The Real Science of Sport Podcast

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In our Spotlight this week:

The heat wave in Paris is making life very difficult at Roland Garros, with Casper Ruud describing himself as "walking around like a zombie" during his first round match. We explore the physiology of heat regulation in tennis, how safety policies are developed to protect players, explain why heat changes the tactical and technical nature of play, and what can be done to help players without handing out free passes to those less well prepared
Sean Ingle joined us recently to talk about the Enhanced Games. We share our thoughts as the dust settles, with more reflection on why the premise of trustworthiness was never really delivered, the money that is turning athlete's heads, and Gareth walks back a few things he said in the heat of the moment
We explain the deliberate logic behind World Athletics' new qualification standards, and what it means for athletes without a good agent or a seat at the Diamond League table
Rugby and concussion are in the Spotlight again with two research developments. First, a group of researchers is promising a new evidence-backed head impact assessment protocol for women's players. Ross doesn't know exactly what that means, and we discuss what is already known about women's susceptibility to concussion. Then, a new study out of Ireland provides the first published evidence that lowering the legal tackle height in rugby has reduced concussion and overall injury rates at community level. Ross, who has been directly involved in the process, explains what we now know, what still needs work, and why a 20% drop, scaled across tens of thousands of players, is a genuinely meaningful public health win
Can an athlete still compete professionally in multiple sports at the highest level? A great question from listener Robert to our Discourse community (another reason to join our supporters club for more!) sparks a wide-ranging conversation, from Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders to Rebecca Romero and Elise Perry — and why early specialisation has made the whole idea increasingly impossible
Forbes has released its top 10 highest-paid athletes of 2026. Ross and Gareth play a guessing game, reflect on what the list says about the business of sport, money and sex, and note that no woman made the top 50.
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Show notes

The Enhanced Games came and went in Las Vegas, amidst much hype, a host of personal bests but only a single world record. Was the event a success, and a taste of what is to come, or a spectacular flop? What do we make of allegedly clean athletes beating dopers, and dopers failing to challenge world records, often by large margins? As the sports world figures out what to make of it, Sean Ingle, chief sports reporter and columnist for The Guardian, joins us fresh from attending the event to share his experiences, thoughts and unfiltered verdicts.

Sean went in expecting grifters, but discovered something a little more complicated. He spoke to true believers of the "human enhancement" movement, billionaire backers, and athletes who made business decisions that may become increasingly difficult for other sports to ignore. Sean relates those conversations and his impressions of what they imply for the future of sport.

We ask the harder questions too. Will the Enhanced Games grow or stall? What are the risks if the business model that uses athletes to promote drugs for anti-aging purposes succeeds? And what lessons must traditional sport take from an event where athletes averaged $166,000 in a single night, and where the phone of at least one Olympic swim coach hasn't stopped ringing since?

Sean has placed his own sportsman's bet with one of the funders, Christian Angermeyer, that the Enhanced Games won't survive past 2031. He explains why he believes this, despite factors that suggest that "enhancement" is here to stay, and why he'd still rather be wrong than just ignore it.

Links

Some of Sean's articles on The Enhanced Games

Why he believes The Enhanced Games will fail by 2031
The questions Sean wrote will need answering prior to his visit to Vegas
Initial reactions from Vegas on the night of the Games
The Enhanced Games reject the timing controversy as "drivel"
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Show notes

On the decks today:

A new paper raises "substantial concerns" about the tool that is regularly used to diagnose a progressive neurodegenerative disease in contact sport athletes. We discuss the paper, and how the discourse around brain health of retired contact sport athletes has created anxiety and fear to the detriment of the athletes
The Women's Six Nations concluded, England winning it again with victory over France. We discuss the tournament, with Ross raising concerns about one-sided contests through, and the total stratification of teams, while Gareth is more optimistic about some statistical trends that suggest progress, at least on the part of some teams
On the subject of women's rugby, the trials for a smaller ball have received more criticism from international players. Ross explains how the process is run, why nobody is being ambushed, and how the smaller ball has been explored for six years and counting to get to this point
Janik Sinner won another Masters tournament last week, breaking the record for most wins (now at six tournaments, and 34 matches, with only three lost sets). Gareth wonders what can possibly deny the Italian a French Open and Wimbledon, now that Alcaraz is missing both those Slams? Ross reckons maybe muscle cramps can defeat him...
A listener, Andrew, asked an intriguing, and unanswerable question in our Supporter community - which sport would it be best to be elite at? And which is worst? We offer our thoughts and criteria for what qualifies the sport
And Finally, the Enhanced Games are on Sunday, and Sean Ingle is attending. We offer our thoughts on what we'd most like to see happen at the Vegas circus. One swimmer is taking some precautions in anticipation of the side-effects, and we promise to revisit the performances in next week's show
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Show notes

In the news this week:
Operation Obsidian - A collaborative investigation between WADA and World Rugby produces a big doping bust in Georgian rugby, revealing collusion and corruption, but to what end? We explain how almost 40 years of bans were given out, and what remains unanswered and unknown
(00:16:18) SA Prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been banned for 18 months, for drugs he says were prescribed by a specialist physician. We explore why this case may run for some time, and have some major implications
(00:26:15) The women's Vuelta finished atop the Angliru, producing a new champion and some chat about gear ratios and torque. Plus, concussion in the Giro, with dramatic crashes and racing igniting the race in its first week
(00:41:52) Who is the Greatest of all time? Sports scientists set out to take the subjectivity out of the question and produce their lists of the greatest track athletes ever. Do you agree?
(00:54:25) A Times survey says a worryingly high proportion of young adults are using banned, harmful products. We wonder about the risk of doping and how the Enhanced Games will amplify it
(01:09:20) Gout Gout gets his (latest) 60 minutes of fame. As his star continues to rise, good things are being said, now the performances will follow. We discuss the hype and unrealistic expectation that is steadily building on Australia's superstar
(01:15:35) Who wins a half marathon between Luke Littler and Mo Farah, if they have to complete a 501 leg of darts every mile? A ridiculous question, perfect for Gareth to bring his pub darts experience to the fore! Who do you think wins?
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Show notes

In today's Spotlight, a spin around the world of sports news, and some listener questions answered:

A look back at the World Relay Championships from Botswana, featuring some of the greatest relay performances ever seen, including from some unheralded names
London Marathon statistics, courtesy a pair of analyses that shed light on how we pace marathons, and how few actually get it right
The fine line between regulating and strangling innovation in sport, after Coe speaks about super shoes in running
Speaking of innovation, do the Enhanced Games count? We look ahead to that event with some thoughts from Sean Ingle's latest article
We tell you why we think Paul Seixas going to the Tour de France is the right decision and discuss the risks people had offered against it
Listener JRB asks a question about training with carbohydrates, and whether there's any merit in a 'train low, compete high' high approach when it comes to carbs?
Still on the subject of carbs, what's the deal with fructose? Listener Phillip asks about its role in the carbohydrate model, and we explore some theory and practical advice
A smaller ball is being trialled in women's rugby - at least one player is very unhappy about it. We discuss
In the AFL, teams will be mandated to employ psychologists full-time in response to an incident featuring a player. Is that the right call? In some ways, but Ross has some reservations

Links

London Marathon statistical analysis
Sebastian Coe speaks on Super Shoes and innovation
Sean Ingle's articles on the Enhanced Games - the questions he'd ask them if he could go
Seixas to the Tour
"The worst decision someone has ever made" - Harrison is not pleased about a smaller ball in women's rugby
The AFL mandates that clubs employ full time psychologists
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