Science for Sport Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

258: League Two to Premier League: Football's Greatest Underdog Story

March 10th, 2025  |  36 mins 6 secs

athletic performance, athletic recovery, athletic training, elite athletics, elite performance, elite sport, football analytics, football coaching, football development, football fitness, football injuries, football management, football performance, football psychology, football science, football training, gps training, luton town, mental resilience, performance analysis, performance coach, player development, premier league, premier league fitness, professional football, professional soccer, recovery techniques, sports data, sports innovation, sports leadership, sports medicine, sports performance, sports psychology, sports recovery, sports science, sports technology

Former Luton Town Head of Performance Jared Roberts-Smith takes listeners behind the scenes of football's remarkable evolution, sharing insider insights from his 14-year journey from League Two to the Premier League while revealing the cutting-edge performance methods that are transforming the modern game.

256: Catapult: Rugby's Game-Changing Data Revolution

February 24th, 2025  |  34 mins 49 secs

athlete management, athlete monitoring, catapult, concussion prevention, data analytics, elite sport, gps tracking, high performance, injury prevention, performance analysis, performance metrics, player analytics, player load, player safety, player welfare, professional rugby, rugby development, rugby performance, rugby technology, rugby union, smart mouthguard, sports broadcasting, sports data, sports innovation, sports science, sports technology, sportstech, tom may, training load, womens rugby

Join former international rugby player Tom May, now Head of Global Rugby at Catapult Sports, as he reveals how cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing rugby from traditional 'brute force' approaches to data-driven decision making. From GPS tracking to smart mouthguards, discover how advanced analytics are transforming player performance, safety, and the future of the sport at all levels

249: The Untold Evolution of Sports Medicine

January 6th, 2025  |  32 mins 9 secs

ai in sports, athlete performance, dave hancock, elite sport, injury prevention, injury recovery, leeds united, new york knicks, performance teams, personalised care, podcast, professional sport, richard graves, science for sport, sports data, sports innovation, sports insights, sports management, sports medicine, sports rehab, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning

Join host Richard Graves as he talks to sports performance pioneer Dave Hancock, whose career spans over three decades in elite sport. From Leeds United to the New York Knicks, Dave shares insights into how data, AI, and personalised athlete care are revolutionising sports science. Discover the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of elite athlete management in this must-listen episode.

102: Gigantic Goals: How Elite Level Goal Setting Can Skyrocket Your Performance

March 14th, 2022  |  24 mins 41 secs

elite sport, goal setting, goals, power, speed, strength, winning

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.

51: Sport Science Is Broken: We Can Fix It

March 22nd, 2021  |  29 mins 14 secs

coaching, elite sport, issues, olympics, paralympics, performance, science, sport, teamwork

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.