Become a Supporter and share your views - a monthly pledge gets you access to the Community, and our endless appreciation!

Show notes

In the news this week:

• Operation Obsidian - A collaborative investigation between WADA and World Rugby produces a big doping bust in Georgian rugby, revealing collusion and corruption, but to what end? We explain how almost 40 years of bans were given out, and what remains unanswered and unknown
• (00:16:18) SA Prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been banned for 18 months, for drugs he says were prescribed by a specialist physician. We explore why this case may run for some time, and have some major implications
• (00:26:15) The women's Vuelta finished atop the Angliru, producing a new champion and some chat about gear ratios and torque. Plus, concussion in the Giro, with dramatic crashes and racing igniting the race in its first week
• (00:41:52) Who is the Greatest of all time? Sports scientists set out to take the subjectivity out of the question and produce their lists of the greatest track athletes ever. Do you agree?
• (00:54:25) A Times survey says a worryingly high proportion of young adults are using banned, harmful products. We wonder about the risk of doping and how the Enhanced Games will amplify it
• (01:09:20) Gout Gout gets his (latest) 60 minutes of fame. As his star continues to rise, good things are being said, now the performances will follow. We discuss the hype and unrealistic expectation that is steadily building on Australia's superstar
• (01:15:35) Who wins a half marathon between Luke Littler and Mo Farah, if they have to complete a 501 leg of darts every mile? A ridiculous question, perfect for Gareth to bring his pub darts experience to the fore! Who do you think wins?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Discourse - our Supporters club is awesome, and it's yours for the price of a coffee every month. Or a gel. Become a supporter and get twice the value after the show, and a chance to influence it too!

Show notes

In today's Spotlight, a spin around the world of sports news, and some listener questions answered:

• A look back at the World Relay Championships from Botswana, featuring some of the greatest relay performances ever seen, including from some unheralded names
• London Marathon statistics, courtesy a pair of analyses that shed light on how we pace marathons, and how few actually get it right
• The fine line between regulating and strangling innovation in sport, after Coe speaks about super shoes in running
• Speaking of innovation, do the Enhanced Games count? We look ahead to that event with some thoughts from Sean Ingle's latest article
• We tell you why we think Paul Seixas going to the Tour de France is the right decision and discuss the risks people had offered against it
• Listener JRB asks a question about training with carbohydrates, and whether there's any merit in a 'train low, compete high' high approach when it comes to carbs?
• Still on the subject of carbs, what's the deal with fructose? Listener Phillip asks about its role in the carbohydrate model, and we explore some theory and practical advice
• A smaller ball is being trialled in women's rugby - at least one player is very unhappy about it. We discuss
• In the AFL, teams will be mandated to employ psychologists full-time in response to an incident featuring a player. Is that the right call? In some ways, but Ross has some reservations

Links

• London Marathon statistical analysis
• Sebastian Coe speaks on Super Shoes and innovation
• Sean Ingle's articles on the Enhanced Games - the questions he'd ask them if he could go
• Seixas to the Tour
• "The worst decision someone has ever made" - Harrison is not pleased about a smaller ball in women's rugby
• The AFL mandates that clubs employ full time psychologists

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How reliable is Artificial Intelligence (AI) when it comes to health, wellness and training advice? Writer, educator and Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, Dr Nick Tiller, recently led a research study entitled "Generative artificial intelligence-driven chatbots and medical misinformation: an accuracy, referencing and readability audit." which focused on the feedback and information given by AI in this vital space. Tiller and his team looked at the technology behind AI, how information is delivered and then tracked the validity of the information based on sound, scientific evidence. The results were disturbing, but Tiller still has some advice on how best to use AI when it comes to our own health.

Tiller is a research associate at the Lundquist Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre and is the author of two books: The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science (Taylor & Francis), which was named one of Book Authority's "Best Sports Science Books of All Time," and The Health and Wellness Lie (Bloomsbury), described as "the systematic dismantling of a trillion-dollar con."

​​​​With a master's in kinesiology, Tiller worked as a performance physiologist on the UK’s Olympic programme before earning his doctorate in Applied Physiology from Brunel University London. He has since held academic posts in the UK and Los Angeles, where his research at the prestigious Lundquist Institute focuses on exercise physiology, respiratory medicine, and the science of extreme exercise - a field he knows firsthand as an accomplished ultramarathon runner. His recent work examines health misinformation and questionable research practices.

​​​​A prominent voice in science communication, Tiller writes for Skeptical Inquirer and Ultra-Running Magazine and serves as associate editor for the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. He's authored more than 150 general-audience articles and is a frequent guest on television, radio, and podcasts. In 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry for his commitment to promoting science literacy and critical thinking.

SHOW NOTES

Nick Tiller and his colleagues' paper on the performance of AI in response to health and exercise questions

The BBC story based on Tiller and Co's Paper

Dr Nick Tiller's Website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.