The Real Science of Sport Podcast

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Show notes

This week: how Jakob Ingebrigtsen was beaten over 5km on the roads, the physiology of altitude and 800m pacing, and what to do with outrageous teenage talent:

(00:02:33) The Ultimate Championships, national vests, and whether real-time data on release angle could make field events worth watching
(00:14:58) The World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, where Ingebrigtsen was beaten by Eritrea's Dawit Seare in the 5km. We trace the decisive suicidal surge at 4km, why closing that three-second gap emptied his tank for the last 200m, and what it means for athletes who race the Norweigian over 5000m in future. Plus, we preview a show focused on the fascinating approach that Ingebrigtsen brings to his life and training
(00:26:29) Likina Amebaw wins the women's 5km, Agnes Ngetich sets a women-only half marathon record, and Andreas Almgren runs a 58:06 European record ahead of his New York Marathon debut
(00:33:16) Nairobi gets the 2029 World Championships at 1,760m. Why does thin air help sprinters (and track cyclists) but hurt anyone racing 1500m and up?
(00:42:08) Athlos, 'action density', Keely Hodgkinson's speed suit, and whether aerodynamics matters in running at all
(00:55:05) Are women pacing the 800m wrong? Peripheral fatigue, and why race duration (roughly 100 vs 115 seconds) might shift the optimal strategy
(01:01:28) Enric Mas wins the Vuelta, and a wide-open cycling Worlds road race awaits
(01:08:29) 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi wins two Asian Games golds. How should coaches handle talent this young?
(01:17:18) Joe Warne explains MetaStudent, pooling student research projects into bigger, better studies
(01:22:28) And finally, the Red Roses' 39-match winning streak ends, Wales women put 50 on South Africa, and Anna's ride around Australia reaches nine magpie attacks and counting!
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In a groundbreaking study - commissioned by the British Heart Foundation and published in July 2025 (see details below) - Dr Peter Swoboda led a team from the University of Leeds to establish whether prolonged endurance exercise could be a risk factor for heart health in older athletes. The results offer revealing insight into the role of exercise in long-term heart health and whether endurance training carries any risks. Dr Swoboda also explains the basics of what exercise does for heart health, which types of exercise work best, why sudden death can happen in sporting events, and how best to look after your heart in the long term. Swoboda is an Associate Professor of Cardiology and Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Leeds with over 100 peer-reviewed publications.

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SHOW NOTES

The VENTOUX Study led by our guest, Dr Peter Swoboda
The British Heart Foundation write up of that study's first finding
A recent review article that looks at the overall picture of heart health in endurance trained athletes, discussing the three risk factors we explore on the show
One of those risk factors is Coronary Artery Disease, which is studied in this paper
Going back some time, this is one of the papers that first raised the fear that endurance training in large doses could be harmful to the heart
One of a few studies that showed progressive improvements in life expectancy and health with more exercise
Alex Hutchinson has done a great deal to explain the risks, and misplaced fears, of endurance training. Here is one such article
Another by Hutchinson, from 2021, providing a good overview of the three purported risks of endurance training on the heart
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More than most other species, humans are perfectly adapted to endurance running. We may not be the fastest or strongest, but our ability to endure meant our early ancestors could survive and thrive, and modern-day humans can rightfully claim we are all meant to run. Prof. Ross Tucker and sports journalist Mike Finch, who has been the editor of Runner's World SA for 26 years, discuss the amazing adaptations that humans have developed for running, why running may be the most natural sport for you to do, how to train from couch to 5km safely and effectively, the role of shoe tech and why the world seems to be on a running high right now.

Show notes

The original Lieberman paper, Running and the Evolution of Homo
That paper was challenged, not for what, but why. Here's one example
The BBC video of a bushman hunting down a kudu
In time, evidence emerged to support Lieberman's argument, showing persistence hunting in over 200 geographical locations
How many injuries? A systematic review and meta-analysis on injury rates in runners
A systematic review on risk factors for injury during running
One of the more robust research studies looking at pronation and injury risk
Subsequent analysis of that paper offered more support for motion control shoes in specific populations
The plot thickens: Another well-conducted study finds that pronation does not increase injury risk in novice runners

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Show notes

Our recap of the final night of the Ultimate Championship in Budapest:

(00:01:53) Jasmine Jones upsets the women's 400m hurdles field in 52.45, while the two who dominated the season may have slightly mistimed their peaks
(00:05:57) Alison dos Santos wins the 400m hurdles in 45.98, the third fastest ever run, and we look at what Rai Benjamin's year on the flat may buy him next year.
(00:13:10) A solo win for Likina Amebaw in the women's 5000m. She breaks away with a surge faster than world record pace after 2000m, but the broadcast fails to tell the story of her dominant performance
(00:25:43) Daniel Sedjati pounces to win a somewhat surprising 800m in 1:41.91. We talk about Marco Arop, who did what was best for him, but also the other main contenders, while Wanyonyi found the 2026 season a week too long
(00:32:13) The USA win the mixed 4x400m. We pick apart some of the fastest and slowest segments
(00:36:17) Josh Kerr wins the 1500m in 3:29.35 without leaving fourth gear (after being seeded 13th in a 12 man field)!
(00:40:41) Kenny Bednarek's 19.52s is the fifth fastest 200m in history, as he delivers what his 100m said he could
(00:43:45) Melissa Jefferson-Wooden runs 21.47s to win the women's 200m. It's the third fastest women's 200m ever, and we ask which old sprint record goes first?
(00:53:06) Josh Kerr would rather wear his sponsor's kit than his country's. We disagree, and discuss where the Ultimate Championships belong on the global calendar
(00:59:26) Our verdict on the first Ultimate Championship, and when it should be held

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Show notes

Our day two recap, and a preview of the final night of the Ultimate Championships:

(00:01:02) Night two was a clear step up on day one, with six finals and qualifying races that actually mattered and produced intrigue.
(00:01:34) Marileidy Paulinho wins the 400m in 49.07 to end an unbeaten season, and we wonder why Lieke Klaver keeps going out so hard.
(00:06:53) Collen Kebinatshipi wins the men's 400m in 43.39s, with a new race plan, which he explains himself. A record number of sub-44s in a season, and a 42 second man in the making.
(00:15:50) Klaudia Kazimierska outkicks Georgia Hunter Bell in a tactical 1500m, to establish herself as versatile in addition to the world leader.
(00:16:15) World Athletics' AI predictions become a running joke, and we offer to fix them (again!).
(00:27:42) Audrey Werro leads the 800m from the gun and wins as we predicted, albeit more slowly. Hodgkinson and Bol round out the concrete-ists. We discuss Werro's dominant race, the progressive wind-up, and Hodkingson's stuttering season.
(00:34:31) Melissa Jefferson-Wooden's start beats Julien Alfred in the 100m, and Kenny Bednarek surprises Oblique Seville in the men's race.
(00:38:37) We preview the final night, with both 400m hurdles finals, a wide open women's 5000m, Josh Kerr's 1500m to win however he pleases, and both 200m finals.
(00:54:55) And finally, which event pays the most per second of work?

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