Science for Sport Podcast
Behind the Scenes of Elite Performance – Unlocking the Science, Stories, and Strategies That Make the Best Even Better
Displaying items 1-10 of 16 in total of Science for Sport Podcast with the tag "sports performance".
-
314: Player Load, Practice Periodisation, and the Art of Keeping It Simple with Jackson Polk
April 6th, 2026 | 29 mins 24 secs
american football, athlete development, athlete monitoring, catapult, college athletics, college football, data analytics, elite sport, force plates, forcedecks, gps monitoring, high performance sport, jackson polk, load management, nfl preparation, oklahoma sooners, perch, performance data, player load, practice periodization, principal component analysis, recovery, richard graves, science for sport, sports analytics, sports performance, sports science, sports science podcast, sports technology, strength and conditioning, university of southern california, usc football, usc trojans, vald, velocity-based training, wearable technology
Jackson Polk, Director of Sports Science at USC Trojans football, joins Richard Graves to discuss how he built a sports science programme from the ground up using data analytics, GPS monitoring, and the art of genuine conversation. Jackson shares his unorthodox path from student videographer at Oklahoma to leading sports science at one of college football's biggest programmes, and offers a frank, grounded perspective on everything from Catapult metrics and force plate testing to the real limitations of AI in applied sport.
-
313: Building Durability in Action Sports with Ryan Blake
March 30th, 2026 | 30 mins 8 secs
action sports, action sports science, adventure sports, ai in sport, athlete preparation, athletic durability, british water ski and wakeboard, elite sport, extreme sports, extreme sports performance, fatigue management, freestyle sports, high performance, injury prevention, jump testing, long term athletic development, ltad, olympic sports, performance coaching, periodisation, readiness monitoring, ryan blake, science for sport, snowboarding, sports coaching, sports performance, sports science, sports technology, strength and conditioning, vbt, velocity based training, x games, youth strength and conditioning
Ryan Blake, founder of Extreme Sports Performance and performance consultant for British Water Ski and Wakeboard, joins Richard Graves to make the case for a completely different approach to athlete preparation in action sports. Drawing on over 20 years of experience across elite sport and education, Ryan explains why durability, not peak output, is the real target in disciplines defined by unpredictability, variable terrain, and repeated decision-making under fatigue. He walks through his Restore, Apply, Own framework, the role of technology in bridging the gap between training and competition, and why the explosive growth of the X Games League and Olympic action sports makes this one of the most exciting frontiers in performance science right now.
-
312: The Role of Environment in Player Performance
March 23rd, 2026 | 36 mins 30 secs
athlete mindset, coaching, coaching psychology, elite sport, football coaching, football development, football performance, high performance sport, leadership in sport, performance analysis, player development, player psychology, professional football, sports performance, sports science, talent pathways, team culture
A powerful conversation with Carl Asaba on the realities of professional football — from non-traditional pathways and career setbacks to team culture, psychology, and the importance of man management in elite sport.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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. -
280: Sports Science at the Intersection of Youth and Professional Football with Luke Harris
August 11th, 2025 | 31 mins 32 secs
a-league, athlete recovery, athletic performance, elite athlete development, football coaching, football fitness, force plates, gps tracking, injury prevention, physical preparation, player development, sports data, sports performance, sports science, sports science insights, sports science technology, sports technology, strength and conditioning, women’s football, youth football, youth to pro transition
Luke Harris, Head of Strength & Conditioning and Sports Science at Adelaide United, manages the development of both youth and women's teams, focusing on individualized athlete care and performance optimization. With expertise in integrating technology and building player relationships, Luke is dedicated to driving success through a balance of team goals and personal development.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.