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.

338: How Sports Science Has Changed Coaching with Simon Grayson

September 21st, 2026  |  41 mins 21 secs

athlete monitoring, coaching, elite football, elite performance, football analytics, football coaching, football management, football performance, football periodisation, football recovery, football sports science, gps data, high-speed running, huddersfield town, injury prevention, leeds united, leicester city, man management, match preparation, performance data, performance science, periodisation, player availability, player load, preston north end, professional football, recovery, s&c, science for sport, science for sport podcast, simon grayson, sports performance, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning, training intensity, training load

Simon Grayson joins Richard Graves to discuss how sports science has transformed professional football across his five decades in the game. From nutrition and recovery to GPS, high-speed running and individualised training, Simon offers a manager's perspective on what performance practitioners can do to genuinely influence decision-making. He explains why data needs context, why coaches still need to trust what they see on the pitch, and why no amount of technology will replace good man-management.

328: Blood Flow Restriction at the World Cup

July 13th, 2026  |  26 mins 25 secs

Premier League, athlete monitoring, athlete readiness, bfr, blood flow restriction, circulatory recovery, dr warren bradley, elite football, elite sport, exercise physiology, football performance, hrv, hytro, injury risk reduction, international rugby, long-haul travel, performance recovery, performance support, physiotherapy, player availability, practitioner education, recovery, recovery science, return to play, science for sport, sleep quality, sports medicine, sports physiology, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning, tournament football, travel fatigue, wearable technology, world cup

Richard Graves speaks with Dr Warren Bradley about how blood flow restriction is being used in elite sport, with a particular focus on World Cup football. The episode explores BFR as more than a recovery tool, covering its role in travel, tissue priming, injury mitigation, return-to-play and player availability. Warren also challenges the obsession with overly specific data, arguing that practical, consistent application matters when working across elite squads under tournament pressure.

322: The Performance Demands of a World Cup with Dr Dave Hancock

June 1st, 2026  |  25 mins 36 secs

ai in sports science, apollo, apollo v2, artificial intelligence in sport, athlete management system, athlete screening, blind screen, chelsea fc, dave hancock, dr dave hancock, elite football, elite sport, england football, fatigue monitoring, fifa world cup, heart rate variability, high performance, injury prevention, injury risk, international football, leeds united, movement screening, new york knicks, performance data, performance director, player availability, recovery, rehabilitation, richard graves, rotational movement, science for sport, science for sport podcast, sleep monitoring, sports medicine, sports physiotherapy, sports science, tournament preparation, world cup 2026

Richard Graves welcomes Dr Dave Hancock back to the Science for Sport Podcast to discuss the latest developments in his Blind Screen approach, the growing role of AI in athlete monitoring and the challenge of preparing elite players for the 2026 World Cup.

Drawing on his experience with Chelsea, Leeds United, the New York Knicks and the England national team, Dave explores player availability, individualised recovery, heat, travel, mental freshness and the importance of bringing players and staff together around one common goal during a major tournament.