What happens when you study people who have spent decades consistently running marathons?

In this episode, we sit down with researcher and multi marathoner Leo Lundy to explore what endurance athletes can teach us about healthy aging, longevity, and lifelong performance.

Drawing from his PhD research on multi marathoners around the world, Leo shares insights into cardiovascular fitness, VO₂ max, all cause mortality, cognitive performance, mental health, and the long term effects of sustained endurance training.

The conversation examines why regular physical activity may help slow age-related decline, how motivation evolves across the lifespan, and what separates successful aging from simply getting older. Leo also discusses important vulnerabilities within endurance communities, including injury risk, painkiller use, mental health challenges, and the importance of ongoing health screening.

Whether you're an athlete, coach, practitioner, or simply interested in extending your healthspan, this episode offers a fascinating look at what decades of consistent movement can teach us about living and aging well.

Interested in learning more from leading experts in endurance performance and healthy aging? Join the HIIT Science email list for the latest research, podcast episodes, and educational opportunities.

Today’s speakers:

Prof Paul Laursen https://www.paullaursen.com/
Leo Lundy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-lundy-5509501a2/

https://multimarathon.research.st/

What does it take to build a high performance culture inside elite European football?

In this episode, Martin sits down with Christian Clarup to discuss his journey from academy football in Denmark to leadership roles at FC Midtjylland, Sparta Prague, the Danish National Team, and the Bundesliga.

Christian shares lessons learned from working across different countries, cultures, and football environments, including title winning campaigns, Champions League football, and the realities of operating inside some of Europe's most demanding clubs.

The conversation explores how speed, power, and intensity shape his performance philosophy, why efficient training matters more than longer sessions, and how strength training, monitoring, and athlete buy in can support performance without creating unnecessary fatigue.

They also discuss leadership, staff stability, building performance departments, managing change within clubs, and the personal realities of working in elite football while balancing family life and long term career development.

Whether you're a performance practitioner, coach, sports scientist, or simply interested in what happens behind the scenes at the highest levels of football, this episode offers a candid look at the challenges and opportunities of building successful performance environments.

Today’s speakers:

Dr Martin Buchheit https://martin-buchheit.net/

Christian Clarup https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-clarup-5891a685/

What should endurance athletes actually eat before training? Does fasted training improve adaptation? And why do some athletes thrive on high carbohydrate intake while others perform better with less?

In this episode, Dr Jeff Rothschild joins the podcast to unpack the complexity behind endurance nutrition, recovery, and training adaptation. Drawing from his work as a sports dietitian, researcher, and performance analyst, Jeff shares insights from years of research exploring carbohydrate practices, fasted training, substrate utilization, and individual variability in athlete response.

The conversation explores why high intensity sessions may not require fasted training to stimulate adaptation, how recovery responses differ dramatically between athletes, and why generalized nutrition guidelines often fail to capture individual needs.

Jeff also discusses the growing role of data science, machine learning, and longitudinal athlete monitoring in understanding recovery and fueling strategies, along with the practical realities of applying nutrition science in elite sport.

This episode offers a balanced and highly practical discussion on endurance nutrition, helping athletes and coaches better understand how to fuel training without getting lost in dogma or extremes.

Today’s speakers:

Prof Paul Laursen https://www.paullaursen.com/
Dr Jeff Rothschild https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-rothschild-phd-016170146/

https://www.eatsleep.fit/