In this episode, the guest is Dr. Yann Le Meur, a renowned physiologist and the mind behind the infographic sensation. The conversation kicks off with Le Meur discussing his training strategies for sports like tennis and triathlon, highlighting the science behind athletic improvement and even mentioning Roger Federer.
Le Meur’s journey took him from studying sports science to becoming a PE teacher and then diving deep into exercise physiology. His exposure to diverse areas, from heat altitude training and recovery nutrition to synchronized swimming and the modern pentathlon, showcases his wide-ranging expertise.
The key takeaway from his experience with elite athletes? The ability to adapt and evolve, akin to a chameleon. This adaptability reflects in his innovative approach to communication, especially with the introduction of infographics. These graphical summaries serve as an interactive medium to break down and disseminate complex sports science topics.
While Le Meur has worked extensively with elite sports teams in France and offers consultancy for performance improvement, he emphasizes the importance of networking, hard work, and establishing a commendable reputation in the sports industry.
Interestingly, the birth of his infographic movement in August 2014 was a response to his realization that not many were reading his in-depth papers. The infographics, which have gained him 70,000 Twitter followers, serve as simplified renditions of detailed papers. However, he underscores the idea that while infographics provide a snapshot, they aren’t a replacement for the complete paper.
2:28 Yann Le Meur – training strategies – tennis/triathlon, improving fitness, sport science & Rodger Federer
7:09 Studying Sport Science, PE teacher, exercise physiology/
13:00 Heat altitude training, recovery nutrition provided a breadth and grounding in sport. 13:25 Synchronised swimming, modern pentathlon – working with national team and high level athletes
14:30 Act as a chameleon! Adaptation
15:42 Infographics – a way of explanation, communication and interaction
18:00 Teaching to make information – infographics
20:00 Elite sports teams in France
21:00 Consultancy and performance improvement
24:20 Applied sports career top tips, fairness, relationships & hard work
25:35 Create a network, work hard and challenge yourself create opportunities to create a good reputation
27:50 Opportunities in sport
31:10 Infographic stats: first began August 2014, 200 per year, 70,000 Twitter followers
32:20 No-one was reading my paper!! A simplification of the message = infographics was born
37:00 Infographic promotes what is new in sport science, the infographic is not enough, it is a simplification of the full paper which should be read
40:23 Different levels of evidence – info graphics have limitations