Don't Die: Sprint

The evolutionary and statistical case for sprinting.

On Saturday, Josh Kerr broke the mile world record with a time of 3 minutes and 42.66 seconds.

That’s running slightly faster than 16 miles an hour—a speed most treadmills don’t go up to—for a mile straight.

It’s also a speed most humans don’t ever reach at all, even in a short sprint.

Humans no longer sprint. That not only limits our fitness and how well we’ll age, but it’s also very strange in the grand scheme of human history.

From here you’ll learn:

• Why the skill modern humans abandoned may predict mortality better than strength.

• The Mayo Clinic study showing that low muscle power increased death risk sevenfold.

• The UT Austin protocol that increased power and VO2 max in older adults.

• The 5-step progression to rebuild explosive fast-twitch power safely—without pulling a hamstring or injuring your joints.

Tuesday’s pod: Lessons from Dangerous Places

At 40, Robert Young Pelton sold his Inc. 500 advertising business. He started traveling into the world’s most dangerous places—covering wars and tribal conflicts, getting kidnapped by death squads, arranging meetings with the Taliban, and much more. Robert shared some of his wildest stories and lessons for a life well traveled—and lived. He covered why traveling is statistically safer than staying home, how the State Department uses its travel warnings for political reasons rather than for safety, and what he learns about himself and humanity out on the edge.

• Listen here.

• Watch it here.

Shoutout to our partners:

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• MacroFactor is the best nutrition app I’ve found. MacroFactor uses dynamic adjustment, a scientifically validated formula to help you find the right amount of food for your goals. It helped me realize I was under-eating. And when I ate more, my fitness improved and I felt better. Read more here, and get a free 14-day MacroFactor trial here. Use code TWOPCT.