Training Science Podcast

We all “love” 😍 STRENGTH & gym training 🏋🏻 to a certain degree - but that does not mean that you CANNOT develop SPEED & STRENGTH without it!
Dr Darren Burgess want you to understand that WHOLE sport CULTURES ⚽ 🏀 🏈 have been developed over decades without having very much strength or speed specific training AT ALL. Many footballers in Europe for example barely do any gym work. Obviously that does not mean it is useless, but it is important to understand that apparently you can get good at the sport WITHOUT it.
In the 72nd episode of The Training Science Podcast, Martin and Darren discuss how:
🏛️ various sports “cultures” can be a downside or upside if you are a multidisciplinary professional;
🏋️ player specific loads are important, but you need to remember ALL the other types of load a player (and staff too!) experience - it is a whole wellbeing model;
🕛 chronic load for adaption, rehab or simply helping players to improve needs to be balanced and maintained for certain durations, but without “peaks” and “valleys”.
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Today’s speakers:
Dr Martin Buchheit https://martin-buchheit.net/  
Dr Darren Burgess https://au.linkedin.com/in/darren-burgess-a1580628 
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What if you could predict your race before you even start?
In this episode, Ryan Cooper shares the story behind one of endurance sport’s most influential tools, Best Bike Split. With a background in electrical engineering and aerospace, Ryan saw early on that the same physics used in aviation could be applied to cycling and triathlon performance.
We dive into how power meters and modeling unlocked a new way to race, why normalized power became a game changer for long course athletes, and how smart pacing can make or break your entire performance.
From early prototypes during the Tour de France to real world validation at world championship races, this episode is a behind the scenes look at how data, physics, and practical application came together to change the way athletes approach race day.
Today’s speakers:
Prof Paul Laursen https://www.paullaursen.com/
Ryan Cooper https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-f-cooper/

What if your biggest performance limiter isn’t your fitness, but your nervous system?
In this episode, Lawrence van Lingen shares a radically different lens on endurance performance, one that shifts the focus from traditional training metrics to fascia, breath, and vagal tone. Drawing from years of work with elite athletes like Andi Böcherer and Jan Frodeno, Lawrence explains how movement efficiency, recovery, and performance breakthroughs often come from restoring internal balance rather than pushing harder.
We explore why breathing mechanics and nervous system health are foundational to performance, how simple practices like walking and crawling-like movements can create massive changes, and why many athletes struggle not from lack of effort but from an inability to absorb training.
This conversation challenges conventional thinking and offers a new way to approach performance, recovery, and long term health.
Today’s speakers:
Prof Paul Laursen  https://www.paullaursen.com/
Lawrence van Lingen https://www.lawrencevanlingen.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@LawrencevanLingen

What actually drives performance in professional cycling, and how much of it is science versus experience?
In this episode, Dr David Bailey joins us to unpack over two decades of work across Olympic sport and WorldTour cycling. From talent identification and training philosophy to nutrition, heat, altitude, and the evolving role of data, David shares what really matters when building high performance athletes.
We dive into the concept of marginal gains and why most people misunderstand it, how teams prioritize what actually moves the needle, and why talent and training still outweigh everything else. The conversation also explores real world applications of AI, individualized nutrition strategies, and the complex mix of physiology, psychology, and race strategy that ultimately decides who wins.
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Today’s speakers:
Prof Paul Laursen  https://www.paullaursen.com/
Dr David Bailey https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bailey-77111640/

What can heart rate variability actually tell us about training, recovery, and long term health, and where do most people still get it wrong?
In this episode, Dr Greg Grosicki joins us to unpack the science and practical value of HRV, from what it really measures to why context matters so much when interpreting it. We explore how exercise intensity, sleep, alcohol, sickness, hydration, and metabolic health can all shape HRV, and why a single daily score often tells only part of the story.
We also dive into Greg’s new work on HRV CV, a promising way to understand the stability of recovery over time, and discuss how wearables at scale are changing the kinds of questions sports science can answer.
Today’s speakers:
Prof Paul Laursen  https://www.paullaursen.com/
Dr Greg Grosicki https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorygrosicki/
Greg’s new paper: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpheart.00738.2025?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org