Endure

Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

By: Alex Hutchinson

Narrated by: Robert G. Slade

‘This book is AMAZING!’ Malcolm Gladwell

'Reveals how we can all surpass our perceived physical limits.' Adam Grant, bestselling author of Hidden Potential

‘Anyone who has ever felt exhausted, whether from heat or cold or altitude or pain or simply a loss of will, is going to find their own experience in this book.” David Epstein, author of Range

'A high-water mark for understanding the physiology the art and the science of how to perform at your best.' Rich Roll

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You've felt it. The moment your body says stop. Your legs leaden, lungs burning, every instinct telling you there's nothing left. But what if that signal isn't the end of your capacity? What if it's just your brain playing it safe?

In Endure, award-winning science journalist and elite distance runner Alex Hutchinson upends everything we think we know about human limits. Drawing on decades of research and the cutting edge of sports science, he makes a compelling, evidence-backed case: fatigue is not a physical event. It is a sensation, one manufactured and managed by the brain, which is constantly calculating how much you have left and deciding, often conservatively, when to call it.

This changes everything. Because if your limits are partly a decision rather than a fixed ceiling, they can be negotiated. Trained. Pushed.

Hutchinson takes us from early experiments with electrical currents and frogs' legs to sophisticated brain imaging, from elite marathon runners chasing the two-hour barrier to mountaineers at the edge of survival on Everest. He examines what heat, cold, pain, altitude, and sheer loss of will actually do to performance and introduces the new frontier of endurance science, where researchers are using brain stimulation, psychological priming, and cognitive training to extend what athletes can do.

But Endure is not just a book for athletes. It's for anyone who has ever stopped short of their potential and wondered why. Hutchinson's answer is surprising, scientifically rigorous, and, ultimately, galvanizing: the barrier that matters most is the one inside your head.

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‘If you want to gain insight into the mind of great athletes, adventurers, and peak performers then prepare to be enthralled by Alex Hutchinson’s Endure.’ – Bear Grylls

'Endure is a pure science book that goes deep, especially into the mind, and the pacing and story-telling are top notch. – Runner's World

'So good. Smart, inspiring, and just fun to read. Makes me wanna be a better runner (and faster reader).' – Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times

‘An intelligent, exhaustively researched study.’ – The Times

Critic reviews

‘This book is AMAZING!’ — Malcolm Gladwell

‘If you want to gain insight into the mind of great athletes, adventurers, and peak performers then prepare to be enthralled by Alex Hutchinson’s Endure.’ –Bear Grylls

‘Anyone who has ever felt exhausted, whether from heat or cold or altitude or pain or simply a loss of will, is going to find their own experience in this book.” — David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene

An essential read for every endurance athlete.” — Amby Burfoot, 1968 Boston Marathon winner and editor of Runner's World Complete Book of Running

‘This is an excellent resource for anyone seeking to better to understand how our minds influence our ultimate performances.’ — Tim Noakes, emeritus professor of exercise science at the University of Cape Town

‘An intelligent, exhaustively researched study.’ – The Times

'Fascinating (and motivating). … Hutchinson sheds light on how humans accomplish our most absurd athletic achievements. – Esquire

'Examines how we can push beyond our limits. … Gives a gripping insight into the mind of great athletes, adventurers and peak performers to find out what gives them the capacity to push harder and achieve more.' – The Independent

'A fascinating exploration of the limits of the human body—and, to a large extent, the human mind. …. A must-read. … Highly relevant for those looking to better understand and improve their performance off the playing field, too.' – Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness, authors of Peak Performance

Best book on endurance sports I have ever read

The book itself is full of scientific backing for all the ideas spread in it. As a medical doctor and running enthusiast myself I adore that all ideas in it are backed by firm scientific proof. Chapter by chapter it reveals the detailed insights in endurance as a whole. I really enjoyed listening to it. I did it during my runs and sometimes I wanted to run longer and longer just to listen to another chapter. Narrator was just right for this book and was reading the book just fine except for some wrong name and/or surname pronounciations.

The best overview of endurance

This was the best overview of endurance in general, very well written, fun and a clever combining of the science and real life stories. Historically and academically interesting. A must read and will be my bible on the issue. Will read again!

A very good book with lots to ponder.

Instead of offering absolute answers, the book guides and makes one curious to explore and read further, and to expand ones own thinking and hopefully performances. I thought it very good. Good production, clear and easy to listen to, but one thing I have to mention, is to check and get the pronunciation of the surnames right! So irritating, come on, it’s not that hard. Can recommend the book despite this though.

unfortunately I've already read this book

I have read this before, it's a good read but added nothing to my knowledge of the subject.