Endure: Mind, Body and the Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson - Non Fiction - Paperback

Details. Condition: New. Format: Paperback. ISBN: 9780008308186. Publisher: HarperCollins. Age Range: Adult / Young Adult (16+). Overview. Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance is a science-driven exploration of why the brain, not just the body, decides how far we can push ourselves. Written by journalist and physicist Alex Hutchinson, this paperback traces decades of research into fatigue, willpower and stamina, blending laboratory findings with gripping stories from elite sport. It's an essential read for runners, cyclists, coaches and anyone fascinated by the true limits of human endurance.. About the Book. In this acclaimed paperback, Alex Hutchinson dismantles the old idea that endurance is purely a mechanical, muscular problem. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and decades of exercise physiology, he shows how the brain constantly monitors signals of distress — heat, cold, pain, thirst, lactic acid — and makes the ultimate call on when to stop, often well before the body has truly reached its limit. The book moves from early twentieth-century experiments with electrified frogs' legs through to modern brain-imaging studies on Olympic athletes, mountaineers and record-breaking marathoners, weaving hard science together with vivid, character-driven storytelling. Hutchinson examines famous case studies — from Roger Bannister's four-minute mile to modern ultra-endurance feats — to illustrate how perception of effort, not just physiology, governs performance. He also explores practical strategies such as caffeine, mental toughness training, pacing strategy and heat acclimatisation, showing how each can shift the brain's threshold for what feels possible. The result is a rigorously researched yet highly readable paperback that reframes fatigue as a negotiation between mind and muscle rather than a hard physical wall, offering genuine, evidence-based insight for anyone hoping to train smarter and push their own boundaries further..