Cycling Science Podcast

Every year hundreds of talented young cyclists compete for a handful of world tour contracts. For decades, selectors relied on race results and raw power numbers. John and colleagues built a new framework — the Compound Score — that predicts podium performance with 83% accuracy. But the most important factors, he argues, still can't be measured at all. John Wakefield is highly experienced and well...

In this episode I interview Prof Rob Lamberts and we discuss his recent publication ‘Reliability of Recovery Heart Rate Variability Measurements as Part of the Lamberts Submaximal Cycle Test and the Relationship with Training Status in Trained to Elite Cyclists’. European Journal of Applied Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-023-05385-z. Prof. Rob Lamberts, head of Research at the Division...

In this episode I speak to Prof Gerry McCann who is a heart specialist with a subspecialist interest in MRI scanning; he conducts experimental research in people to better understand heart disease and clinical trials to assess the optimal investigation strategies and treatments for patients with, or at risk of developing, heart disease. Professor McCann is the Cardiovascular theme lead for NIHR Le...

Ron Maughan obtained his BSc (Physiology) and PhD from the University of Aberdeen, and was based in the Medical School there for almost 25 years before moving to England. He is now semi-retired but is still a Visiting Professor in the School of Medicine at St Andrews University. He spent much of his career trying to understand the physiological and metabolic responses to exercise and the nature of...

In this episode I explore the topic of ageing and cycling, an area that I have researched extensively myself. But in this episode I interview Ray Maranette who has established a Facebook group called the Academy of Octogenerian Cyclists that can now boast after only a short time in existence, over 1.1k members across the globe. While this interview is a departure from my usual interviews of resear...

In this episode I interview Dr Nicki Winfield Almquist who is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. We discuss one of his publications 'The Effect of 30-Second Sprints During Prolonged Exercise on Gross Efficiency, Electromyography, and Pedaling Technique in Elite Cyclists' published in the [[International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance]]. https://journa...

In my interview with Chris Fennell we discuss the importance of optimising aerodynamic position for successful time-trial performance. Air resistance is the major resistive force for cyclists on level ground accounting for up to 96% of a rider's power output. Over the past few years the time-trial positions have become more extreme in the quest to reduce that all important drag factor (CdA). Reduc...

In recent years there has been a significant interest in using nitrate supplements to enhance athletic performance with sports nutrition companies producing beetroot and cherry supplements to try and increase our nitrate intake. In this interview with Dr Mia Burleigh I discuss why nitrate  supplementation might be good for cycling performance and then go on to discuss her work which also looks at...

David Smith is a remarkable athlete and individual who from a young age had an overwhelming desire to be an elite athlete and compete at the Olympics. Things did not start well as he was born with club feet which required an operation, requiring him to have to learn to walk again. Not really the start of a promising career as an elite athlete or Olympian. Not only that he would go on to have to en...

In this episode I had the great pleasure of chatting to someone who I have known for about 25 years and has had a profound influence of cycling over the last 30 years. Uli Schoberer is the inventor of the first power cranks and founder of SRM. Since then SRM cranks have been considered the gold standard of power measurement and thus have been seen at world championships and in the pro-peleton for...

In this episode I chat to Daniel Cain who is putting his university degree to good use in inventing a brand new aero wheel platform (AIR). As a keen racer he recognised the limitations and cost of existing wheels on the market and came up with the concept of a base rim with interchangeable aero attachments to give you the full range of 50, 70mm and full disc options. The discussion with Daniel goe...

In a slight departure from our normal format we are introducing a new technical innovation series  where we will bring interviews from  different inventors of technical innovation in cycling. On the Cycling Science Podcast we do not do simple endorsements or marketing of new cycling products products and we only interview people if they are doing something really innovative, breaking the mould or...

In this episode I look at the science behind the design of interval training in an interview with Arthur Bossi who is in the final stages of his PhD, that dreaded 'writing-up'. We specifically discuss one of his papers (details below) from his PhD which has just been published. Interval training is very widely used in all training programmes yet our scientific understanding is actually somewhat li...

I had the great pleasure to interview Dr Shawn Bearden, who was one of my inspirations to create this podcast. Shawn has his own super successful podcast ' The Science of Ultra ', where he conducts interviews, has a coaches corner and some individual information about ultra trail running.  He is a former soccer player who, after studying at Florida State University then became a professor of physi...

In the last episode I discussed the translation of research with Dr Laurent Bannock and for this episode I wanted to explore what it is like for a successful rider and how science could guide their training. The rider is Andy Bruce who I have known since he took up cycling in 2011. In this short time he has made fantastic progress so that in 2019 he managed to win one of those stripey jerseys that...

A joint podcast with Dr Laurent Bannock, Institute of Performance Nutrition (www.theiopn.com), 'We do Science Podcast'. Both Laurent and I have an interest in the translation of research into practice and how practitioners, coaches and athletes can first of all access appropriate information but also how the latest research influences practice. We discuss how research findings can be difficult to...

Episode 4 - Crash Bang In this episode we discuss a recent paper on acute injuries in mountain bikers published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. Injuries are always present in mountain biking so this paper tries to provide a bit more detail comparing amateur and elite riders. Stoop, Rahel, Erich Hohenauer, Thomas Vetsch, Tom Deliens, and Ron Clijsen. 2019. “Acute Injuries in Male Eli...

Episode 3 - Critical Power Research Paper and Interview I speak to Dr Paul Morgan about his paper on ‘Critical Power’ and its potential relationship with TT performance and FTP. Morgan, Paul T., Matthew I. Black, Stephen J. Bailey, Andrew M. Jones, and Anni Vanhatalo. 2019. “Road Cycle TT Performance: Relationship to the Power-Duration Model and Association with FTP.” Journal of Sports Sciences 37...

  Episode 2 Cycling and Pollution Research Papers In this episode we discuss the findings from a research group in Canada who have recently published two papers from the same study where they had some cyclists exercise while inhaling diesel fumes.   Giles, Luisa V., Christopher Carlsten, and Michael S. Koehle. 2018. “The Pulmonary and Autonomic Effects of High-Intensity and Low-Intensity Exercise...

1.Introduction to the hosts of the Cycling Science Podcast 2. Background of the Cycling Science Podcast hosts 3. Research paper review Keay N, Francis G, Hind K. Low energy availability assessed by a sport-specific questionnaire and clinical interview indicative of bone health, endocrine profile and cycling performance in competitive male cyclists BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2018; 4: e0...