The Fight Science Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Fight Dietitian
The Fight Dietitian is joined by the worlds leading experts to discuss the evolution and application of Sports Science as it relates to Combat Sports.
Dr. Scott is an Assistant Professor at the University of Brandon in Manitoba, Canada and this is his second time on the podcast.
He is widely regarded as one of the worlds leading researchers and experts when it comes to everyone's favorite supplement; creatine.
In this episode, Dr. Scott and I are going to answer all of your questions about creatine. We discuss dosages, timing, cycling, who it's useful for, what the latest research is suggesting, creatine for brain health, and much more.
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Carl Langan-Evans and Dr. Reid Reale discuss the review paper 'Nutritional Considerations for the Female Athlete in Weight Category Sports' which we all published in the European Journal of Sports Science at the beginning of the year.
We discuss what the evidence really says and how accurate the statements are that female athletes should change their diet and training at different stages of their cycle. We finish with what we know to be true in the evidence and what actually makes a real difference in practice.
This is a very different episode to what I normally put out, but I think there will be immense value in this for a lot of you guys.
If you guys follow me on social media you will know that I have gotten into endurance running and am currently training for an ultra marathon.
This past weekend I had possibly one of the toughest training sessions I’ve ever had, not physically but mentally. The volume of my training schedule combined with running my Businesses and general life is really starting to show me just how brutal this training can be.
I basically walked in the door in not a very good frame of mind, I got the training session done but I just did not feel great about it afterwards. So I called the person who I would deem as one of the best mental performance coaches in the southern hemisphere, David Niethe. You guys would be familiar with him as I have had him on the podcast before.
Niethey basically dropped everything he was doing and got me in for a session so we could go over what happened, reflect on it and learn from it and he also allowed me to film it. I understand you go through high’s and low’s with training but this is a cool example of why it is important to have someone like Dave in your corner to help you handle situations like this.
This is a bit different from our normal podcast content, but I think a lot of you guys will get a lot of value from this.
Paul O'Neill is a Performance Nutritionist from England who since 2013 has been the Founder of ProNutrition Clinic where he consults many of the UK’s most elite boxers.
Paul started his own journey in boxing at just 9 years old and as he got older and gained more experience, he became the go-to guy in the gym for Nutrition advice. He quickly realized his passion lay not in the competitive ranks but in helping his teammates navigate the confusing world of Nutrition. He then went and completed further study to formerly start helping fighters with their performance nutrition.
Paul has been doing this for a long time and in this episode, we get into some great discussions around how other practitioners can get a start in the field, the biggest learnings in his own career, and where he sees the field going. This is a great episode so let's get to it.
Dr. James Morehen is a Performance Nutritionist with a Bachelor's in Sport and Exercise Science, a Masters's of Science in Sports Physiology, and a PhD in Sports Nutrition. He is also the founder and owner of Moorhen Performance and currently works as the Head of Performance Nutrition with the Bristol Bears Rugby Club.
James is a returning guest to show and today we are going to be talking about a brand new paper that he released where he assessed the weight cycling habits of a professional boxer over a five-year time period.
Matt Ulawksi is a movement coach from Southern California who works with a myriad of athletes from a number of different sports where he helps them better understand how to move their body in the best way for their given activity.
Matt has some great insight into just how important correct movement, breathwork, mobility, and flexibility are to performing at your peak in your given sport.
In this episode we go over Matt’s personal history with coaching, his philosophy on coaching, the types of training athletes should be doing to improve their range of motion and he squashes a few long-held myths about flexibility and strength.
Many of you will be familiar with Tyler and his work with many of the greatest UFC fighters to ever do it including, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, and many more.
Tyler is also the owner of Tyler Minton Nutrition, a highly successful nutrition business that looks to cater to not just athletes, but people from all walks of life to get the best out of themselves with Nutrition.
In this episode, Tyler and I discuss his role as a father and how he makes nutritional decisions for his kids, but then we get to the really good stuff where we take a deep dive into what it really takes to make it in this industry of Sports Nutrition. If you are a student, new grad, or practitioner looking for a career change this is the episode for you.
Dr. Amy is the Director of Clinical Sleep Science at Cerebra in Calgary Canada. Sbe has a PhD and Masters of Science in Experimental Psychology from Washington State University, specializing in Sleep EEG.
She is a former athlete herself, notably a hall of fame basketballer, keen mountaineer and has completed in 2009, completed an ironman. Dr. Amy's interest in sleep crosses over both health and performance and she is the go to Sleep Science consultant for many elite-level teams including Team Canada who are about to head off to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
In this episode Dr Amy breaks why we sleep, how our body regulates it, what the stages of sleep are, and answers a few age old myths with a big dose of science.
Dr. Heather Linden is the Director of Physical Therapy at UFC Performance Institute Las Vegas and is the go-to Physical Therapist for many of the worlds leading Combat Sports Athletes.
In this episode, we are going to be breaking down Dr. Heather's contributions to the UFC PI's latest journal and talk about how the UFC Performance Institute is implementing state-of-the-art Sports Medicine in order to keep their athletes in peak physical condition.
Patrick McKeown is a world-renowned author and breathing practitioner who specializes in optimal breathing for health, well-being, and fitness.
Originally trained in the famous Buteyko Breathing Method at the Buteyko Clinic in Moscow, Russia, Patrick has developed and refined his own method of performance breathing across his more than 20-year career.
He currently has 8 books in publications, two of which are consistently in Amazon's top ten best sellers list, ‘close your mouth’ and ‘asthma-free naturally’. His latest book Oxygen Advantage is based on exercises for people seeking to improve their fitness and sports performance. This book has revolutionized the performance of thousands of athletes worldwide and Patrick now has an expansive team of Oxygen Advantage instructors in virtually every country worldwide.
Clint Wattenberg is the Director of Performance Nutrition at the UFC Performance Institute Las Vegas, he is one of the most prominent figures in the area of Combat Sports Science and is well and truly leading the charge when it comes to Nutrition for Combat Athletes.
In this episode, we are going to be breaking down his contributions to the UFC PI's latest journal and talk about what it is exactly that the top Nutrition professionals in MMA are doing with their athletes to make them the best athletes they can be.
Dean is a returning guest to the podcast and is the current Technical Director of the UFC Performance Institute. In this episode, we will break down the new UFC PI Journal 'A Cross Sectional Performance Analysis and Projection of the UFC Athlete Volume 2'. We will be breaking down Dean's contributions to the journal, more specifically the programming and training of the MMA athlete during the different stages of preparation and camp.
Dave Wood is a former intensive care paramedic turned Performance coach. He is fast becoming one of the most sought after coaches in the Australia and New Zealand and this can be credited to his deep understanding of the integration of the different systems of the human body, and the incredible results that he has seen with high profile athletes such as UFC Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya.
Dave specializes in Performance Breathing, a type of training that aims to teach athletes, businesspeople and everyday folk how to become more mindful, learn correct breathing mechanics and to improve their carbon dioxide tolerance.
In this episode Woody and I are going to deep dive into the theory behind his practice and have an in depth discussion about why breathing is not something you do to be one percent better, it is the 99% difference in performance.
Dr. Franchini has a Ph.D. in Physical Education and is an Associate Professor at the school of physical education and sport at the University of Sao Paulo.
He is the coordinator of martial arts and combat sports research group where he and his team have been conducting research in combat sports since 1995.
He is also a strength and conditioning consultant to a number of Olympic and World Championship Judokas, as well as being a 2nd Dan Black Belt himself.
This is a great chat where we overview the combat sports from one of the best well-known researchers in the field.
Mark Germaine is a Performance Nutritionist and Alumni of prestigious Liverpool John Moores University in Liverpool, England.
Mark returns to the podcast to give us a balanced, scientific overview of something that is rapidly flooding all of our social media feeds; CBD.
You do not have to look far to see athletes, businessmen, influencers and everyday folk touting the benefits of CBD in its many forms, but where are we really at with the science of it?
Mark has given many presentations about his very topic so in this episode we are going to discuss exactly what the research currently says and get his thoughts on what the future holds for this popular substance.
Dr. Cohin holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from the University of Louisville as well as a Doctor of Pharmacy from Sullivan University.
He has vast experience in the pharmaceutical industry and is a contributing author to the financial media outlet Entrepreneur. Cohin is the co-founder of The Anthos Group, a wellness company that blends novel agricultural science and clinical data to create next generation health products.
The Anthos Group has recently launched two dynamic wellness brands, CytoCx and TIDL Sport, the latter you most likely know from their cryotherapy hemp spray that is endorsed by none other than The Notorious Conor Mcgregor.
In this episode, Cohin and I discuss how his early career influenced his decision to move into the pharmaceutical industry, his research and work in cannabinoid medicine, the science behind his products, and how he sees the industry moving forward.
Mike Dolce is one of the most well-known and respected trainers, not just in Combat Sports, but in the Health and Fitness industry.
Across his more than 20-year career he has been awarded World MMA Trainer of the Year, not once, but 4 times, he is a best-selling author of his wildly successful book The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, and is the go-to weight management coach to elite level athletes, business people, and everyday warriors.
In the world of Mixed Martial Arts, Mike paved the path for many of us who currently work in Combat Sports Nutrition. He was the go-to Nutrition Coach for the likes of; Ronda Rousey, Randy Couture, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Johnny Hendricks, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Duane Ludwig, Michael Bisping, Gilbert Melendez, and many many more.
In this episode, we will be discussing his career, his philosophy behind weight management in MMA, how he has seen the industry change in the past 20 years, common mistakes he sees athletes make, and what he believes is the best answer to the weight cutting issue.
Dean is a Physiotherapist, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and owner of one of Australia’s premier clinics Fighting Fit Physiotherapy on the Gold Coast.
Dean has over 15 year’s experience working with fighters, as well as competing himself. His clinic and gym is the go to training and rehabilitation center for the Gold Coasts top combat sport athletes, and there is a good reason why.
Dean and his team utilize the latest technology to best inform individual training strategies designed specifically for each fighter’s physiology. He puts a lot of emphasis on individualization and recovery, and the results he gets certainly proves that.
In this episode, dean and I will go over his approach to training his athletes, how Strength and conditioning fits in the overall training routine, what technology he uses, why recovery is so important and his advice for fighters who are looking to make strides in their performance.
Dr. Duncan French is a world-renowned Performance specialist and is the current Head of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute, Las Vegas. He has worked with elite-level Olympic athletes in Great Britain, numerous universities, and is a published author of over 60 peer-reviewed articles. In a nutshell, Duncan is the Beez Neez when it comes to Sports Performance.
In this episode, Duncan overviews Volume 2 of the UFC PI Cross-Sectional Analysis and Projection of the UFC Athlete. This episode is the perfect preface for upcoming episodes where I will be breaking down each section with the contributing authors.
Tyler Minton is a regular guest on the podcast and one of the best-known names when it comes to Nutrition for Combat Sports athletes. His career in the field has spanned over a decade and he has worked with some of the best of the best including; Daniel Cormier, Max Holloway, and Khabib Nurmagamedov.
The last time we spoke, Tyler had just started his own business, appropriately named Tyler Minton Nutrition where he expanded his services to everyone beyond the world of fighting. Since then his business has boomed and he is now helping people from all walks of life achieve their best selves with their nutrition.
I wanted Tyler to come on so we could have an honest discussion leading into the New Years' about what people should and shouldn’t be doing to become the best version of themselves in 2021.
Charles Stull is the Performance Nutrition Manager at the UFC Performance Institute, Las Vegas. Over the past 18 months, Charles has been pivotal in designing and implementing the UFC and Trifecta's Fight Week Meal Service in which they assist with the Nutritional needs of fighters making weight during Fight week.
2020 has been a crazy year for everyone, but none more so than the UFC, I have got Charles on to chat about what it has been like coordinating the meals of all the fighters during this time.
Charles has also contributed an entire chapter to the new UFC PI Journal all about Nutrition for Traumatic Brain Injury, in this episode, Charles will detail his major recommendations for athletes who have sustained damage to the head.
Dr. Reid Reale is the whose who in combat sports nutrition. He is one of the foremost published researchers in the area and is currently the Performance Nutrition Manager at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai.
I wanted to get Reid back on the podcast to discuss his recent experience spending 5 weeks managing the Nutrition of all of the athletes on UFC Fight Island and discuss some burning topics that are hot in the world of combat sports nutrition right now.
Taylor is an accredited Sports Dietitian and owner of The Sports Dietitian, one of Australia’s most successful sports nutrition clinic that focuses on strength sports. Taylor predominantly works with athletes from the recreational to the elite in Crossfit, powerlifting, and weightlifting but also works with athletes in team, endurance, and combat sports.
Alongside her success in the world of Performance Nutrition, Taylor is a leader in the area of energy availability and makes a real effort to make athletes aware of the negative health and performance outcomes that can occur when they under fuel for prolonged periods of time.
In this episode, we discuss everything about energy availability, what it is, why you need to know about it, what low energy availability is, how that can lead to relative energy deficiency and how this affects a number of different systems in the body.
Chef Mario Limaduran is the Executive Chef at Trifecta Nutrition and is a pivotal part of the highly successful UFC Performance Institute/Trifecta partnership that fuels UFC fighters during their fight weeks.
In this episode we discuss Fight Island 2.0 and what the experience was like for Chef Mario and his team for the second time around.
Dr. Oliver has joined us again on the podcast to discuss his latest paper titled Reviewing the current methods of assessing hydration in athletes.
In this chat we discuss all of the current methods there are to assess hydration and discuss whether or not they should be used with combat athletes who are making weight.
This is extremely interesting given that ONE championship makes all of their fighters pass, a hydration test that assesses that concentration of the athlete's urine to officially make weight.
Oliver and I discuss if this is truly a good idea and an accurate measure of hydration and what the flaws are in this system.
At the back end of this chat, we also dive into some more philosophical questions behind the entire weight-making process including why we both believe it is an issue, how you would go about solving that problem, and the organizational changes that would be needed to facilitate that.
Dr. Carl Evans is back on the podcast to discuss his latest research paper 'Physiological and psychological consequences of low energy availability in a male combat sports athlete'.
In this episode, we discuss energy availability, the current recommendations, how they fit in with combat sports athletes, and the results of the paper.
Dave Niethe is a Master NLP Practitioner, Master Time Line Therapist, and Master Hypnotherapist. Put simply, he is an Elite level Mental Performance Coach.
Dave himself has competed at an elite level in rowing, rugby, and strongman holding many records in both power lifting and the New Zealand strongman. He is also the current GPC masters power lifting champion.
The reason I asked Dave to come on the podcast is to discuss his work with his elite-level combat athletes which include UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, UFC Lightweight prospect Brad Quake Riddell and UFC Flyweight standout Kai Kara France.
Dr. Andy Galpin is a tenured Professor in the Center for Sport Performance at California State University Fullerton.
Andy has an Undergraduate degree in Exercise Science, a Masters degree in Human Movement Sciences and in 2011 earned his PhD in Human Bioenergetics.
In this episode, Dr Galpin and I discuss how he takes his extensive knowledge about the human body and performance, and helps develop more complete, efficient, and advanced combat athletes.
Sam Gilbert is a registered physiotherapist with the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) and certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from Latrobe university (Melbourne, Australia) and a master’s degree in Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning) from Edith Cowan University (Perth, Australia).
Sam has combined his practical experience with an in-depth study of sports performance in relation to combat sports, and strives to help other combat athletes reach their full competitive potential, whilst at the same time decreasing injury risk and increasing competition and training potential.
Dr. Roberts received her doctorate from University College London, where she studied the control of cell growth and fat metabolism.
She is the founder of Feed, Fuel, Perform a Performance Nutrition company that works with a myriad of different athletes, including many different weight category athletes.
In this episode we are going to discuss the differences between making weight in combat sports compared to other weight category sports, such as powerlifting and weight lifting and we are also going to explore how Dr. Roberts successfully takes her athletes through the weight-making process entirely online.
Alexa is a Registered Dietitian who holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Sciences and Dietetics and a Masters of Science in Dietetics.
She is the former Performance Nutrition Coordinator at the UFC Performance Institute Las Vegas and recently started her own private practice, Alexa Eisenberg Nutrition.
Alexa has a plethora of knowledge that is applicable for not only athletes but the general population as well. I have asked her to come on today so we can clear the air on some common Nutrition misconceptions.
'Lightning' Mike Angove is a former world champion kickboxer and professional boxer. He is New Zealand’s leading combat sports analyst and commentator and is often found in the commentary box for many of New Zealand’s major events.
Mike is also one of the coaches at world renowned City Kickboxing, home of UFC Middleweight Champ Israel Adesanya, UFC Featherweight Champ Alexander Volkanovski, Dan Hooker, Brad Riddell, Kai Kara France, Shane Young and a stack of contenders on the rise.
I’ve gotten Mike on the podcast to chat about two things; the coaching systems at Citykickboxing and to talk about the rich history of Combat Sports across Australia and New Zealand to give some context of how this history has shaped one of the best gyms in modern combat sports.
Dr. Georgie is the Senior Sports Scientists and research scientist at Orreco, a leading sports data and analytics company.
She has completed a Bachelor science with honours in physiological science at the University of Bristol. She also has completed a PhD from University College London focusing on iron deficiency, the menstrual cycle, and the female athlete.
In this episode, Dr. Georgie talks us through the practical considerations that coaches need to think about for their female athletes.
Dave 'Woody' Wood is an intensive care paramedic who has spent the majority of his life in very stressful situations.
This combined with a serious injury, that led to chronic pain, caused Woody to look for a natural but effective method to deal with these internal and external stresses. This is where he found the science of breathing.
Woody's Movement Workshop is Woody's High Performance Centre that teaches athletes the art and science of breathing to reach peak performance and promote maximal recovery. He does this by helping individuals better understand their own breathing and then teaching them various techniques to utilise different components of their Autonomic Nervous System.
Sound too good to be true? Well not for some of New Zealand's most elite level fighters. Woody has been using these techniques with huge success with world renowned City Kickboxing and has been making their elite level athletes even more elite.
In this episode we discuss Woody's journey and what it is exactly that he does with these athletes to get such impactful results.
Dr. Nikole Maclellan is a Naturopathic Doctor and Dietitian who specialises in Sports Medicine and Pain Management.
Dr. Maclellan specialises in Female Athlete physiology and in this episode we speak about the menstrual cycle, what is considered normal during each phase of the cycle, the potential performance implications of each phase, oral contraceptives and how to reconcile all of this into practice.
Chef Mario Limaduran is the Executive Chef at Trifecta Nutrition who is the official partner and service provider of the UFC.
Chef Mario works alongside the UFC Performance Institute Nutrition team to feed UFC athletes during their Fight Weeks to ensure they are making weight in the safest and scientific manner possible.
In this episode we discuss the monumental task of feeding UFC Fight Island. Chef Mario discusses the unique challenges it presented and how his team is overcoming them.
Chris Kirk is a Ph.D. researcher at Liverpool John Moores University where he is studying the physiological demands of mixed martial arts.
I have invited Chris back to discuss his most recent papers, the first of which is the first piece of evidence in the literature to demonstrate that weight regain after rapid weight loss is not associated with competitive success in high level Mixed Martial Artists.
We also discuss his research in studying workload during training and the gaps in research when studying Mixed Martial Artists.
Dean is the Director of MMA at the UFC Performance Insititute in Shanghai, China. Dean, alongside the other staff at the PI, are responsible for coordinating the development of the academy athletes who are part of the Performance Institute team.
In this episode, we discuss Dean's own MMA career, his coaching career, how he came to be working at the UFC PI, and how his team coordinate and develop the academy athletes. There's a lot to get through so let's get to it.
Dr. Fundaro has A Ph.D. in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, from Virginia Tech. She is a Monash low-FODMAP certified and ISSN-certified sports nutritionist, and ACE-certified health coach.
In this episode, we discuss common myths in regards to the microbiome, what dietary patterns seem to be favorable for good gut health, why to show caution when reading science on social media and we discuss the science behind fecal transplants.
Louise Bloor is a Performance Nutritionist who for the better part of the last decade has worked with the British Judo Association.
In this time Louise has rallied to change the culture and behaviours of the athletes when it comes to making weight.
In this episode, we discuss the difficulties she faced early in her career, the importance of engaging coaches and stakeholders, implementing policy around making weight, and the changes she has seen in her time with the association.
Dr. Duncan French is the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
Dr. French has worked in high performance for over twenty years and three Olympic cycles working with Elite and Olympic level athletes.
In this episode, we discuss the systems he put in place to ensure a high-performance culture at the UFC PI, the impact the PI has had on the sport, how they collect and collate data on athletes, and what the future holds for the PI.
Mark Germaine is a Performance Nutritionist and Alumni of prestigious Liverpool John Moores University in Liverpool, England.
Mark returns to the podcast to discuss how his practice has changed over the past twelve months based on the latest scientific literature.
We discuss the role of carbohydrates in training, low carb diets, heat acclimation and cutting weight in the bath.
Charles Stull is the Performance Nutrition Manager at the UFC Performance Institute, Las Vegas.
Charles has been pivotal in creating and applying a revolutionary Fight Week Nutrition service to UFC athletes during a UFC Fight Week.
Alongside Trifecta, the UFC PI team provides athletes with individualised Fight Week strategies and meals to ensure they are making weight in the safest and most scientific manner possible.
Dr. Lewis James is a lecturer and researcher at Loughborough University, England.
Dr. Lewis completed his Ph.D. in human water balance and has himself has been a lifelong martial artist.
In this episode, we discuss the specifics of fight week strategies leading into the rapid weight loss phase (weight cut) and what to consider to optimally rehydrate and refuel the athlete post-weigh-in.
Dr. Oliver Barley is a researcher from Edith Cowan University who is arguably Australia's leading Combat Sports Researcher.
Dr. Oliver is a specialist in hydration and in this episode, we discuss his newest research that assesses the validity of the common lab based hydration tests.
We also discuss the theoretical and practical benefits of combat athletes utilising a heat acclimation protocol.
Dr. Jacobi is one of Australia’s leading experts in the treatment of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a common cause of IBS. She frequently lectures nationally and internationally on this topic.
She has twenty years clinical experience as a Naturopathic Doctor and specializes in functional gut disorders. She is the Director of the Biome clinic where she treats patients with SIBO.
In this episode, we discuss what SIBO is, the symptoms of it, and how to treat it. We also discuss the carnivore diet and its affect on the microbiome as well as the benefits of polyphenol rich foods.
Dr. Lindsay Bottoms is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Hertfordshire University and is currently the research lead for Sport, Health and Exercise. She is on the board of the American College of Sports Medicine Combat Sports Special Interest Group and is a former elite level fencer.
In this episode, we discuss the lesser-known combat sport of fencing and it’s unique nutritional requirements as well as Dr. Linday's research into carbohydrate mouth rinsing, fluid balance, and tart cherry juice.
Dr. James Morehen is a Performance Nutritionist who works with elite level rugby players, footballers, and professional boxers.
He completed his Ph.D. at world renowned Liverpool John Moores University where he assessed the Nutritional and Energetic demands of Rugby Players.
In this episode, we discuss his work with former WBA Super Middleweight Champion Rocky Fielding and how Dr. James uses his knowledge of Performance Nutrition to ensure Rocky is stepping in to the ring in peak condition.
Dr. Francine Marques is a researcher who investigates the relationship between gut microbiota and heart health.
Her research interests include finding new therapies and early markers to prevent cardiovascular disease, in particular high blood pressure and heart failure. Her research has shown that a diet reach in fibre is able to lower blood pressure and improve heart function through the modulation of the bacteria in our gut.
In this episode, we discuss Dr. Marques personal journey with ovarian cancer and how that impacted her research focus, and how having a healthy gut can lead to having a healthy heart.
Joseph Matthews is a Lecturer in Sports Therapy at Birmingham City University with an interest in sports nutrition and muscle physiology. His research focus is on rapid weight loss in combat sports athletes and the risks associated with making-weight; with the aim to help drive change to protect the health and wellbeing of athletes.
Joe is also completing his Ph.D. at Nottingham Trent University where he is investigating the biological roles of carnosine and beta alanine in skeletal muscle.
In this episode, Joe and I have some great organic discussion about why certain problems exist in combat sports and why research is important in solving them to make it safer for everyone who enjoys them. We also discuss in depth his research in to beta alanine and its use for performance and health.
Dr. David Zeevi is an independent research fellow at Rockefeller University in New York. His current work focuses on developing computational methods for studying microbial ecology in the human gut and in the marine environment, and its contribution to human and environmental health.
His Ph.D. assessed the genetic, lifestyle, metabolic, and microbial profiles of over 800 individuals to develop an algorithm to predict the glycemic response of the individual to particular meals.
This groundbreaking research was highly successful and is a major step towards developing completely personalised nutrition.
In this episode, we discuss the microbiome, individual responses to food, artificial sweeteners and how close we are to truly personalised nutrition.
Dr. Jim Kantidakis is a clinical Psychologist and Hypnotherapist with over 12 years of clinical experience in the area of Psychogastroenterology.
He is the founder of The Gut Centre, which has multiple locations across Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane where his team treat patients suffering from Functional Gut Disorders.
In this episode, we cover what gut-directed hypnotherapy is, its physiological effect on the gut, the gut-brain axis, and what a clinical treatment session looks like.
Dr. Matteo Capodaglio is the owner and founder of Caponutrition, a Performance Nutrition company based in Los Angeles, California.
He has a Doctor of Pharmacy, a Masters of Science specializing in Human Nutrition and a Post Graduate Diploma in Performance Nutrition from the Institute of Performance Nutrition.
Dr. Capodaglio is known for integrating his Italian heritage into his Nutrition Protocols which are used by top level Combat Athletes in many disciplines.
In this episode, we discuss his philosophy when it comes to Performance Nutrition for Combat Athletes, and the different Nutrition approaches needed for the different weigh-in formats.
Bruno Follmer is completing a Ph.D. at the University of Victoria investigating Concussion in Combat Sports.
His research investigates how weight classes affect the likelihood of sustaining a concussion, what trends are seen in different disciplines and where coaches and athletes receive their knowledge on how to prevent and treat a concussion.
The goal of Bruno's research is to help close the knowledge gap that exists between the scientific community and those who participate in combat sports.
This is a must listen for anyone involved in combat sports in any capacity.
Laura Tilt is a Reigstered Dietitian and owner of Tilt Nutrition. She is a specialist in managing and facilitating a healthy gut.
In this episode, we discuss and breakdown the five pillars of gut health. These include; effective digestion, regular stools, symptoms, the microbiome and the gut-brain axis.
Frances Walker aka The Food Intolerance Dietitian is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with a Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics and over 25 years clinical experience.
Her practice specializes in Gut Health and she helps clients identify potential causes of gut distress such as food intolerances, allergies, food chemicals, preservatives and additives.
She uses the latest evidence and up to date science to identify these problems and consult her clients on how to best remove them while maintaining a healthy diet.
We discuss everything from what gut health is, the difference between an allergy and an intolerance, what the go is with dairy and gluten, and what the FODMAP diet is.
Dr. Scott Forbes is a world-renowned researcher who researches the effects of supplementation on athletic performance.
Dr. Forbes has a primary research interest in Creatine and its potential benefits for athletes across many different sports.
In this episode we discuss what Creatine is, how to use it, and what benefits athletes can expect from using it. We also discuss the use of Creatine for Combat Athletes when making weight and rehydrating post weigh-ins.
John Sassone is a Registered Dietitian, published author, researcher, a Black Belt in Brasilian Jiu-Jitsu and a former professional MMA fighter.
He is the owner and founder of Combat Sports Dietitian, a team of evidence-based Dietitians who assist Combat Athletes with their Performance through Nutrition.
In this episode John discusses his supplement protocol, his own research and his approach to fight camp Nutrition.
Dr. Mike Piekarski is a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist Physical Therapist practicing in Sacramento, California.
Dr. Mike is better known by his social media alias Doctor Kickass. Over his platforms, he uses the concepts of anatomy and biomechanics to break down the science behind famous injuries, popular submissions and vulnerable positions fighters find themselves in.
In this episode we discuss how Doctor Kickass came to be, his Professional MMA career, common BJJ injuries, and his thoughts on current concussion treatment protocols.
Joseph Coyne is the Director of Performance at the innovative UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China.
He has previously worked as the Performance Manager for the Chinese Olympic Committees National Sports Training Centers in the lead up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and before that owned his own clinic where he worked with athletes of all sports to reach their peak performance.
In this episode, we discuss Joseph's transition to the UFC PI in Shanghai, his role as Director of Performance, the uniqueness, and effectiveness of his superstar team, how the academy is structured and where he see’s the academy going in the next couple of years.
Dr. Heather Linden is the head of Physical Therapy at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
Heather plays an integral role in keeping the UFC athletes in peak condition and uses the latest science and technology to ensure that if they get injured, they are returning to training in the best shape possible, as soon as possible.
In this episode, we discuss Heather’s role at the UFC PI, the newest data that the PI has been collecting over its lifetime, what we currently know about concussion for combat athletes and Heather's role during a UFC Fight Week.
Gavin Pratt is the Strength and Conditioning Manager for the UFC Performance Institute (PI) in Shanghai China, where he leads the first-ever elite academy of young Chinese fighters. His role is to develop the physical capacities of the rostered UFC athletes, as well as the full-time academy athletes who are dawning on their UFC debuts.
Gav has one of the most impressive and diverse careers in Strength and Conditioning totaling 20 years’ experience training elite level athletes.
In this episode, we discuss how he came to work with the UFC PI, how the Academy team at the Shanghai PI is structured, the facilities and equipment he has available to him, and how he programs their year-round training schedule to optimize their performance.
Corey Beasley is the founder of fightcampconditioning.com. and he has been working as a coach for over 16 years, working with top fighters from the UFC, Bellator, ADCC and more.
Fight Camp Conditioning is a hub of knowledge for Combat athletes, coaches, and enthusiasts. You can find information on strength training, nutrition, technique and much more.
In this episode, Corey and I talk about how Fight Camp Conditioning came to be the juggernaut it is today, and we dive in to his recommendations when strength training fighters.
Tony Ricci one of the most experienced and successful coaches in the Combat Sports world. He is a qualified Strength and Conditioning Coach, Board Certified Sports Nutritionists, Lecturer, Researcher and Black Belt across many Combat disciplines.
Tony has worked with a number of World Champions in every major organisation you can think of and is a mentor to many of the prominent figures in the Combat Sports Nutrition and Conditioning worlds.
In this episode, we discuss his research of Creatine for Combat Athletes, the concept of Neurosports, supplementation and his protocol for strength training his athletes.
Coach Ben Z returns to the podcast to speak all things Strength and Conditioning. Ben is a first degree Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, owning three adacemies and a Strength and Conditioning Coach at MusclePharm HQ.
Coach Ben is the go to trainer for a number of high-level Combat Athletes across California and is a fountain of knowledge in the areas of Nutrition, Strength and Technical training.
In this episode, we discuss the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the future of the health and fitness industry, his strategies when strength training athletes, and his thoughts on some current trends in the Combat Strength world.
Bo Sandoval is the Director of Strength and Conditioning at the UFC Performance Institute, Las Vegas. He has a decorated career working with collegiate and olympic athletes in various sports and is now developing the next generation of fighters with the UFC.
In this episode, we discuss his journey to the UFC, his rigorous testing protocols, how he programs an individualized protocol, key physiological characteristics fighters need at different weight classes and the future growth of the Performance Insitute globally.
Dan Brown is a Ph.D. Candidate at Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia. He is investigating Head and Neck Trauma in Combat Athletes.
As part of his Ph.D., he is developing preventative tools that can be utilized by athletes and coaches and a system to consistently monitor the signs and symptoms of Head and Neck Trauma to quickly identify and treat abnormalities should they arise.
Dan is leading the field in Concussion research in this population and this episode is a must-listen for anyone involved in Combat Sports.
Phil Daru is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at American Top Team, Coconut Creek, Florida and the CEO and Founder of Daru Strong.
He is one of the top S&C coaches in all of MMA and has coached athletes such as Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Dustin Poirier, King Mo, Colby Covington, and many other UFC athletes.
In this episode, we discuss his journey from D1 Football to twice being nominated for Trainer of the year at the World MMA Awards. We discuss his training methodologies and how he gets athletes from many different sports all over the world Daru Strong.
Meer Awny is the Owner and Head Coach of Ethos Performance AU, one of Australia's premier training facilities for Combat Athletes.
The walls of Ethos are home to UFC stars Tyson Pedro and Tai Tuivasa, Bellator athletes Arlene Blencowe and Janay Harding, Boxing sensation George Kambosos Jnr as well many other local, national and Olympic level athletes.
In this episode, Meer and I discuss how he is handling the recent COVID-19 shutdown, the difference between training amateurs and professionals, and the key concepts that you need to practice to effectively train Combat Athletes.
Jonathan Pain is a Researcher and Strength and Conditioning Coach with over 15 years experience in the Combat Sports Space.
A former competetitor himself, he has worked Combat Athletes across the UK from the local, national, international and Olympic levels.
In this episode we discuss how to best integrate yourself as part of a Combat Team, and Jonathan's latest research on the metabolic effect of carbohydrate intake and performance. An area of research that is a hot topic in the Sports Nutition world, as many athletes often completely remove carbohydrates from their diet as an attempt to reduce body weight prior to weigh ins.
Dr. Mo Mustafa is an Emergency Doctor working at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia.
Dr. Mo is currently preparing for the impending increase in COVID-19 cases. In this episode we discuss the importance of social distancing and how practicing this act can be the difference between thousands of cases and millions.
Dr. Stuart McGill is a world-renowned expert in the biomechanics of the spine. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Waterloo and Chief Scientific Officer at BackFitPro.
Dr. McGill has consulted with thousands of athletes to assist them with rehabilitation, injury prevention and movement optimization for performance. He has assisted high-level MMA athletes such as former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St Pierre.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of the spine in efficient movement, how to correctly load the spine, the biomechanics of power and how this applies to Combat Athletes.
Dr. Corey Peacock is one the most well-established Strength Coaches in the Combat Sports World. He currently works with Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman, as well as a number of high level Combat Athletes in many disciplines.
Dr. Peacock testing facility is sought out by coaches around the US. He takes athletes through and monitors a host of strength and performance measures to ensure that his athletes are performing at peak condition all throughout their careers.
In this episode, we discuss his latest research into The Warrior Gene, his assessment protocol, and the latest testing equipment he is using to optimize his athletes.
Andrew 'Woody' Wood is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the famous Tiger Muay Thai.
Woody trains a host of high level Combat Athletes including Featherweight World Champion Alexander Volkanovski, UFC Lightweight Brad Riddell, Bantamweight Tittle Contender Peter Yan, along with athletes in basically every major Combat organization.
In this episode we discuss his core principles for performance, the importance of strength and recovery for Combat Athletes as well as the unique challenges that come with training athletes in Thailand.
Coach Sunz is the mastermind Strength and Conditioning Coach behind Israel Adesanya, Kai Kara-France and a number of other fighters at world-renowned City Kickboxing.
He is sought out by athletes of all levels in many sports across New Zealand. In this episode, we discuss his style of coaching that he describes as 'old school blended with new-age science' and break down his methods for training elite level fighters.
Dr. Carl Evans is back as our first return guest! In this episode Carl talks to us about the developments of his research in the area of RED-s and what the effects of being in a low-calorie state over the period of a Fight Camp has on both performance and biological markers. We also discuss the recommended RED-s guidelines and question the validity of these to Combat Sports athletes. We also speak about the concept of 'Train Low' and how this can be used to optimize performance amongst the latest in Combat Sports research.
Dr. Brendan Egan is a researcher from Dublin City University that leads an Irish research group that is at the epicentre of Combat Sports research.
In order for this research to give us meaningful results that we can use in our practice, we need to ensure the studies are expertly designed.
Dr. Brendan Egan is an expert in study design and in this episode we cover what it takes to design world class studies and how to critically assess research to decide whether or not it is relevant for your practice or not.
Clare is an Associate Professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences at Griffith University and is one of Australia's leading researchers in the area of physiological considerations for the female athlete.
She has made a career out of understanding the unique requirements for the elite performance of female athletes.
In this episode we discuss how females are different from males, why they should not be treated the same as their male counterparts, and how you can go about doing that in your practice.
John Connor is the co-founder of the Irish Strength Institute, a prolific high-performance center in Dublin that has catered to many of the best Combat Sport Athletes the country has to offer.
John is currently completing a PhD at Dublin City University investigating the bathing protocols that are used by Mixed Martial Artists when they are cutting weight. To date, his research is the first to look at this in this population and is the first to outline a protocol that may be standardised to improve the safety of the practice.
This episode is a great listen for any athletes, coaches or practitioners who have athletes who use baths in order to make weight.
Chris Kirk is an Applied Sports Scientist, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Lecturer and Researcher whose research interest lies in performance requirements and training effects of different combat sports.
His PhD is investigating the training loads and physiological effects of preparation for mixed martial arts competition to better inform training requirements and development frameworks to reduce the negative effects of this training.
In this episode we discuss his research and explore the questions of what is performance for a combat sport athlete and how well do we really understand the physiology that drives this.
David Nolan is one of the most sought out coaches in the UK and is currently completing his PhD investigating the factors that influence the expression of maximal strength in athletes.
In this episode we discuss the results of the first study of his PhD along with his philosophies of coaching and what you should do if you are wanting to work with elite level athletes.
Chef Mario Limaduran is the Executive Chef at sports performance company, Trifecta.
Chef Mario works alongside the UFC Performance Institute preparing all of the meals that UFC athletes consume during Fight Week. His work is not only to safely get the athletes to weight and have them performing, but to present nourishing food that is both aesthetic and flavourful.
In this episode we detail what an average Fight Week looks like for Chef Mario, the principles he follows for his athletes, and his recommendation for anyone wanting to improve their cooking skills at home.
Jackson Peos is a leading researcher in the field of Diet Breaks and Refeeds for athletes.
His PhD is focussed on assessing the effects that Intermittent Energy Restriction approaches have on body composition, performance, metabolism, mood and adherance against traditional Continious Energy Restriction approaches.
The information in this episode is extremely useful for any athletes who competes in weight based sports and offers novel approaches for coaches.
World-renowned Nutritionist Tyler Minton joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss his philosophy when it comes to working with Fighters.
A former professional fighter himself, Tyler has maintains the perfect balance of Art and Science when it comes to safely guiding his athletes through the weight making process.
In this episode we discuss; his new business venture, his relationship with the UFC PI, his work with Aussie Superstar Megan Anderson, and how he gets his athletes to safely make weight.
Megan Bray is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Sports Dietitian who is the Co-Director of Food Mind Body, a Practice that specializes in Eating Disorder Treatment and the Non-Diet Approach to Nutrition.
In this episode we discuss; The Eating Disorder Spectrum, typical behaviors associated with Disordered Eating, red flags to look out for, where to find specialized help, and new government initiatives to make access to specialized care easier for people living with an Eating Disorder.
Dr. Reid Reale joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss his new role at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, and his previous work with the Australian Institute of Sport.
Reid conducted the first study that looked at water loading as a technique for acute weight loss in combat athletes.
In this episode we discuss; his philosophy when it comes to making weight, what he assesses and monitors during the process, the different fight week strategies to acutely manipulate weight and what he learnt from his water loading study.
In this episode we discuss the practical applications of guiding a Combat Athlete through the weight making process.
Coach Ben Zhuang is a Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and runs SCHOOL Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. He also works out of MusclePharm HQ is Burbank, California.
He has helped countless UFC athletes prepare for their fights and is a leading coach within the US Combat Sports community.
Dr. Oliver Barley joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss the Current State of Weight Cutting in Combat Sports.
Oliver has recently earned his PhD from Edith Cowan University where he and his team completed a number of insightful studies in the field of Weight Cutting.
In this episode we discuss; The prevalence of weight cutting in combat sports, the limitations of hydration testing, how weight cutting can cause mental fatigue, and his latest research in heat acclimation and how it can be used to improve weight cutting practices.
Clint Wattenberg, Director of Performance Nutrition at the UFC PI, Las Vegas, joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss his philosophies when it comes to Performance Nutrition for fighters.
In this episode we discuss; the importance of accurately assessing body composition, understanding energy systems, tailoring your plans for the individual, strategies for fight week, the importance of the post weigh-in period, and how to incorporate good practices throughout the entire year.
Clint and his colleagues are leading the way in innovative research and practice. This is a great discussion that sets the standard for everyone involved in this field.
Dr. Carl Langan-Evans joins The Fight Science podcast to discuss the latest evidence in the field of Combat Sport Nutrition.
In 2011, Carl co-authored the infamous 'Making Weight in Combat Sport' which has served as a staple blueprint for practitioners working in the area.
In this episode we discuss; his recent trip to UFC Greenville, new findings since releasing this article, the responsibility of practitioners working in this field, energy availability and it's relation to RED-S, the concept of 'within daily energy balance', the wild post fight hyperphagic response many fighters experience and findings from his latest research.
I highly recommend this episode for all combat athletes, coaches, practitioners and students.
Sue Gullery joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss her perspective when it comes to making weight in combat sports.
Sue has over 20 years working as a Paramedic and working with Combat Athletes to help them safely make weight.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of being able to assess body composition and fluid balance to determine the safe parameters in which a fighter can safely make weight and what you need to be aware of to safely rehydrate after weigh-ins. We also discuss what needs to be done in the team environment to ensure that coaches, managers and teammates are all supporting these safe practices.
World renowned Sleep and High Performance Expert Dr. Ian Dunican joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss the importance of sleep for an athletes performance.
In this episode we discuss; the importance of sleep, the different stages of sleep, how to determine the sleep schedule that works best for you based on your chronotype, how to structure your sleep during a fight camp, what you need to consider during fight week, how sleep can affect your weight cut, and we touch on napping, the use of caffeine and the performance benefits and detriments of getting your sleep schedule right or wrong.
This is an informative chat suitable for all athletes, coaches and enthusiasts about one of the most underrated and free tools that can skyrocket your performance on and off the mats.
Dr. Doug Kalman joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss Exercise and Nutrition Physiology specific to Fighters.
In this episode we discuss the phosphagen and glycolytic systems and how they relate to fight fitness, determining thresholds, how to use these to better your nutrition strategy, performance supplements and what type of protein supplement is best for fighters.
This is a great episode for athletes, coaches, students and practitioners alike.
If you want to know more about Applied Evidence Based Sports Nutrition then head over to the International Society for Sports Nutrition and find out how you can become certified or attend a conference near you.
Dr. Andrea Hill aka The Fight Doctress joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss her role as a Ringside Physician with organisations such as the UFC, USA Boxing, IKF and ISKA.
In this episode we cover CTE, the effects of dehydration on the brain, the difference between fluid being inside or outside of the cell, why sodium is so important in the body, at what point does cutting become much riskier, and why putting fluid back in the body doesn't necessarily mean you are rehydrating yourself adequately.
This episode is a must listen for any combat athlete or coach who uses sweating techniques in their efforts to make weight.
Amelie Rosseneu joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss the science and philosophy behind her new book 'Making Weight & Everything Else'.
Amelie is a former National Champion Judoka of Israel and Belgium, U23 European Champion and was ranked #5 on the World Ranking List.
After struggling with her Nutrition for much of her competetive career she went to Univeristy to become a Dietitian.
She now works as a Sports Dietitian consulting to amateur, professional and elite level combat athletes all over the world.
After listening to this podcast listeners will understand; how to assess body composition, calories and macronutrient needs without sophisticated testing equipment, how to assess strategies for the week before competition, and what to consider post weigh in.
We also speak about making weight for children and considerations for the female athlete. It is a great chat with a balanced view between high level education and elite level experience.
Danny Lennon joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss his world-class, evidence-based, and recently updated Sigma Nutrition Weight Cutting System.
Danny discusses Nutritional strategies for inside of fight camp, the acute weight cut phase, the refuelling window, the post fight window and transitioning this to a longer term outside-of-fight-camp strategy.
This episode offers listeners real world advice from one of the worlds leading practitioners in the field.
At the end of listening you will be able to calculate how many calories you need at each of the phases, how to safely plan a weight cut, how to determine what weight cut strategies are appropriate for you, how to adequately refuel after the weigh ins and have strategies to control the post-fight binge.
Mark Germaine joins The Fight Science Podcast to discuss how a Professional Performance Nutritionist develops a Fight Camp Plan for a Combat Athlete.
In this episode we discuss; Energy Availability, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), Testing Equipment, Relevant Equations to Determine Intake and Output, Substrate Metabolism, Carbohydrate Periodisation, The Effects of Dehydration on the Body and Rebound Hyperphagia.
This episode is full of world class information you can start using right now to improve your training, performance and overall well-being.