Endure

April 9, 2018
In this intricate and probing exploration, Hutchinson, an Outside magazine columnist and avid runner, chases down various theories concerning how the brain and body work together to either limit or stretch the boundaries of human endurance. In delving into this puzzle, Hutchinson finds many contradictions: for instance, at times pain slows athletes to a halt, and at “other times it drives them to even greater heights.” Though a good portion of the text is devoted to running (including a recap of one of Hutchinson’s own races), readers are also treated to the trials and tribulations of motorcyclists, mountain climbers, free divers (who risk their lives by diving without oxygen tanks), elite race walkers, and other athletes, as well as to commentary by the scientists and sports physiologists who study them. Hutchinson examines how the brain and body interact, observing, “Your brain is looking out for your well-being in ways that are outside your conscious control and that kick in long before you reach a point of actual physiological crisis.” Readers seeking simple answers or straightforward workout directives won’t find them in Hutchinson’s intriguing study, but they will be prompted to think deeply about how human limits can be transcended. Agent: Rick Broadhead, Rick Broadhead & Associates.

Starred review from January 1, 2018
A meticulously researched profile of the physiology and psychology of athletes.Even readers with the most sedentary of lifestyles will find something intriguing in this book from Outside columnist Hutchinson (Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?: Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise, 2011, etc.), formerly of Runner's World. The narrative is part ode to athleticism with a focus on distance running, part examination of current fitness research, and part fascinating exploration of the mysteries of the mind-body connection. The author has a true gift for writing compelling sports stories and combining them with deft analyses of cutting-edge research that never get lost in jargon or become oversimplified. To the contrary, Hutchinson reinforces the uncertainty of current controversies in modern exercise science without forcing his readers to pick a side. Specifically, he investigates what is at the heart of the limits of man's endurance: is it the body's mechanistic breaking point or the brain's upper threshold of belief? He answers with descriptions of counterintuitive exercise studies that show, for example, that an athlete's performance improves when a thermometer is doctored to read the temperature as a few degrees cooler than reality or when she swishes a sports drink in her mouth but doesn't actually consume any extra energy from it. Alongside those facts, the author's passion animates his own personal stories as well as those of others, such as the tragic death of a high school football player during a hot summer practice and a woman whose traumatic brain injury made her into one of the most elite ultra-endurance runners of all time. As Malcolm Gladwell writes in the foreword, Hutchinson "writes about the mysteries of endurance as a student of the science, a sports fan, and a keen observer of human performance--but also as a participant."A captivating and often moving book with something to offer readers interested in health, athleticism, neuroscience, and the human condition.

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Starred review from January 1, 2018
Hutchinson (journalist, accomplished runner, and former physicist) explores the extreme limitsphysical and mentalof human endurance in this engaging discussion of exercise science, sports medicine, and extraordinary human feats. He transports readers to a realm where psychology, environment, and physiology all intersect, a domain where gadgets like Garmin and Fitbit come up short in measuring the extent and meaning of stamina and willpower. When it comes to pushing the limits of performance, two perspectives hold sway: the boundaries of the body (the human machine) and cerebral control (the brain as boss). Factors including oxygen, thirst, temperature, and calories obviously can hamper endurance, but the brain on its own can turn endurance into a means of self-protection. Self-belief and a capacity for suffering are integral ingredients for world-class competitors. Lactate levels; maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max); and low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diets get their due in Hutchinson's inquiry. The science shines (though, occasionally, it's a hefty lift), and it can be fun: the human body at rest produces about 100 watts of heat, but bicycling boosts that figure to 1,000 watts, and running a six-minute mile generates 1,500 watts. When it comes to pushing our limits, we're just getting started, Hutchinson writes. Persuasive and motivating.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)