Gut Health & Exercise - Dr Anthony Rafferty

On this podcast episode I’m joined by Dr Nicky Keay. Nicky is an endocrinologist who works mainly with exercisers, dancers and athletes. She is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at University College London and she  lectures and researches in areas of exercise endocrinology. She has specific interests in relative energy deficiency in sport and athletes navigating the perimenopause and menopause. Nicky recently released a book ‘Health Hormones and Human Potential’. On this episode we’ll be exploring some of the topics featured in Nicky’s book, including the main hormones involved in exercise and performance; how we can optimise our hormone health; and how this might change with age.

On this episode I’m joined by Renee McGregor. Renee is a sports dietician who specialises in eating disorders, the female athlete and athlete performance. Renee is also a best-selling author in nutrition and her latest book, 'More Fuel You', takes a holistic approach to understanding the body and provides a guide for optimising nutrition for training and performance. We’re discussing low energy availability and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), as well as how nutritional needs may change through the menstrual cycle. 

On this podcast episode I’m joined by Professor Ian Needleman. Ian is a professor of periodontology at University College London. He has a particular interest in oral health and performance in sport. Ian leads a research programme in oral health and elite sport and has been involved in research within professional football and at the London 2012 Olympics. We’re discussing the importance of good oral health, the relationship between sport and oral health, and how we can reduce the risk of high sugar gels and sports drinks damaging our teeth.

On this podcast episode I’m joined by Dr Rebecca Robinson. Rebecca is a consultant in sport and exercise medicine with specific interests in exercise oncology and female athlete health. She's also an elite marathon runner herself and has competed for Team GB. We’re discussing the role of exercise in cancer prevention and treatment, how we can promote the role of exercise medicine across the healthcare system and we also touch on returning to sport after covid-19 infection.   

On this podcast episode I’m joined by Anita Bean. Anita is a sports nutritionist and best-selling author, with titles that include 'The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition' and 'The Vegan Athlete’s Cookbook'. Anita is also the nutritionist for the London Marathon and Ride London and has previously worked for the British Olympic Association and Swim England. We’re discussing the biggest changes in sports nutrition over the last few decades; how we should be fuelling and recovering from endurance activities; and how to optimise athletic performance on plant-based diet. We also discuss some popular supplements including creatine, omega-3 and CBD.

On this episode I’m joined by Damian Hall. Damian is one of the UK’s top ultra endurance athletes and has completed numerous FKTs and challenges including the 268 mile Pennine Way in a record-breaking time of 61hours 34 minutes. Damian is also a running coach and author of multiple books, including 'In it for the Long Run', which details his running journey and many adventures, including his Pennine Way record attempt. Damian is also a passionate environmental activist and co-founded the Green Runners, a running community that focuses on making the planet a better, and greener, place. We’re discussing Damian’s passion for running and how we can all be more sustainable as athletes.  Photo by James Appleton Photography.

On this podcast episode I’m joined by Dr Rob Galloway. Rob is an A&E consultant based in Brighton and Medical Director for the Brighton Marathon. He also facilitates research as part of the Brighton Marathon Research Group. We’re discussing Rob’s personal running journey including his recent first marathon; the health benefits associated with keeping physically active; and top tips for staying safe when marathon running. We'll also cover some of the research work conducted at the Brighton Marathon.   

On this episode I'm joined by paediatric doctor and professional ultra runner, Beth Pascall. In 2020 Beth set a new female record for the Bob Graham Round and a year later she won the Western States 100 Miler, recording the second fastest women's time ever. Over the last year she has suffered with two injury setbacks and we're discussing how she coped with these injuries, as well as how Beth balances her role as a doctor with the demands of ultra running.

On this podcast episode I’m joined by Alex Hutchinson, an author and journalist based in Toronto. Alex writes regularly for the Sweat Science column in Outside Magazine where he focuses on the science behind endurance exercise. He’s also the author of the book 'Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance'. We’re discussing Kipchoge’s sub-2 hour marathon, the role of mindset in performance sports, how we should interpret all the training metrics available to us, and different training methods including heart rate training and polarised training. 

I’m joined by Professor Michael Koehle to discuss air pollution and exercise. Michael is a sports physician and professor of Kinesiology and Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses primarily on environmental and exercise physiology so on this episode we’re discussing the impact of air pollution on human health and exercise performance. We cover what air pollution is, the impact of exercising in highly polluted environments and how we can reduce our air pollution exposure.