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Show notes

This week on The Spotlight, we put big claims, bold performances, and comeback stories under the microscope.

In Discourse Digest (00:00), we discuss why Beatrice Chebet’s near-world record 5000m is not a miss, just a delay. Then we shift to the French Open, where Carlos Alcaraz outlasted Jannik Sinner in a classic. Gareth asks whether Sinner’s loss might be exactly what tennis (and Sinner) needed, and how their rivalry and reputations will shape the sport’s next era.

Listener Lens (15:50) features a question from listener Simon, returning from an injury-enforced layoff. Ross offers guidance on regaining lost fitness, why retraining happens faster than we think (the 1:2 rule of thumb), and why doing less will eventually give you the right to do more.

Center Stage (22:34) is all about carbs, fat, and fuel—sparked by a tweet from Prof Tim Noakes after the Comrades Marathon. Having watched the race, Noakes claimed that “not a single lead athlete tried to ingest 90–120g/hour of carbohydrates,” and that they “know they don't need carbs to win Comrades” because “fat can provide essentially all the required energy.” We put those claims under the Spotlight, and checked with the elites. Turns out, they were targeting exactly those carb intakes. We explore the science and discover a huge capacity to increase fat oxidation as a function of diet, training and exercise intensity. But that doesn't mean carbs don’t matter - we dig into evidence that carbs improve performance, delay fatigue, and enhance recovery. The real problem? Extremes. Whether it’s high carb or no carb, just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

And finally (53:44)—Padel and Pickleball are booming. Why are they so popular, and will they dethrone tennis as the world’s favourite racket sport?

Links

• The article Gareth discusses about Sinner's loss being a win for tennis
• Example of a study where retraining restores strength to pre-detraining levels in half the time taken to lose them (note this is a study on strength, but the principle remains)
• Our Podcast interview with Louise Burke, where she explains everything you need to know about fats and carbs, and why fat underperforms as a fuel
• The Podlogar study discussed on the show, where we don't burn all the ingested carbohydrates
• Burke's race walker study, with fat oxidation rates three times higher after fat adaptation, but with reduced economy and impaired performance benefits
• Volek's study on fat adapted distance runners, also showing huge fat oxidation capacity

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The science of recovery is more complex than you may think. When do you know you have recovered? What does recovery look like? How much do you need to recover? Mike and Ross delve into the subject to discuss the physiology of recovery, the most effective researched recovery methods, what science reveals about the numerous recovery products on the market, and how to utilise the right recovery protocol to enhance performance, long-term motivation and overall ability.

Join Discourse

The Spotlight is inspired and informed by our Discourse community. If you want to be part of that, sharing insights and inspiration with listeners, you can become a Patron of the Podcast here, make a monthly pledge, and the VIP room is yours to explore! It won't cost you even 2% of what the Enhanced Games are charging, and our advice actually works, and is safe!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Discourse

The Spotlight is inspired and informed by our Discourse community. If you want to be part of that, sharing insights and inspiration with listeners, you can become a Patron of the Podcast here, make a monthly pledge, and the VIP room is yours to explore! It won't cost you even 2% of what the Enhanced Games are charging, and our advice actually works, and is safe!

Show notes

At 1:09. In the Discourse Digest news roundup, Gareth and Ross tackle three stories where science and policy collide. First up, the Enhanced Games’ latest scheme—inviting people to pay $399/month for performance-enhancing drug guidance under the guise of anti-aging and health. Then, a look at World Boxing’s new sex screening policy for the women’s category: what the language really means, why it matters, and how sport might manage it. Finally, a compromise attempt in California where extra medals are awarded to navigate the inclusion of trans-identified males in girls’ sport—Gareth and Ross explore what’s gained and lost in that trade-off

At 25:39. A new Listener Lens feature this week comes from Discourse member Tony, who asks: how should you judge your warm-up before a race? Ross and Gareth explore what a warm-up really prepares—neuromuscular readiness, not just heart rate—and share insights from fellow Discourse members who’ve fine-tuned their routines

At 33:35. And Finally (not quite today!), British ultra runner William Goodge is under fire after suspicious data emerged from his trans-Australia record attempt. Ross recalls a similar case he investigated, and the duo asks: why, in an age of abundant tracking tech, are we still debating whether these runs really happened?

At 42:58. This week’s Center Stage belongs to one of the most dramatic finales in recent Grand Tour history. Simon Yates won the Giro d’Italia with a stunning final mountain stage raid—equal parts science, strategy, and surprise. Mike and Ross unpack the physiology and tactics behind Yates’ triumph: Did del Toro and Carapaz concede the maglia rosa because they hit their physiological limits, or were they undone by tactical missteps and pacing errors? And what about Wout van Aert, the satellite rider whose power and presence may have changed the race’s outcome? From record-breaking efforts to tactical stalemates, we break down the science that decided the Giro

Links

• Nick Harris on the Enhanced Games deal
• World Boxing announce the sex screening policy
• Tony's question about Warmup HR, as discussed in Listener Lens (Discourse members only)
• Story of Rob Young's questioned ultra performance, with a link to the report I co-wrote on it
• Analysis of Yates' record performance on the Finestere
• Derek Gee's Strava file

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