Born to Run 4 | The Science of Fatigue

This lecture discusses a number of different models of fatigue (in the context of endurance exercise), including the peripheral and central governor models of fatigue.

The issue with the peripheral model of fatigue is that it cannot explain the “end spurt” that we so often see in both elite and recreational running. With the right incentive, athletes are able to speed up. Only the brain can respond to abstract incentives (like breaking four hours for an arbitrary distance like 26.2 miles). This idea, that it is actually the brain that determines performance in a process of “anticipatory regulation”, was first proposed in 1998 by Professor Tim Noakes.

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