The Real Science of Sport Podcast

In episode 20, celebrity author, columnist, and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell apologised for the way he had handled a debate on trans athletes at the 2022 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference with Real Science of Sport podcast co-host Prof. Ross Tucker. His statements ignited a media reaction that suggested Gladwell had done an about-face on the issue. But did he need to apologise and why did he feel it necessary? Ross and Mike discuss the aftermath of the furore, look at the many reactions and give some context to the full story. SHOW NOTES: The full debate held at the MIT Sloane Sports Analytics Conference in 2022 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Hm6pejAP4] The Fox News report on Gladwell's comments [https://www.foxnews.com/media/author-malcolm-gladwell-ashamed-he-cowed-silence-about-biological-men-womens-sports] The Yahoo News Story on Gladwell's comments [https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/malcolm-gladwell-turns-trans-athletes-232452881.html] The New York Post story [https://nypost.com/2025/09/03/us-news/malcolm-gladwell-say-hes-ashamed-of-being-cowed-into-supporting-trans-athletes-in-womens-sports/] The Newsweek story [https://www.newsweek.com/malcolm-gladwell-reverses-stance-trans-women-sports-2123798] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Author, speaker, podcaster and columnist Malcolm Gladwell has sold over 25 million books, including titles such as The Tipping Point, What the Dog Saw, Outliers, and Talking to Strangers. Many of the ideas and concepts featured in their pages have influenced everyone from business leaders to sports administrators, while his regular columns in The New Yorker since 1996 have made him one of the most popular cultural voices in the US. Gladwell is also a confessed track and field nut and in this interview with Mike and Ross he shares his views on why passion lasts longer than pressure in sport, how to save track and field from itself, the weirdest event in T&F, doping, why tennis reflects the good and bad future of sport and whether super shoes should be banned from athletic competition. Enjoy almost two hours with one of the world's great thinkers. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Get with the Discourse, and share thoughts on the subjects we tackle [https://www.patreon.com/c/thescienceofsport] - a small monthly pledge gets you into the VIP room for the "best content on the internet!". Plus, we really value the support! Don't forget you can also watch us on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@realscienceofsportpodcast]! Show notes In this Spotlight, our news roundup begins with a look ahead to the Tokyo World Championships, via a rewind to the Diamond League finals in Zurich. Has Zurich shown the way forward for field events? We unpack whether this model can help the field events and thus sport grow, celebrate new stars and seasoned champions. We discuss how moving the World Championships to the season’s end poses unique challenges for athletes, and stretches the physiological peak many can sustain. We look ahead to epic clashes, where new favourites have emerged and old stars have shown form at just the right time. From track to turf, we turn to rugby and the doping case of Asenathi Ntlabakanye. The South African prop has been provisionally suspended after a positive test for a substance SA Rugby has said was not performance-enhancing and was medically prescribed. Ross and Gareth explore what this may mean, and the broader grey areas that challenge athlete rights and fairness in sport. Then in Center Stage (53:34), the Women’s Rugby World Cup takes the spotlight. The tournament is off to a fantastic start, breaking records and continuing its growth. But Ross explains why wide performance gaps between rugby’s juggernauts and minnows could threaten the game’s continued long-term prospects, and how targeted investment will be key to keeping the sport competitive and fair. In Ross Replies (1:09:42), Stu asks whether women experience head injuries differently from men? Ross explains that the answer is "it depends", a variation of yes and what this means for preventing head injury in women. And Finally (1:18:39), Mike asked for insight on whether children should be taught to tackle when learning rugby, and we discuss why the answer is a cautious, and qualified "yes", with some evidence and a cautionary tale about how the speed with which we introduce risk is the key. Links * Story on Ntlabakanye's doping positive [https://www.planetrugby.com/news/springbok-international-found-with-adverse-analytical-finding-during-random-drug-test] and SARU's statement * The NCAA team that lost a title because of caffeine [https://swimswam.com/drury-vacates-its-mens-2025-ncaa-division-ii-team/] * As discussed re the NCAA, the London Marathon death attributed to a stimulant in a weight loss supplement [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-21262717] * Stu's question and discussion about head injury mechanisms in women's rugby [https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/doping-roundup/2833/49]: Discourse members only * Ross' paper describing head injury mechanisms [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1440244025000957] in elite women * The paper that documents head accelerations in players aged 13 to adult [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-023-01923-z] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The conversation begins, continues, but rarely ends, on Discourse [https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/]! As mentioned, you can become a member of our VIP community by donating a small monthly amount to show your support [https://www.patreon.com/c/thescienceofsport], and dive into sports science and opinion. We are also on YouTube now [https://www.youtube.com/@realscienceofsportpodcast], for those who want to watch. Show notes In today's spotlight, our Discourse Digest looks back at some remarkable track & field performances and how they set up enthralling races in the upcoming Tokyo World Championships. We talk Kipyegon, Tsegay, Chebet, Hodgkinson and Lyles. Tensions between the UCI and cycling teams boiled over with a standoff around rider tracking the latest in the ongoing rider-safety struggles. We discuss how the failure of both sides to compromise and communicate is impacting rider risk. Risk conversations continue with news that World Boxing will follow athletics' example by screening for sex to protect the integrity of the women's boxing category and the safety of its fighters. Finally, instrumented mouthguards now have an LED light, and we discuss how many are only now becoming aware of this innovation and system for head impact management in Rugby Union. In Centre Stage (48:17) we turn our attention to doping. Gabby Thomas has called for lifetime bans for coaches whose athletes dope. We explain why it's not quite that simple, legally and philosophically. It's all part of the complexity of the anti-doping landscape, which we explore further with examples of recent doping cases and claims about who bears fault, when bans begin and which performances are tainted. Listener Lens (1:01:58) involves discussion about heart rate as a guide to training intensity on hot days. Ross explains that we can measure, but not manage our training while our physiology does the necessary in the heat. That becomes a conversation about Zone 2 training in Ross Replies (1:09:47), as listener Niall shares questions about how to incorporate this training intensity into his journey towards fitness and performance. And finally (1:13:16), Josh asks who you'd put on your Mount Rushmore of athletes? An impossible question, but Gareth and Ross share their thoughts, raising some eyebrows with picks and how they value sporting icons and their legacies. Links * Vaughters interview about safety in cycling [https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/a-lack-of-respect-ef-education-ceo-vaughters-critical-of-uci-over-tour-de-romandie-disqualification/] and the UCI standoff * World Boxing sex screening article [https://worldboxing.org/world-boxing-confirms-mandatory-sex-testing-will-apply-in-the-female-category-at-the-inaugural-world-boxing-championships-2025/] * Listener Lens on HR in the heat [https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/heat-its-impact-on-specifically-low-intensity-training/4404] - Discourse members only * Zone 2 thoughts [https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/spotlight-28-zone-2-the-debate-continues-world-records-old-and-new/4448/13] - the mega thread from our listeners - Discourse only * Mount Rushmore of sport [https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/mount-rushmore-of-athletes/4433/58] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Join Discourse Join Kona champions, beer mile WR holders, sports scientists, and sports enthusiasts who will add exponentially to the value of the show! Make a pledge at Patreon, and become a Discourse member [https://www.patreon.com/c/thescienceofsport] to become part of the conversation. We are now also on YouTube - you can watch our Spotlights here [https://www.youtube.com/@realscienceofsportpodcast]! Show notes Today on Spotlight, the Discourse Digest kicks off with two world records: one still standing after 30 years — Jonathan Edwards’ extraordinary Triple Jump mark — and one set just two days ago by Mondo Duplantis in the Pole Vault, which left us more bored than awed. We also preview the Diamond League’s return, where Faith Kipyegon’s 3000m world record attempt will share the stage with Beatrice Chebet’s move down to the 1500m, a prelude to a fascinating Tokyo clash. We talk about their prospects and physiology, with a view to Kipyegon's commitment to one day moving up to the marathon. We then turn to rugby, where instrumented mouthguards will light up after major head impacts at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, to trigger off-field head injury assessments. Ross unpacks how the idea emerged as a solution to a problem that affected confidence in the devices, its reception among elite players, and what it could mean for head-injury monitoring. In Center Stage (29:52), we revisit one of our most debated episodes ever — the Zone 2 training “paradigm shift.” Gareth shares his understanding of the key concepts, and we reflect on which myths we decisively busted, and why confusion may have lingered for some. We ask questions that necessitate deeper exploration, and offer more practical application of what the science says for athletes with varied training and performance goals. Ross Replies (1:16:17) takes us back to pro cycling, where comments by Marlen Reusser revived discussion about weight loss and performance, revealing that there are concerns even within the pro peloton Gareth and Ross feel that the conversation has been largely positive (and necessary) but the threat remains. The weight conversation also offers the chance to explore how heavier, fixed bike weights might actually curb excessive weight cutting. And Finally (1:30:18), Fred Kerley’s provisional suspension over whereabouts violations gets the Gareth-and-Ross treatment — and not much sympathy. Links * Discourse discussion on Edwards WR [https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/not-so-super-shoes/4366/10] * Kipyegon on the 3000 WR and her marathon future [https://athleticsweekly.com/news/faith-kipyegon-its-always-good-to-dare-to-try-1040006899/] * Discourse reaction and thoughts on the Zone 2 podcast themes [https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/11-08-25-new-perspectives-and-questions-about-zone-2-training/4403/58] - Members only * Great Discourse discussion about PFP's weight loss [https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/spotlight-27-cutting-weight-to-win-pfps-performance-strategy-or-slippery-slope/4380/46] and Reusser's latest thoughts * Marlen Reusser speaks out about weight loss concerns [https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/we-secretly-hoped-she-wouldnt-win-marlen-reusser-joins-growing-concern-over-pauline-ferrand-prevots-dramatic-weight-loss-tactics-at-2025-tour-de-france-femmes] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.