Rephonic
Artwork for The Real Science of Sport Podcast

The Real Science of Sport Podcast

Professor Ross Tucker and Mike Finch
Cycling
Doping
Olympics
Sports Science
VO2 Max
Winter Olympics
Athletics
Tour De France
Rugby
Swimming
Paris 2024 Olympics
Tokyo World Championships
Olympic Games
Sleep
Transgender Athletes
Kenya
Women's Sports
Triathlon
Endurance Sports
Biathlon

World-renowned sports scientist Professor Ross Tucker and veteran sports journalist Mike Finch break down the myths, practices and controversies from the world of sport. From athletics to rugby, soccer, cycling and more, the two delve into the most recent research, unearth lessons from the pros and host exclusive interviews with some of the world's leading sporting experts. For those who love spor... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes347Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Sports

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Real Science of Sport Podcast

Latest Episodes

Become a Supporter of the podcast, for the price of a coffee! You'll get ad-free listens, and our exclusive Applied show, including our upcoming dissection of Femke Bol's coach's insights on her amazing transition, as discussed on the show.

Show not... more

Briton Tony Davies has pretty much seen it all when it comes to television sport broadcasting. With over 20 years' experience in broadcast TV as a director, producer and writer, Davies has made a number of documentaries, including the RTS-nominated A... more

YouTube

Not yet a member? Ad-free listening, the Discourse community, and a members' show every week, all for less than you spend on gels.

Show notes

On the show this week, a European Championships wrap featuring Nadia Battocletti's astonishing 10,000m fin... more

Everywhere you look people are talking about peptides. But what exactly are they, how do they work and how safe are they for human consumption? Mike and Ross review the evidence, discuss the politics that continue to muddy the waters around peptide e... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Tony Davies
Producer with two decades in sport TV; worked on FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, Olympics, etc.
Trans World Sport (TWOS)
Episode: Inside The World of Sports Broadcasting
Ross Hemingway
GP in sports and exercise medicine; Royal Marines medical adviser; founder of Nereus Medical; co-founder of Thermo Elite Health Ltd.
Ministry of Defence; Commando Training Centre for the Royal Marines; Nereus Medical; Thermo Elite Health Ltd
Episode: FEATURE: How To Beat the Heat
Brett Clothier
Head of the ITA (Athletics Integrity Unit) featured in a recorded interview segment
Anti-doping/Integrity sector
Episode: Why Anti-Doping Needs Target Testing and Investigation / Pogačar's Record Tour de France / The Weight-Loss Double Standard
Remco Evenepoel
World Time Trial champion; referenced interview material
Professional cyclist
Episode: The Art and Science of Perfect Pacing (Members' Exclusive Show, Now Unlocked for All)
Remco Evenepoel (via Lantern Rouge interview)
Interview material referenced in the episode
Lantern Rouge (interview source)
Episode: The Art and Science of Perfect Pacing (Members' Exclusive Show, Now Unlocked for All)
David Bailey
Sports scientist for NSN
NSN
Episode: A "Concussion Sensor" Comes to the Tour de France / Spain Dismantle France / Does SA Rugby Have a Doping Problem?
Michael Cox
Author and football tactician, founder of Zonal Marking; regular contributor to The Athletic
Zonal Marking / The Athletic
Episode: Stop Watching the Ball: Michael Cox Unlocks the Fascinating Hidden Sides of Football
Dominic Riefstahl
Formula 1 pundit for Luxembourg broadcast, former engineer and F1 insider
Luxembourg TV broadcast
Episode: Inside the World of F1 Racing: An Engineer's Perspective
Eric Rawson
Chair and Professor of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science at Messiah University
Messiah University
Episode: The Creatine Episode

Hosts

Ross Tucker
Host and professor of sports science with a focus on translating research into practical performance guidance.
Gareth Davies
Co-host providing expert questioning and media-savvy framing, with Wales-based sporting commentary.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.5k ratings
  • The Best of the Best

    This podcast is a must for any aspiring recreational athlete who is interested in improving health, performance, mental resilience and just to quench curiosity.

    Ross and Gareth is bitterly witty, sharp, informed and intelligent yet possess of the rare ability to take science and make it palatable for the layman.

    Ross and Mike have an amazing ability for getting most out of their guests in a way that is both fun to listen at and be super informative.

    There are several episodes that I re-listen... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Marius Kieck
    South Africa2 months ago
  • One small flaw

    My favorite podcast. Consistently the one I can listen to all the way through. I would enjoy the interviews more if you didn’t structure every question as “tell me your thoughts on this, because my thoughts are blah blah blah…”

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RonaTD
    United States2 months ago
  • Brilliant

    Brilliant and highly informative. I use it all the time for my teaching

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TomM1982
    France2 months ago
  • Love this, so interesting

    Surprised by this recent find. So interesting and entertaining. Have really enjoyed hearing their take on cross country skiing which is under-covered in general. Keep it up!

    Addendum…disappointed you’re putting content behind a paywall. I’d rather listen to a couple of ads and keep this available to all to learn from

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Hazzabear
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Ultra Ultra Marathons ( 250 miles )

    Love the podcast and am especially interested in your take on the female who blew away all comers in the recent 250 mile event in Arizona. Apparently woman are better equipped and better than men at this kind of distance. Can you explain why . ? I find this fascinating and am curious about your view.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    outsider1960
    United Kingdom4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality guests and data-driven discussions are common strengths.
Paywall criticisms recur among some listeners who want more open access.
Experts explain complex science accessibly, great for practitioners.
Some listeners crave broader topic variety beyond rugby focus.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#169
United Kingdom/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#137
Italy/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#140
Australia/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#233
South Africa/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#8
South Africa/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#31
Poland/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Inside The World of Sports Broadcasting
Q: When you first started in television, how has television and sport changed over the years? What significant trends have you seen?
Tony describes a shift from sport as pure entertainment to a marketplace where broadcasting is a vehicle for selling subscriptions, merchandise, and experiences. He notes the move away from terrestrial, state-backed broadcasting to a multi-platform, rights-driven, globalization of content, with increasing costs of rights and a focus on monetization across streaming, social media, and direct-to-consumer delivery.
Inside the World of F1 Racing: An Engineer's Perspective
Q: What role does budget and funding play in a driver's ability to reach F1?
Budget and sponsorship play a significant role; a substantial amount of money is required to advance a driver through the junior ranks, and teams closely watch the return on investment. While talent drives opportunity, financial backing can influence whether a driver can access top equipment, teams, and development resources across the ladder.
Inside the World of F1 Racing: An Engineer's Perspective
Q: How has the driver–engineer relationship evolved with more data and sensors?
The relationship has become more data-driven and collaborative. There is a race engineer who sets up the car and a performance engineer who tailors systems to a driver's preferences, but the driver's feedback remains crucial. Over time, teams have shifted from gut-feel decisions to scientifically guided choices, while maintaining the need for driver buy-in to realize performance gains.
Inside the World of F1 Racing: An Engineer's Perspective
Q: How do drivers typically progress to Formula 1, from karting up through the lower formulas?
Drivers typically move through karting at national and international levels to FIA-sanctioned formulas like F4, F3, and F2 before reaching F1. Talent scouts from top teams monitor young talent from early on and sponsor or coach promising individuals, while the most successful paths emphasize winning in lower formulas and proving consistency, speed, and adaptability.
Stop Watching the Ball: Michael Cox Unlocks the Fascinating Hidden Sides of Football
Q: How has your approach evolved from 2010 to today, and what has that meant for your analysis of modern football?
My approach has become more focused on patterns and strategic shape rather than chasing single incidents; I've also integrated discussions of how international football differs from club football, and how pace and space affect tactical decisions.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Real Science of Sport Podcast

What is The Real Science of Sport Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Experts in sports science break down myths, practices and controversies across athletics, cycling, football, rugby, and more, using data-driven analysis and interviews with top researchers and practitioners. Recent episodes blend physiology concepts (FTP, VO2, pacing), anti-doping discussions, heat illness management, concussion sensors, and tactical sport insights, with guests ranging from clinicians to performance scientists and journalists. The show tends to feature rigorous, research-backed perspectives delivered in accessible terms, often pairing hosts' insights with real-world case studies and interviews. A standout is its consistent focus on translating lab findings into practical guidance for athletes, coaches and event organizers, ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Real Science of Sport Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Real Science of Sport Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Real Science of Sport Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Real Science of Sport Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Real Science of Sport Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Real Science of Sport Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Real Science of Sport Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Real Science of Sport Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Real Science of Sport Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Real Science of Sport Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Real Science of Sport Podcast:

1. Inside Running Podcast
2. Sweat Elite Podcast
3. COFFEE CLUB: a running podcast about nothing
4. Watts Occurring
5. Lanterne Rouge Cycling Podcast

How many episodes of The Real Science of Sport Podcast are there?

The Real Science of Sport Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 347 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Real Science of Sport Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Real Science of Sport Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Real Science of Sport Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Real Science of Sport Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Real Science of Sport Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Real Science of Sport Podcast?

Recent guests on The Real Science of Sport Podcast include:

1. Tony Davies
2. Ross Hemingway
3. Brett Clothier
4. Remco Evenepoel
5. Remco Evenepoel (via Lantern Rouge interview)
6. David Bailey
7. Michael Cox
8. Dominic Riefstahl

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days