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Be it doping in sport, hot topics like Caster Semenya or Oscar Pistorius, or the dehydration myth, we try to translate the science behind sports and sports performance. Consider a donation if you like what you see here!
Search Results // Ross Tucker
Book Ross for a speaking engagement
Speaking and consulting What business, individual and life-lessons can be learned from the world of high performance sport? Elite sport is a world where athletes, coaches and managers pursue more than simply excellence, recognizing that perfection is the ultimate target. It is a world where creating a culture of team-work, discipline, attention to detail, creativity […]
Ross’ research
My current research interests include: The physiology of elite Kenyan distance runners The biomechanical study of the “skill” acquisition of barefoot running Fatigue and neuromuscular function in elite athletes with cerebral palsy Biomechanics and physiological characteristics of elite sprint kayakers Talent, training and sporting systems: How policy-makers, coaches and athletes should identify and manage talent […]
Flawed evidence, robust research and scientific integrity in the IAAF’s DSD Regulations
This is a guest post, sort of. Well, it’s a post that was co-authored by myself, along with two other academics – Roger Pielke Jr from the USA and Erik Boye of Norway. You may recall that last year, about this time actually, the three of us tried to look at the data that was […]
WADA, Russian doping, ‘realpolitik’ and the ignored voice of athletes
So here’s a funny little anecdote to kick off today’s Short Thought on Sport. Last year in November, I was in London for the World Rugby Annual Medical and Scientific Conference. We stay at a place called The Lensbury in Teddington, and they have, as far as “hotel” gyms go, a pretty reasonable one. Couple […]
Twitter: A vacuum of intellectual depth
Twitter is a vacuum of intellectual depth. Not for the reasons you probably think of first. Yeah, there are many screaming clueless voices there. That’s OK. It’s the reason some people SHOULD be there, not a reason to avoid it. I mean something different. Maybe vacuum is the wrong word. Too strong. Maybe it’s more […]
Letter to BJSM reinforcing call for retraction of IAAF research on testosterone in women
Along with two prominent scientists, we have recently called for the research study on testosterone's effects in women athletes to be retracted. This research is part of the IAAF's policy on hyperandrogenism in athletics, but we have analyzed aspects of the study, and discovered significant and numerous errors. This article describes those errors, and calls for scientific integrity and transparency from both the IAAF and the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
An Open Letter to Athletics South Africa: Address the non-selection controversies for the sake of athletes
Athletics South Africa, the governing federation for Track and Field in South Africa, recently announced the SA squad for the upcoming World Athletics championships in London. An ambiguous mix of selection criteria and omissions has created controversy. I write an open letter to ASA calling for clarity, and a reversal of certain non-selections for the squad.
The Rob Young Investigation: Key findings
Earlier this year, ultra-marathon runner Rob Young was accused of cheating during his attempt to break the TransAmerica record. His sponsor, Skins, commissioned an independent investigation, which Roger Pielke and I completed and which was published yesterday. This post presents the data portion of our report, confirming that Young did in fact, travel in a vehicle for large periods.
Fixed it for you: The Matthew Syed dismissal of whistleblower fears
Matthew Syed recently wrote a piece dismissing the real fears of whistleblowers over retribution when they dare to speak up about doping in sport. He ignores an overwhelming body of evidence, dozens of examples that show why whistleblowers are the exception, not the norm. In this piece, I fix his original article for integrity.