Episode 33: Alex Hutchinson on Endure: The Boundaries of Extreme Human Performance

Thanks for listening to Backedbriscience. Check out the website at backedbriscience.com or Brian's Instagram @BrianDevorkin.   ----- In this episode, we dive deep into the science of endurance and human performance with Alex Hutchinson, a sports science journalist and former Canadian national team runner. Author of Endure, Alex shares his insights into the physical and mental barriers to human endurance, how science is evolving to break these limits, and what everyday athletes can learn from elite performance research.     About the guest-- Alex Hutchinson is a sports science journalist, author of the book Endure—which explores the science of endurance and the real limits of human performance—and former competitive runner for the Canadian national team. In this episode, Alex tells the story of his “aha moment” during a meaningless track meet that catapulted his running career and seeded his interest in the power of the mind. He then explains the science behind VO2 max, the difference between maximum aerobic capacity and efficiency, and extracts insights from examples of extreme human performance, such as the recent attempts to break the 2-hour mark in the marathon. Finally, he brings it back to what this all means for the everyday person: optimal exercise volume for maintaining health, how to avoid acute and chronic injuries, how to diversify your exercise portfolio, HIIT protocols, and much more.