168: Peaking for Performance with Kate Spilsbury

In this episode of the Supporting Champions Podcast, I’m joined by the brilliant Kate Spilsbury—a former colleague, friend, and leading performance physiologist. Kate's journey from nutrition to physiology is both inspiring and instructive, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her to the show.

We explore the critical moments in athlete preparation—particularly tapering and peaking—and why getting them right can lead to breakthroughs or breakdowns in performance. Drawing on her experience in both British athletics and now high-performance sport in Australia, Kate shares deep insights into how training systems compare, how to support athletes through the nerves of tapering, and how individualized approaches are key to unlocking potential.

This conversation is rich with reflections from her research (including Kenyan vs. British runners), her experience leading into the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, and her wisdom on monitoring, recovery, and pacing strategies that really work.

✅ Key Topics

✔️ Tapering and peaking for optimal performance ✔️ Transition from nutrition to physiology ✔️ High performance systems in the UK vs. Australia ✔️ Managing training loads and athlete readiness ✔️ Monitoring tools: HRV, pacing, and athlete feedback ✔️ The psychological side of tapering ✔️ Individualization in endurance and team sports ✔️ Environmental factors: heat, altitude, geography ✔️ Recovery strategies and their effectiveness

🕒 Chapters

00:00 – Reconnecting and Career Path 02:51 – Transitioning to High Performance Management 06:03 – Comparing Athletic Systems: Australia vs UK 08:50 – The Importance of Tapering and Peaking 12:06 – Understanding the Athlete's Mindset 15:01 – The Risks of Inadequate Tapering 18:10 – Strategies for Effective Peaking 20:52 – Guidelines for Tapering and Peaking 24:06 – Insights from Research on Training Loads 27:18 – Tapering Strategies in Endurance Sports 29:54 – Individualization in Team Sports Training 33:04 – Recovery Methods and Their Impact 36:05 – Environmental Considerations in Tapering 39:11 – Monitoring Athlete Responses During Tapering 41:54 – The Importance of Individualization in Tapering 46:57 – Pacing Strategies and Their Relation to Tapering

Kate’s knowledge is exceptional—and her honesty about the real-world complexities of performance makes this a must-listen for coaches, sports scientists, and anyone working in elite sport.

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