The Real Science of Sport Podcast28 Feb 2025

Spotlight: A Women's Sub 4-minute Mile? / A Tale of Textbook Heat Adaptation

In this Spotlight, Ross and Gareth become "bros" to discuss and critique a recent paper that forecasts a sub-4 min mile in women (specifically, Faith Kipyegon) if drafting strategies were improved. Ross explains his skepticism and reaction to straw man arguments in media about the paper, and the framing of the seven second improvement required as a "mental barrier". This ushers in a new segment for the show, "Grinds my Gears!".

We also learn from a Discourse member, @pauliuspeciura, about how to execute a textbook heat adaptation strategy for a race he participated in recently. We talk about the physiology of heat adaptation, and how to implement a downscaled, but necessary approach to heat in your next race. We also briefly touch on two bits of news, one concerning an increasing lack of physical activity in children in the UK, and other a peculiar, though not unique, explanation for doping contamination in the recent case of triathlete Imogen Simmonds*

*Ross mentioned a USA Sprinter who was cleared of a positive drug test after using "passionate kissing" as a defence. That was Gil Roberts, not Derrick Brew as mentioned (article link below). Roberts, incidentally, got cleared of this positive result in 2017, but then had another doping violation in 2022 (16 month ban) and then another in 2023, and is now serving an 8 year ban!

Show notes

Spotlights are inspired by Discourse, and then the discussion continues there after! If you want to become a member of that community, here's the link to Patreon, where you sign up, and then it'll direct you to the Discourse Platform where the floor is yours!

Links

Article in the Guardian that talks about the decline in numbers of PE Teachers in Britain
A paper in the BJSM on the physical activity issues and the need to optimize social factors
Imogen Simmonds' post on the doping positive for Ligandrol. Time will tell whether there's more to it
The news piece on Gil Roberts and the passionate kissing defence
Discourse Member Paulius Peciura discusses his heat adaptation strategy and race outcome here - Note: Discourse members only
The paper analysing Kipyegon's World Record, postulating the sub-4 is possible with a massive 75% drafting benefit
The New York Times piece on the sub-4 theory that contains the quotes that ground Ross' gears!

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