Science for Sport Podcast

339: Can a Playing Surface Change How an Athlete Moves?

September 28th, 2026  |  36 mins 57 secs

alan thomson, artificial turf, athlete performance, athletic field safety, biomechanics, elite football, elite sport, fifa world cup, fifa world cup 2026, football science, footwear surface interaction, green bay packers, hybrid grass, hybrid pitch, injury risk, john sorochan, lambeau field, metlife stadium, natural grass, nfl, nfl player safety, pitch technology, player safety, player surface interaction, playing surface research, playing surfaces, sis grass, sis pitches, soccer science, sport science, sports injuries, sports performance, sports science, sports turf, turf science, turfgrass science, university of tennessee, world cup pitches

Professor John Sorochan from the University of Tennessee and Alan Thomson from SIS Pitches join Richard Graves to explore how playing surfaces influence athlete performance and safety. They discuss the interaction between the athlete, footwear and surface, how elite pitches are tested, the differences between natural, artificial and hybrid turf, and the challenge of creating consistent playing conditions across modern multi-use stadiums. Drawing on their work around the 2026 FIFA World Cup and major US sports venues, they also examine the debate around artificial turf, player preference for natural grass and how hybrid technology could shape the future of elite playing surfaces.

333: Why Athletes Keep Breaking Down

August 17th, 2026  |  34 mins 45 secs

adaptive potential, biomechanics, body mechanics, compensation, elite sport, football injuries, force plates, golf biomechanics, hamstring rehabilitation, injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, kinetic chain, motor control, motor patterns, movement data, movement quality, movement screening, physiotherapy, return to play, sports physiotherapy, sports science, strength testing

Dave Emsley joins Richard Graves to discuss how movement quality, biomechanics and the body’s capacity to adapt shape injury rehabilitation and performance. The episode examines why practitioners should look beyond symptoms, scans and isolated strength scores to understand the movement patterns and compensations behind recurring problems.

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.

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.

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.

214: Designing The Perfect Sport Scientist

May 6th, 2024  |  22 mins 10 secs

Science, biomechanics, nutrition, physio, rehabilitation, sport, sport science, strength training, therapist

Come with us as we delve into the mysterious and exciting world of sports science…

This entertaining podcast explores:

• The science behind the world’s best athletes.
• Current issues and events in the world of sport.
• How to master the art and science of coaching.

Every Monday, Matt Solomon chats with various experts to uncover the science and secrets behind what makes the best athletes in the world so damn good at what they do. They’ll also dive into global issues and events effecting the world of sport, such as COVID-19 and gene doping.

Though anyone is welcome to join us on this journey, this podcast is primarily for:

• S&C coaches/sports scientists
• Physiotherapists
• Nutritionists/Dieticians
• Physical education teachers
• Sports enthusiasts
• Knowledge-seeking athletes

If you’re any of the above, we challenge you to listen to an episode and not fall in love with this laugh-out-loud, brain-swelling podcast.

162: How You Can Replicate World Champion Athletes By Using Elite-Level Biomechanics

May 8th, 2023  |  20 mins 35 secs

Science, Sports, athletics, biomechanics, innovation, lab, running, sport science, sprinting, training, workout

Come with us as we delve into the mysterious and exciting world of sports science…

This entertaining podcast explores:

• The science behind the world’s best athletes.
• Current issues and events in the world of sport.
• How to master the art and science of coaching.

Every Monday, Matt Solomon chats with various experts to uncover the science and secrets behind what makes the best athletes in the world so damn good at what they do. They’ll also dive into global issues and events effecting the world of sport, such as COVID-19 and gene doping.

Though anyone is welcome to join us on this journey, this podcast is primarily for:

• S&C coaches/sports scientists
• Physiotherapists
• Nutritionists/Dieticians
• Physical education teachers
• Sports enthusiasts
• Knowledge-seeking athletes

If you’re any of the above, we challenge you to listen to an episode and not fall in love with this laugh-out-loud, brain-swelling podcast.