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Alex Hutchinson
@sweatscience
Outside columnist, author of THE EXPLORER'S GENE and ENDURE, Globe & Mail, ex-physicist, not-quite-sub-4 miler.
Toronto, Canada
alexhutchinson.net
Joined March 2009
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Mar 25, 2025
    The Explorer's Gene is out TODAY! Try before you buy: -excerpt in @TheAtlantic: theatlantic.com/science/archiv… -excerpt in @outsidemagazine: outsideonline.com/culture/books-… -newsletter interview with @DavidEpstein: davidepstein.substack.com/p/why-you-shou… -podcast with @richroll: richroll.com/podcast/alex-h…
    12K
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Jan 27, 2018
    It's been 9 years since I started telling interviewees that I was working on a book about the limits of endurance. Now it's just 10 days until that book goes on sale. Thanks to everyone who read, discussed, and debated these topics with me over the years!
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Feb 17, 2020
    Pretty cool "naturally randomized" experiment: the right to buy a car in Beijing is determined by lottery. Win that lottery, and 5 years later you'll be ~22 lbs heavier if you're over 50.
    Does owning a car hurt your health?
    From theglobeandmail.com
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Jul 16, 2020
    Our blueberry bush produced its first ever berry. All four of us enjoyed our portion.
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Jul 27, 2018
    70% of elite marathoners land on their heels; Almaz Ayana's stride length is asymmetric by 20cm; and you should throw a hammer at 45 degrees: insights from a massive IAAF biomechanics study.
    outsideonline.com
    Lessons from Watching the World's Best Runners
    An in-depth biomechanical analysis of nearly everyone at the world track championships yields unexpected results
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Dec 27, 2019
    Neat study suggests there's a trade-off at the mitochondrial level between aerobic power (VO2max) and efficiency: maximizing one may hurt the other. Result: a new threshold ("complex I max"), and an explanation for Oskar Svendsen's mediocre efficiency.
    Your muscle cells face a constant trade-off between maximizing how much energy they produce and maximizing how efficiently they produce it.
    Why a Higher VO2 Max Isn’t Always Better
    From outsideonline.com
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Sep 16, 2018
    Kipchoge's incredible world record, solo for a huge portion of it, felt almost like the antithesis of the Breaking2 extravaganza. But I don't think 2:01:39 would have happened without that prior 2:00:25. #BerlinMarathon
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Mar 25, 2019
    After 4 days of sitting (<4,000 steps/day), you become "exercise resistant" and don't get some of the usual acute metabolic benefits (blood sugar, insulin, triglycerides) from a 60min workout. Potential interaction between sitting time & exercise habits:
    How your office job is affecting your metabolism
    From theglobeandmail.com
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Aug 14, 2019
    Which is more important for building endurance (via mitochondrial adaptations): training volume (i.e. running more) or intensity (running faster)? An interesting "CrossTalk" debate in the Journal of Physiology lays out the case for each view:
    How should you be training?
    Is It More Important to Run Faster or Run Longer?
    From outsideonline.com
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Sep 18, 2023
    "89% of international U17/U18 athletes never reach that level as seniors, and 83% of international-class seniors weren't U17/U18 internationals" A good reminder that athletes whose talent seemingly emerges in their 20s are the rule, not the exception.
    Past Athletic Performance Doesn’t Guarantee Future Results
    From outsideonline.com
    145K
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Oct 12, 2019
    Man, Eliud always makes me smile. All that running business aside, what a great guy.
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    May 6, 2017
    With every step Kipchoge now takes, it's the fastest a human has ever run for this distance. #breaking2
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Dec 2, 2020
    The Journal of Physiology recently published a review titled "The Anaerobic Threshold: 50+ Years of Controversy." Here's my attempt to make sense of its account of one of the most confusing and misunderstood concepts in endurance training and physiology.
    Anyone who has done lots of endurance exercise has an intuitive feel for that transition from sustainable to unsustainable.
    What Does Your "Threshold" Really Mean?
    From outsideonline.com
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    Alex Hutchinson
    @sweatscience
    Jan 10, 2022
    Finally, a mandate we can all agree with: forcing exercise physiology students to buy copies of Endure. Awesome to see the University of Calgary leading the way! ;)