What I've Been Reading (November 2023)
Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson
Interesting book on human performance in endurance / speed sports like running or cycling.
As it turns out, many of our physical limits of body are largely driven by the mind. Our brains want to protects us from overexerting ourselves, so they makes us feel tired as we get close to our physical limit. If you put somebody on a stationary bike and give them an injection so they can’t feel their legs (or pain), they won’t be any faster than someone with a placebo: while being “pain free” sounds ideal for running, those people push way too hard at the beginning and trash their muscles to the point where they can’t walk after getting off the bike.
Our brains also coordinate a complex sensor system to monitor how fast we can go:
Body temperature is important - being overheated is very bad for you. You can actually manipulate someone’s performance by telling them that it’s hotter or colder than it actually is: if they think that they are somewhere hot, they will run or bike slower without even knowing it, as their body tries to not “overheat.”
We are also deeply attuned to our fuel and energy intake. If you ask someone to swish and spit out around an unflavored sports drink that contains carbs before running, they will do better than a placebo. They’ll also do better than someone given an artificially sweetened sugar-free drink. We are able to sense calories independent of taste and will push faster if we know more fuel is on the way.
I came away from the book with a deeper appreciation of how amazing the human body is. It reminded me of An Immense World, which talks about how animals have evolved incredible ways of sensing the world around them.
Pretty straightforward book, but fun to read. What really jumps out is Lebron’s combination of talent, work ethic, maturity, and abiliy to succeed despite growing iup in challenging circumstances, with a single mother and no constant home (and indeed, he was sent to live with another family for a few years).
The book’s arc centers around his decision - The Decision - to leave Cleveland for Miami, his time there, and subsequent return to Cleveland. As some might remember, the choice to turn the decision into a TV show was wildly unpopular, especially in Cleveland, which was 45 from where he grew up. The owner even posted an open letter in comic sans decrying Lebron for his “cowardly betrayal.”
There is kind of a double standard for athletes, where we expect them to be far more loyal than we do other employees. If one of our coworkers leaves for a competitor that’s offering them more money or a better title, we might be bummed out, but wouldn’t call it a betrayal. But for whatever reason, that’s not the case in sports.
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and Murder of a President by Candice Millar
Book on James Garfield, who served as president for 4 months in 1881 before being shot by a deranged office-seeker. If he was shot today, he would’ve likely been fine. It was not the bullet that killed him, but the massive infection caused by doctors “treating” his wounds with unsterilized, unwashed hands. Book was a good reminder to not take "modern” medicine for granted. Also some interesting facts about politics in the 1800s - apparently it was seen as “unpresidential” to campaign for yourself, so presidential candidates would just hang out at home in the months coming up to the election, where anyone could come visit them. I thought this was interesting enough, but I would’ve preferred to read a full book on medical history and the various ways “doctors” made us more sick for the majority of history.