My name's Amy and I'm a junior doctor and running coach based in London. On these podcasts I chat to people about running and the benefits it's had to their health both physically and mentally.
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.
On this episode I'm joined by Dr William Bird MBE. Dr Bird is a general practitioner and founder of Intelligent Health, a company that implements community-wide initiatives to improve health and make physical activity a way of life. Dr Bird has also created the Green Gym, acted as strategic health advisor to Natural England and set up health forecasts for the Met Office. Today we're discussing the benefits of physical activity and nature to our health, as well as the projects undertaken by Intelligent Health to increase physical activity levels across the country.
On this episode I'm joined by Helen Keeble, a pelvic health physiotherapist who specialises in lumbo-pelvic health & female return to sports. Helen is also the co-founder of Umi, a one-stop hub for improving pelvic health at every stage of life. We're discussing what the pelvic floor is and how to optimise our pelvic health before exploring the role of the pelvic floor in the context of running and other high impact sports.
I'm joined by Caroline Williams to discuss her book 'Move! The New Science of Body over Mind'. Caroline is a science journalist and writes regularly for the New Scientist. Her latest book explores the emerging research of how movement influences how we think and feel and on this episode we're discussing how walking can improve creativity, how dance can make us feel more connected and how our natural environment can make us stronger.
On this episode I'm delighted to be joined by Jono Sumner, co-founder of LifeJacket Skin Protection. LifeJacket produce high performance skin protection for men and the company is on a mission to stop the increase in male skin cancers and inspire men to take better care of their skin everyday. Jono is here to chat with me about why their mission is so important and how skin protection can be optimised for everybody, but especially men who want to take life outside!
On this podcast I'm joined by Barry Roberts to discuss keeping safe in the outdoors when pursuing winter sports. Barry is a professional expedition leader and Commercial Director of Wilderness Medical Training, a company that delivers medical training for expeditions and the great outdoors. We're discussing the human factors to consider when in the mountains as well important pieces of kit to carry and what to do when things go wrong. If you're a skier, snowboarder or expedition medic then this episode is for you!
On this episode I'm joined by Dr John Sykes. John is a general practitioner, certified nutritionist & Trustee and Director of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM). We're discussing what lifestyle medicine is, the many health benefits of keeping active and the role that healthcare professionals can play in promoting physical activity.
On this episode I'm joined by Professor Robert Thomas. Professor Thomas is a consultant oncologist, professor of Sports and Nutritional Medicine and author of 'How to Live' - a book that provides evidence-based advice on keeping fit, healthy and free of illness. We're discussing the role that exercise plays in cancer prevention, the relationship between exercise and oxidative stress, and nutritional considerations for active individuals.
On today's episode I'm joined by Gareth Emmerson. In 2014, at the age of 21, Gareth was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma and in 2020 this diagnosis became terminal. Gareth wanted something positive to focus on so set out to raise as much money as possible for Sarcoma UK by cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats. Gareth is joining me to share his story, tell me more about his huge cycling challenge and to raise awareness for the charity, Sarcoma UK.
On this episode I'm very lucky to be joined by Becky Hair to discuss how to prepare for a triathlon, as I have my first one coming up later this month! Becky is a physiotherapist and triathlete and she's sharing her tips for training, kit and what to do on race day itself.
On this episode I'm joined by Dr Megan Evans to discuss Diving Medicine. Megan is a divemaster and junior doctor who works at the Diving Diseases Research Centre (DDRC). This episode is aimed at healthcare professionals or those with a keen interest in diving. We're discussing safe diving practices, assessing fitness to dive, as well as decompression illness and the symptoms to be aware of.
On the next few episodes I'll be taking a brief pause from talking about running to discuss some other outdoor sports. First up is surfing! I'm joined by Dr Sophie Rintoul-Hoad to introduce the topic of first aid in the setting of water sports. We discuss how to stay safe in the water, basic life support principles and how to prevent surfing-related medical problems developing in the future.
On this episode I'm joined by Dr Anthony Rafferty. Anthony is a medical doctor and PhD who is passionate about improving gut microbiome health through nutrition & lifestyle. We're discussing the importance of good gut health for sports performance, how exercise influences our gut microbiome and, importantly, Anthony shares some top tips on how to improve our gut health.
On this episode of the Sports Nutrition series I'm joined by Dr Richard Allison, a consultant in performance nutrition and clinical dietetics based at the Institute of Sport and Exercise Health in London. We discuss the importance of matching energy intake with energy expenditure, how to fuel around training sessions, the role of fasted training, and key considerations when following a restricted diet.
On this episode I'm joined by Dr Stephen Mears, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise nutrition at Loughborough University. We're discussing the importance of optimal hydration in sport as well as the role that sports drinks, caffeine, alcohol and NSAIDs can play in hydration and kidney health.
On this episode of the Sports Nutrition podcast series I'm joined by Emeritus Professor Michael Gleeson. Michael is a professor of exercise biochemistry and the author of multiple books including 'Eat Move Sleep Repeat'. We're discussing what immunonutrition is, the key micronutrients and macronutrients for optimal immune health, and the role that supplements can play.
On this podcast episode I'm joined by Dr Hannah Stoyel. Hannah is a sport psychologist and founder of Optimise Potential, a sport and exercise psychology consultancy. We're discussing what disordered eating is, how athletes may be affected and techniques for starting conversations about food behaviours and mental health.
On the last episode of the Running & Health series I'm joined by Professor Lettie Bishop. Lettie is a professor of exercise immunology at Loughborough University. We're discussing the relationship between exercise, immune function and infection risk including the important role of nutrition and recovery.
On this episode of the podcast I'm joined by Dr James Hull. James is a consultant respiratory physician with expertise in exercise-related breathing problems. We're discussing asthma, hay fever, exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) and respiratory tract infections including Covid-19 infection.
On this episode I'm joined by Dr Izzy Smith, an endocrinology registrar and passionate runner with a special interest in the relationship between hormones and exercise. We're chatting about what hormones are, the impact of stress on training load, relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) and bone health.
On this episode I'm joined by Dr Graham Stuart. Graham is a consultant cardiologist, an honorary associate professor in sports and exercise cardiology and medical director of Sports Cardiology UK. We're discussing the effects of exercise on the heart, the role of cardiac screening, red flag symptoms to be aware of and the importance of recovery.
On this episode I'm joined by Dr Anjali Mahto. Anjali is a consultant dermatologist and author of The Skincare Bible. We're chatting about skincare for physically active individuals including sweat-related acne, reducing the risks of skin cancer and advice for checking moles.
On this podcast episode I'm chatting with sports podiatrist, Ian Griffiths. We discuss the role of podiatry in running, misconceptions related to foot health and injury, and of course…running shoes!
On the final episode of this series I'm chatting with Jess Anyan-Brown. Jess is a travel and culture blogger and she shares her experiences on her blog 'road2culturedom'. We're chatting about some of the best places to explore on foot, both in the UK and abroad.
On this episode I'm chatting with Mark Callaghan, an endurance athlete and coach based in Uganda. Mark has a passion for running, travel and social change. He has set up projects including Sport for Africa, which aims to support community sports projects through sustainable funding, and Run Kapchorwa which promotes Kapchorwa as a leading destination for sport tourism. Mark documents his experiences on his blog, Adventures in Running.
On this episode I'm chatting with Dr Nathan Hudson-Peacock, an emergency and expedition doctor. We discuss some of the health risks associated with more extreme running events including heat exhaustion, altitude sickness and exercise-associated hyponatremia.
On the first episode of this series I'm chatting with Sam Heward. Sam is the co-founder of Ultra-X, a multi-stage ultramarathon series that has events around the globe. We discuss how Ultra-X started, the benefits of multi-stage ultras and what to expect at Ultra-X events.
On the final episode of this series I'm chatting with Sarah Place, a running coach, 3:19 marathoner and ultra-runner. We chat about how to select which races to sign up to, how best to prepare and train for ultramarathons and the essential things to pack in your running vest.
This week I'm chatting with Dr Laureen Jacquet, a junior doctor, running coach and personal trainer. Laureen shares how she started running and the value of running whilst at medical school. We also discuss finding your why, overcoming 'Runner's Ego' and staying motivated.
On this episode I chat with Olga Stignii, a personal trainer and ultra-runner. Olga shares how she became a personal trainer, her experience of finishing as 10th female at Ultra Trail Cape Town in 2019 and tips for individuals beginning their running journeys.
On this episode I chat with Cassandra Vine who, rather than going from Couch to 5k, went from Couch to two marathons in two weeks. We chat about why pace doesn't matter, the challenges of running at a slower pace and how running in mixed ability groups is more than possible.
In the final episode of this series I chat with Alice Newstead. We discuss how Alice started running and the effect its had on her obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
On this episode I chat with Ben Cook about his Run12 project in aid of the Alzheimer's Society, including his recent marathons in Marrakesh and in the Sahara Desert.
This week I'm chatting to Ben Cooper. We discuss the benefits of running for mental health and he shares how he started running after a breakdown and subsequent period of depression.
On this podcast I chat to James Holt, the head of London Midnight Runners. We discuss the importance of running communities, the pressures of performance-based running and why working on good running technique is so valuable.
On this episode I speak with Ben Parkes, a 2:25 marathoner, ultra-runner and running coach. We chat about how he started running and how he's coped with his recent injury.
I chat to Dr Abbas Sardar about how running can be beneficial for dealing with work-related stress and whether doctors should encourage patients to be more active.
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