Shattering Stereotypes with 'Meatball' Molly McCann

In the final episode of season one, Liverpool-born MMA fighter Molly McCann joins Charlie and James to talk about her career inside and out of the octagon.  Flyweight UFC fighter, ‘Meatball’ Molly, shares her journey. From bouncing back from adversity, when injury ended her professional football career, to becoming a role model for other women in MMA.  As well as talking about how sports science has aided her performance and mental health, Molly explains what training looks like for her as she approaches her next fight. Molly also touches on her personal journey of coming out as gay and writing a book to help children understand their sexuality. Learn more about our brands by visiting scienceinsport.com and phd.com Produced by Astrid Productions for the Science in Sport group.

Professional rugby union player Jack Willis, and musculoskeletal expert Professor Keith Baar join Charlie and James to explore injury and how best to recover from career-threatening injuries. You often can’t have a conversation about sports performance without coming across the topic of injury, so in this episode Wasps flanker, Jack shares his experience after his devastating injury while playing for England at the Six Nations, what’s got him through his darkest moments and how his recovery through rehab is going.  Professor of Molecular Exercise Physiology, Keith Baar, has worked with hundreds of elite athletes as a scientific advisor. Keith shares his expert insight into what is happening in the body during injury, with tips and advice on how to avoid it and recover effectively.  Learn more about our brands by visiting scienceinsport.com and phd.com Produced by Astrid Productions for the Science in Sport group.

Pundit and former Liverpool footballer Jamie Carragher joins Charlie and James to discuss the evolution of the beautiful game.  The ultimate one-club player, Jamie Carragher spent 17 years at Liverpool Football Club and he shares how sports science has changed at the club and for the sport throughout the years. With preseason upon us, Jamie also discusses how to prepare for the new season. Learn more about our brands by visiting scienceinsport.com and phd.com Produced by Astrid Productions for the Science in Sport group.

Four time Tour De France winner, Chris Froome, and expert on Hydration for performance, Dr Lewis James, chat to Charlie and James about how hydrating correctly can be the difference between winning and losing. After winning seven Grand Tours, Cyclist Chris Froome OBE knows what it takes to perform race after race, but most recently has made an incredible recovery after a horrific crash in 2019. He discusses how he fuelled and hydrated his successes and his road to recovery.  Dr Lewis James, Senior Lecturer at Loughborough University, then breaks down the numbers on how to determine the best hydration for optimum performance. Follow @scienceinsport on socials and check out the website for more articles on Hydration.   Produced by Astrid Productions for Science in Sport.

Former England Rugby Union Captain, Dylan Hartley, and leading expert on exercise recovery, Professor Glyn Howatson join Charlie Webster and Professor James Morton to discuss the importance of rest and recovery. Across the board, Rugby players are some of the least rested athletes in sport and so with Dylan being England’s most capped hooker, he’s certainly qualified to share the impact that a lack of rest and recovery had on him as a player and as a retiree too.  Professor Glyn Howatson’s research career has focused on creating strategies for the speedy recovery of athletes. He’s also been a consultant physiologist in professional rugby and football so he shares the secrets to fast-tracked recovery so that you can maintain consistency in your training and performances. Follow @scienceinsport on socials and check out the website for more articles on Recovery and Weight Management.   Produced by Astrid Productions for Science in Sport.

World-record swimmer, Adam Peaty, and globally-renowned expert in training for performance, Professor John Hawley, join Charlie and James to discuss the importance of setting a goal for every session, what Concurrent training is and how we can use it to maximise performance. Throughout his career, Adam Peaty, has not only smashed world records but he’s also won an Olympic gold medal. In this interview, he reveals how, and importantly why, he uses concurrent training as a method to find a balance between his strength and endurance. Professor John Hawley then explains the importance of setting a ‘why’ for every session and how our bodies respond to different training techniques to make sure we’re on track with our goals.  Follow us @scienceinsport on Instagram and Twitter for more exclusive content with our podcast guests.   Produced by Astrid Productions for Science in Sport.

World Record Marathon runner, Paula Radcliffe MBE, and expert in the physiology of endurance athletes, Professor Andy Jones, join Charlie and James to share the secrets of running a fast marathon.  After holding the marathon world record for 17 years, Paula Radcliffe reveals her training that led to her success, plus her career highlights and retiring on her own terms.  Then, Professor Andy Jones shares his tips and tricks if you’re training for a marathon, how you can start running at any age plus his contributions to breaking the 2-hour marathon.  Check out @scienceinsport on Instagram for more exclusive content with some of our podcast guests. We'll be going live with Professor Andy Jones on Thursday 3rd June at 7pm.   Produced by Astrid Productions for Science in Sport.

Manchester United players Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Lee Grant join Charlie and James in this Soccer Special. This episode unveils the behind the scenes details of what it really takes to keep a footballer fit and focussed.  All three players share their fuelling and recovery strategies, their advice for amateur and aspiring professional footballers and they also reflect on how their careers and performances have been shaped by the development of sports science over the years.  Follow us @scienceinsport on Instagram.   Produced by Astrid Productions for Science in Sport.

World-leading cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart, from the Ineos Grenadiers, and former dietician for the Australian Olympic Team, Professor Louise Burke, join Charlie and James to debunk myths and controversies around carbohydrates as well as discussing the best ways to use carbs to fuel podium performances. First up, Tao Geoghegan Hart talks about how he went from a competition winner at the launch of Team Sky to winning the Giro d’Italia, how he fuels ahead of and on race day and how he overcame setbacks and injuries.  Professor Louise Burke discusses the evolution of carbohydrate research throughout her career, the current controversy surrounding high carb versus high fat diets and how best to tailor carbohydrate intake to different sports. Follow us @scienceinsport on Instagram. Produced by Astrid Productions for Science in Sport.

Arsenal and England football player, Jordan Nobbs joins Charlie and James to discuss the impact the menstrual cycle has on her training, performance and nutrition as well as her commentary on being a woman in a male-dominated sport. Historically, menstrual cycles and female athletes have been left at the bottom of the priority list amongst research labs and sports scientists.  It’s a heavily male-dominated industry and overtime, this has led to studies being carried out on males and the results being applied to females, disregarding physical differences. Firstly, you’ll hear Jordan Nobbs talk about how the industry can be improved, as well as how more research into periods heightening injury risk, could have prevented her from missing the world cup in 2019. Expert on menstrual cycles, Dr Kirsty Elliott-Sale, then joins to share her insights on how women must become a priority in research in order to ensure female athletes are no longer viewed as subordinate gender in sports science.   Follow us @scienceinsport on Instagram. Produced by Astrid Productions for Science in Sport.