Episode #19 - Andy Jones, PhD

Andy Jones, PhD is Professor of Applied Physiology at University of Exeter. As a youth he set the UK under 18 half marathon record in 1987 with a time of 1:06:55, a record that still stands today. After shifting his focus to academics, he began working with Paula Radcliffe as her personal physiologist, regularly testing her in the lab throughout her career, and advising on training. In 2006 he published "The Physiology of the World Record Holder for the Women's Marathon" in the International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching (link #1 below), in which he detailed Radcliffe's physiology test results over the years and explained the scientific underpinnings of her success. 
In 2016 Andy was chosen by Nike to lead the "Breaking 2" marathon project as primary scientific consultant. He was responsible for selecting athletes, coordinating with their coaches, and making recommendations on training and nutrition in the buildup to the attempt to break 2 hours in the marathon in May, 2018 in Gonza, Italy. During that time he worked closely with Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, and Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea as they trained for the event, traveling to their training camps for observation, and hosting them at his testing facilities in Exeter. Kipchoge finished the marathon in 2:00:25, the fastest marathon in history at the time.  Andy would go on to publish his findings from the project in the article, "Physiological Demands of Running at 2-Hour Marathon Race Pace." (see link #2 below)
In this episode we discuss Andy's personal running background, his work with world class athletes such as Paula Radcliffe and Eliud Kipchoge, and the key physiological factors that impact marathon performance. 
Andy has published over 300 original research and review articles and serves on editorial boards for multiple international journals in sports medicine and exercise science. He's also done some fascinating research into the benefits of beet root juice and supplements for endurance athletes. 
Find Andy on Twitter @Andybeetroot and on Instagram @andrewjones7370
1:   https://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/internationalexeter/documents/iss/paula_ijssc_paper.pdf
2:  https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00647.2020