The Extraordinary Endurance of the Human Species

The Extraordinary Endurance of the Human Species

We hypothesize, based on field and scientific data, that setting a very ambitious goal such as completing a mountain ultra-marathon could motivate sedentary and inactive individuals not only to begin training but also to follow a progressive yet extremely ambitious program that has not yet been studied comprehensively. Indeed, the effects of intense and prolonged endurance training (18 months) on the health and performance of completely sedentary individuals have never been investigated exhaustively.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Affiliation to social security.
• Informed consent signed.
• Male or female, aged 25-50.
• Sedentary (>6h/day sitting) and inactive (no regular training), assessed by GPAQ questionnaire.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Chronic joint or cardiac diseases.
• Neurological disorders.
• Legal protection status.
• Moderate to severe depression (BDI-13 > 7) or use of antidepressants/anxiolytics.
• Use of banned substances.
• Excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption.
• Pregnancy.
• Inability to understand or consent.