The Science of Sports Performance

Today's episode is perhaps a little different from the typical content of the show. Rather than discussing topics found in nutrition textbooks, I wanted to share some reflections I've had on the issue of knowledge versus action. So many of us (myself being a great example) know the things we need to do to succeed, but struggle to actually put those ideas into action. Though I still don't have it a...

Today's episode is the second part of a "Nutrition 101" mini series. In this episode we discuss protein, where you can expect to learn about the basic chemical structure of proteins (amino acids, peptides, and so on), essential and non-essential amino acids, digestion, protein quality of food, guidelines for daily protein consumption, BCAA supplements, and more. 2:07 Basic structure of a protein &...

Last week I competed in my second powerlifting meet and made this episode to share some of my training and competition techniques that helped me add 80 pounds to my total in 5 months. If you are new to powerlifting and want to get a foundational understanding of the lifts and the sport, I would refer you to episode 6, which is where I discuss my first powerlifting meet. Expect to learn about the f...

Today's episode is the first part a "Nutrition 101" mini series. In this episode we discuss carbohydrates and alcohol. In future episodes we will discuss protein, fats, vitamin, minerals, etc. In todays episode you can expect to learn about the basic chemical structure of carbohydrates (including sugars, starches, and fiber), non-nutritive sweeteners, different levels of carbohydrate intake, the b...

DISCLAIMER: This episode is formatted to discuss how to recover from the general stresses of exercise and sport. I am not a medical provider, nor a physical therapist, and this episode is not meant to address how we can recover from sport related injuries such as ligament tears or broken bones. In today's episode we will be discussing how to recover from an exercise or training session so that we...

Today's episode is my conversation with Dr. Sam Scott, an exercise physiologist specialized in helping athletes who have diabetes manage their nutrition and insulin to perform at their best while avoiding hypo- or hyperglycemic events. We discuss the physiology of key hormones like insulin and glucagon, challenges of properly dosing insulin and managing blood sugar, fueling techniques for athletes...

Today's episode is one that I had intended to be a YouTube special where I discussed the results of a miniature nutrition study that I conducted on myself to determine whether the artificial sweetener sucralose causes your body to release insulin upon ingestion. The results surprised me! Because of the graphs and figures that I show, listening to this episode on YouTube will be the best for your f...

Today's episode is my conversation with Dr. Akash Sehgal. Dr. Sehgal invited me to be a guest on his podcast "Dr. Washbrains" which covers a variety of topics related to health and chronic disease. In my appearance on his show, he wanted to know about nutritional tools we can use to have better health and aging. we discussed a variety of topics including, antioxidants, protein intake, micronutrien...

Todays episode covers topics regarding hydration, water, and electrolytes. These are all crucial tools for athletes, and anybody engaging in physical training to ensure peak performance. Expect to learn the role water and electrolytes play in the body, how our body regulates our levels of water and electrolytes, why ocean water is dehydrating, the effectiveness of different hydration beverages on...

This is an excerpt from Episode 6 of The Science Of Sports Performance, titled "Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Smelling Salts." This is the final portion of the episode where we discus ergogenic aids: tools meant to improve physical performance. Due to the length of the segments, I felt it fitting to post each portion as bonus episodes. Expect to learn about the effectiveness of ammonia smelling salt...

This is an excerpt from Episode 6 of The Science Of Sports Performance, titled "Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Smelling Salts." This is the deadlift portion of the episode. Due to the length of the segments, I felt it fitting to post each portion as bonus episodes. Expect to learn about the biomechanics, technique, cues, equipment, and accessory exercise related to the deadlift. Full episode: https:/...

This is an excerpt from Episode 6 of The Science Of Sports Performance, titled "Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Smelling Salts." This is the bench press portion of the episode. Due to the length of the segments, I felt it fitting to post each portion as bonus episodes. Expect to learn about the biomechanics, technique, cues, equipment, and accessory exercise related to the barbell bench press. Full ep...

This is an excerpt from Episode 6 of The Science Of Sports Performance, titled "Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Smelling Salts." This is the squat portion of the episode coming in at 56 minutes! Because of its length, I felt it fitting to upload this clip distinctly to podcast platforms. Expect to learn about the biomechanics, technique, cues, equipment, and accessory exercise related to the barbell b...

In our last episode I talked about neural adaptations for strength gain, and common periodization powerlifters use to get ready for a meet. I realized that I wanted to spend some time going over the 3 lifts themselves, including biomechanics, technique, equipment, and accessory exercises. I also spend some time going over studies about ergogenic aids: tools that are supposed to increase physical p...

In this episode, I recap my recent powerlifting meet, and discuss how we can become stronger without necessarily growing muscle through neural adaptations in our muscles. I discuss some physiology, and the results of a study that tested low, intermediate, and high rep training protocols. I also talk about a common training "periodization" that an athlete would use to prepare for a powerlifting mee...

This Episode is Part 2 of 2 in a series on how I would write both a Nutrition and an Exercise Plan for 4 different clients whose goals are maximizing athletic performance, bulking, cutting, and large amounts of weight loss. I want to show you the thought processes that go into helping my clients and athletes so that you can notice patterns and hopefully be able to apply good principles to your own...

This Episode is Part 1 of 2 in a series on how I would write both a Nutrition and an Exercise Plan for 4 different clients whose goals are maximizing athletic performance, bulking, cutting, and large amounts of weight loss. I want to show you the thought processes that go into helping my clients and athletes so that you can notice patterns and hopefully be able to apply good principles to your own...

In this episode we discuss the science behind, and practice advice on how to manipulate body composition through fat loss and muscle gain. We discuss topics such as whether calories dictate weight loss, various types of popular diets, tools to create sustainable habits, and how many calories are required for your body type. We discuss topics such as protein consumption, range of motion and fueling...

In episode 1 of this podcast, it felt fitting to me to discuss how research is conducted on the topics I will be covering on this show. We cover Cohort studies, Case-control studies, Human Randomized Controlled Trials, Rodent Studies, and Meta Analyses. We discuss the strengths and limitations of each and give specific examples and how we can take information from these studies. I also talk about...

Welcome to The Science of Sports Performance Podcast!  I am your host, Ben Pressler. I am currently an undergraduate student at BYU majoring in both Nutritional and Exercise Sciences. In this podcast, we will discuss a variety of topics such as fundamentals of nutrition, how to train and fuel for a specific event or goal, hydration, sports supplements, and so on. Whether you're a competitive athle...