025 | 28 mins 21 secs
athletic development, coaching, elite sport, gps data, high performance, injury prevention, performance coaching, periodisation, physical preparation, player monitoring, player wellbeing, power training, preseason planning, return to play, robustness, rugby league, rugby performance, rugby union, sports science, strength and conditioning
Leicester Tigers’ Head of Performance, Matt Parr, shares insights from coaching across both rugby union and league. From building strength and robustness to managing return-to-play and player wellbeing, this episode dives deep into the science behind elite performance.
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270: Dr. James Morehen on Fueling England Rugby Through the Six Nations
June 2nd, 2025 | 43 mins 26 secs
athlete recovery, elite sport, england rugby, england rugby team, fuelling athletes, james morehen, match day nutrition, nutrition for athletes, performance nutrition, post match recovery, professional rugby, rugby nutrition, rugby podcast, rugby preparation, rugby science, six nations, sports nutrition, sports performance, sports science, strength and conditioning
In this episode, Dr. James Morehen, lead performance nutritionist for England Rugby, takes us inside the Six Nations to reveal how elite players are fuelled, recovered, and prepared for peak performance. From halftime gels to post-match sushi, he shares practical insights into the strategies behind one of the world’s toughest tournaments.
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269: Food First, Supplements Second: Performance Nutrition with Tom Coughlin
May 26th, 2025 | 26 mins 51 secs
athlete health, athletic performance, behavioral, caffeine, dietary fundamentals, elite athletes, food first, informed sport, nutrition consulting, nutrition myths, nutrition psychology, nutrition science, olympic athletes, performance nutrition, pre workout, professional sports, rugby nutrition, sports nutrition, sports performance, sports science, supplement safety, supplements
Performance nutrition consultant Tom Coughlin shares expert insights from his decade of experience with Olympic athletes and professional teams, emphasising a "food first" approach while discussing supplement safety and science-backed pre-workout strategies.
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268: From Wembley to Wake-Up Calls: Stevie Ward on Concussion, Courage & Life Beyond the Game
May 19th, 2025 | 45 mins 30 secs
athlete mental health, athlete transition, athlete wellbeing, concussion in sport, elite performance, emotional intelligence, fear in sport, grand final rugby, high performance mindset, leadership in sport, leeds rhinos, psychological safety, rugby concussion, rugby league, rugby retirement, sport and identity, sport injury recovery, sports psychology, sports science, stevie ward
In this episode, former Leeds Rhinos captain Stevie Ward shares the highs and lows of his rugby career, from debuting at 18 to retiring at 27 due to concussion. He opens up about fear, injury, identity, and how emotional intelligence and psychological safety are critical in elite sport.
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267: Athletes Aren’t Robots. Here’s What You’re Missing
May 12th, 2025 | 28 mins 36 secs
athlete mental health, athlete transition, athlete wellbeing, brain injury in sport, burnout in sport, clinical sports psychologist, concussion recovery, elite athlete mindset, high performance sport, identity after sport, mental health in sport, mental resilience, olympic athlete support, panic attacks in athletes, performance anxiety, psychology of performance, sport retirement challenges, sports psychology, sports science, working with elite athletes
Clinical sports psychologist Dr. Kristin Keim shares raw insights from working with elite athletes, tackling everything from panic attacks and concussion recovery to identity loss and career transition. This episode breaks down the myths of sports psychology and explores the real mental demands behind high performance.
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266: Blending Science, Rehab and Reality in Elite Football
May 5th, 2025 | 30 mins 33 secs
athlete wellbeing, athletic training, catapult sports, elite sport, football analytics, football performance, injury prevention, load management, mls, multidisciplinary teams, performance coaching, performance optimisation, player monitoring, rehabilitation, return to play, seattle sounders, sports medicine, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning
Athletic Trainer Scott Armistead joins the Science for Sport podcast to share his journey from New Zealand to the MLS, offering candid insights into injury rehab, player trust, and performance optimisation. With real-world examples from FC Cincinnati and Seattle Sounders, this episode explores the power of multidisciplinary teamwork and cutting through data overload.
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265: Why Sprint and Jump Training Transforms Every Athlete
April 28th, 2025 | 30 mins 33 secs
athlete journey, athletics, coaching, cross-training, fitness, longjump, plyometrics, sportsinsights, sportsperformance, sprinting
This week on the Science for Sport podcast, host Richard Graves interviews performance coach Michael Fennell, who shares his extensive experience in athletics, particularly in long jump and sprints. Michael discusses the importance of cross-training across various sports, his coaching philosophy, and the key elements that contribute to athletic success, all while inspiring listeners to embrace their own journey in sports.
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264: Catapult's Vector 8: The Future of Athlete Monitoring Unveiled
April 21st, 2025 | 41 mins 35 secs
ai in sports, athlete monitoring, athlete performance, catapult, coaching strategies, coaching tools, data analytics, data-driven decisions, elite athletes, injury prevention, performance optimization, professional sports, real-time data, sports analytics, sports innovation, sports science, sports technology, technology in sports, vector 8, wearable technology
In this episode of the Science for Sport podcast, we chat with Jacques Groenewald, Vice President of Engineering at Catapult, about the revolutionary Vector 8 system. Discover how this cutting-edge technology is set to transform athlete monitoring and performance optimisation, enabling real-time data analysis and enhancing decision-making for coaches and athletes alike.