Caption: Symptoms of extreme fandom can sometimes include the wearing of funny hats., Credit: Flickr user seantoyer.
Image by: Flickr user seantoyer. 
Symptoms of extreme fandom can sometimes include the wearing of funny hats. 

Distillations Episode 139: The Brain on Sports

From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Series: Distillations - The Chemistry Podcast
Length: 11:37

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On this episode of Distillations we look at the science of sports. First, we learn how athletes go the distance, chemically speaking. Then we look into the brain of a fan. One word - dopamine! Read the full description.

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Whether it's football season, baseball season, or basketball season, one thing is constant: a good chunk of the population has sports on the brain. On today's episode of Distillations we explore why this is the case. First producer Lindsay Patterson follows a high school basketball team to learn about the role chemistry plays in winning a big game. Then we check in with the fans at home, learning what happens in your brain when you're cheering on your favorite team.

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Piece Description

Whether it's football season, baseball season, or basketball season, one thing is constant: a good chunk of the population has sports on the brain. On today's episode of Distillations we explore why this is the case. First producer Lindsay Patterson follows a high school basketball team to learn about the role chemistry plays in winning a big game. Then we check in with the fans at home, learning what happens in your brain when you're cheering on your favorite team.

Broadcast History

Podcast on Jan. 20, 2012.

Timing and Cues

0:00 Opening Credits
0:30 Introduction
1:00 Feature: An Athlete's Chemistry
7:31 The Science of Watching Sports
10:57 Closing Credits

Additional Credits

Special thanks to Ryan Carty for researching this show, and Mauricio Delgado for his thorough information about the brain on sports.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Music from the Free Music Archive includes "Kopeika," by et_, and "Shangri-La (instrumental)," by YACHT. This episode also features "Dopamine!," by Ric Seaberg.

Related Website

http://www.chemheritage.org/distillations