Experts in Sport: The power of human evolution in sporting success

In the latest episode of the “Experts in Sport” podcast, host Martin Foster sits down with ultra-endurance athlete and multiple world-record holder Dr Danny Longman, to discuss his research on the role of sport in understanding human evolution, adaptation, and function in challenging environments.

This episode tackles Longman’s world records, experiences, research, as well as topics such as the “Life History” theory, the “Selfish Brain” hypothesis, and the relationship between sport and human adaptation.

Dr Longman is a Physiology Lecturer at Loughborough University, having graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences, as well as receiving a PhD in Human Evolution. Danny then remained at Cambridge as a Post-Doctoral researcher, before joining Loughborough University in 2019.

Away from work, Danny is a keen sportsman, with a passion for ultra-endurance sport, exploration and travel. Holding multiple world records to his name, Danny and his crewmates recently rowed across the Black Sea in rapid time, covering the 1,200km distance between Romania and Georgia in nine days and 18 hours, surpassing the previous record of 11 days and six hours.

Listeners of the podcast can subscribe and download the latest episode by visiting iTunes, Spotify, and TuneIn. All subscribers will receive an alert once new episodes are published.

The Experts in Sport podcast is a regular series that brings together experts from across Loughborough University with external thought leaders to discuss the latest research and hot topics in sport and academia with new episodes launched regularly.

ENDS

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 23/22

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2022 QS World University Rankings – the sixth year running – and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2023 and 11th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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