Training Science Podcast

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

What actually changes as we age as athletes, and how should training evolve if we want to keep performing while protecting long term health?
In this episode, Professor Peter Reaburn joins us to explore the science and real world practice of training as a masters athlete. Drawing on decades of research and personal experience as an endurance athlete, Peter explains why resistance training becomes essential with age, how recovery changes, and why training the same way you did in your twenties no longer works.
We discuss muscle loss, polarized training, protein intake, and the importance of balancing performance with longevity. The conversation also dives into heart health considerations for aging endurance athletes and why listening to your body may be the most important skill masters athletes can develop.
Today’s speakers:
Prof Paul Laursen  https://www.paullaursen.com/
Prof Peter Reaburn https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-reaburn-8a498b12/