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The Strength Running Podcast

The Limits of Endurance: Dr. Andrew Best on Running's "Metabolic Ceiling"

The Strength Running Podcast

Jason Fitzgerald

Fitness, Sports, Running, Health & Fitness

4.71.5K Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2026

⏱️ 65 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Dr. Andrew Best is a professor at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where he focuses on evolutionary questions about human physiology. You can email him at andrew.best@mcla.edu

His latest study was titled "Ultra Endurance Athletes and the Metabolic Ceiling." They looked at the maximum, sustainable amount of energy expenditure that can be done over a long time period. It answers the question, "what is the limit of human energy expenditure?"

It's a metric that literally dictates how hard you can train. If you want sustainable performance, you'll love this episode. 

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Ready, set, go!

0:04.0

This is episode 442 with Professor of Biological Anthropology,

0:10.0

endurance athlete, and researcher, Dr. Andrew Best.

0:14.0

Welcome to the Strength Running podcast. I'm Coach Jason Fitzgerald, and I want to help you become a better runner.

0:29.2

Don't miss our award-winning website at Strengthrunning.com. Our YouTube channel that has more than

0:34.0

100,000 subscribers, or feel free to connect with me on Instagram at Jason

0:39.4

Fitz 1. My singular goal is to help you improve your running. So if there's anything I can ever do

0:45.1

to help your training, please let me know. And if you love the podcast, please support us by

0:50.4

supporting our partners. A big thanks to two before. Get yourself a whopping 30% discount on their 20-pack and multi-packs at Two-Before.com

1:00.5

for their all-natural, scientifically proven pre-workout with code Jason.

1:06.1

Two-Before, which is the numeral two, followed by the word before, is made from New Zealand black current berries,

1:12.9

which improves vasodilation or blood flow, just like beetroot.

1:16.9

But they also improve recovery after exercise by managing oxidative stress through their unique

1:22.5

ratio of antioxidants, which also have a nice side benefit of supporting your immune system. Now, the main

1:28.8

antioxidant is called anthocyanin, which I hadn't heard of before, but is actually more present

1:35.0

in New Zealand blackcurrant berries than tart cherries, raspberries, blackberries,

1:39.9

or blueberries. Plus, two before tastes delicious. I love products that are both good for your performance and good for your overall health.

1:49.1

Get yourself 30% off any multi-pack with code jason at 2be4.com.

1:55.7

They have a caffeinated and non-caffeinated version, which is great depending on your caffeine

2:00.3

tolerance. Me, I love having the caffeinated version, which is great depending on your caffeine tolerance.

2:01.4

Me, I love having the caffeinated version with 120 milligrams of caffeine in place of coffee

2:07.7

before my morning runs, especially if I'm in a rush and I don't have time to brew a pot

...

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