Overview
- Researchers from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Duke University published the findings in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Press.
- Measuring calorie burn during competition and across up to 52 weeks, the study found a sustainable cap near 2.4 to 2.5 times basal metabolic rate.
- The dataset covered 14 highly competitive endurance athletes, primarily ultrarunners along with cyclists and triathletes.
- Short spikes above this threshold occur in multi-day events, but sustaining them would lead the body to break down tissue, study author Andrew Best said.
- The body offsets extreme training by cutting other activity and some functions, and Best noted most recreational athletes would need roughly 18 kilometers of daily running for a year to approach the limit.