Request more info
Find speakers by:
Request more info

Alex Hutchinson

Human Performance Expert | Award-Winning Journalist | Bestselling Author

Alex Hutchinson
The Power of Belief
Alex
Alex Hutchinson
The Power of Belief

Many believe our limits are defined by physical traits, but Alex Hutchinson knows that limits only exist in our minds. An award-winning science journalist, Alex draws on his experiences as an elite long-distance runner for Canada’s national team and as a scientist to explore the limits of human performance and understand the subtle factors that define champions. His New York Times bestselling book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance was recently a featured read for the Next Big Idea Club curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink.

Shortly after competing in his second Canadian Olympic Trials, Alex decided to leave his postdoctoral physics research post with the U.S. National Security Agency to pursue a master’s degree in journalism — and has never looked back. He is currently a columnist and contributing editor for Outside and Canadian Running magazines, and also writes for the New Yorker’s Elements blog on science, endurance, health, and human performance. He is most well-known for debunking health and fitness hype as the Globe and Mail’s Jockology columnist.

In 2008, Alex received a U.S. National Magazine Award for his work covering technology for Popular Mechanics, and in 2012 he received a Lowell Thomas Award for his travel writing in the New York Times.

Alex has a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Cambridge and graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. He has given talks on endurance and human performance to audiences ranging from the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Own The Podium program to investment bankers and funeral home directors.

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

  • The Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

    How do you know when you’ve reached your maximum potential? For athletes, you might think the answers would be found in their muscles or lungs or blood vessels. But at the highest levels of competition, everyone has similar physical tools—and what separates the winners is what’s going on in their brains. Over the past decade, neuroscientists have begun to tease out the factors that allow top performers to keep pushing long after their rivals have quit. Human performance expert Alex Hutchinson shows how the resulting insights on pushing through brain-imposed barriers apply as much in the boardroom as on the playing field.

    Audiences will learn:

    • How mindset and self-belief create measurable changes in your physiology.
    • How social links and team dynamics enhance individual performance.
    • Why stress and recovery are both essential to optimal performance.
    • Strategies to overcome the negative effects of mental fatigue.

  • The Quest for the Two-Hour Marathon

    In October 2019, marathoner Eliud Kipchoge ran 42.2 kilometers along a specially designed course in Vienna in an astounding time of one hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds. But breaking through the seemingly impregnable two-hour barrier wasn’t a solo job. It was the culmination of more than five years of work and tens of millions of dollars of innovation by physiologists, biomechanists, nutritionists, and other experts. Alex Hutchinson was one of two reporters granted exclusive access to follow the two-hour quest right from the start, and his behind-the-scenes look at what it took to shatter the barrier offers a case study in how technological innovation, human factors, and teamwork can take performance into uncharted territory.

  • The Science of Post-Exercise Recovery

    From ice baths and compression garments to cryosaunas and hyperbaric therapy, athletes have a bewildering menu of options to help them bounce back quickly after a hard workout. But figuring out what actually works is far from straightforward. In this interactive session, human performance expert Alex Hutchinson will dig into the scientific evidence behind various popular recovery modalities, and also lead a discussion on broader questions—like the role of patient expectation in recovery, and whether enhancing your recovery too much might actually counteract some of the benefits of your workout.

Need assistance?

Related Content

More great information and resources.

Books

  • Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

    When you push to the point where you can’t go any faster or continue any farther, what’s...

    → Read More
  • Cardio or Weights by Alex Hutchinson
    Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?

    In this book, Globe and Mail science columnist Alex Hutchinson tackles 111 common questions on...

    → Read More

Articles

Client reviews

  • VP, Baseball Operations, Toronto Blue Jays

    We invited Alex to speak to a group of young players during an off-season development program in Toronto. Alex’s research and message related to pushing past the assumed boundaries of performance was particularly relevant for this group, as they challenge themselves to go from talented minor league players to winning Major League players. Alex’s content, story-telling, humility, and humor kept us fully engaged and we are excited to keep following his work.

  • Raymond James Financial

    Alex delivered an entertaining and informative presentation. The packed room was enthralled. Clearly, Alex knew his stuff. Moreover, as an accomplished athlete himself, he was able to add more colour to the science by linking it to personal anecdotes which really helped build a connection between Alex and his diverse audience. Alex’s talk was a definite highlight of our program.

  • Own the Podium/Canadian Olympic Committee’s SPIN Summit

    Alex has an incredible way of translating complex health and performance topics into easy and clear understanding for any audience. There is much to learn for all us from the lessons from the coal face of elite sport, as well as the everyday application of health and wellness. In the end, Alex presents concepts with engaging stories, and wraps it up with thought-provoking life lessons as well. I would highly recommend him again.

You might also like

Related speakers.