In this episode I sit down with Professor Paul Laursen — sport scientist, co-author of Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training, and co-founder of Athletica — to break down the science of endurance in plain language. From mitochondria and fat-burning to HIIT, the neuromuscular system, nutrition, recovery and HRV, we turn the biology of running into practical tools to help you train smarter, recover better, and avoid the classic pitfalls.
ABOUT PAUL LAURSEN A sport physiologist from British Columbia, Canada, with a career spanning the Australian Institute of Sport and the New Zealand Olympic program, where he led physiology across two Olympic cycles. He's best known for his work on high-intensity interval training, co-authored the leading textbook on the subject, is co-writing the fifth edition of Lore of Running with Tim Noakes, and co-founded the AI training platform Athletica.
WHAT WE COVER
How muscles create movement and turn food into energy
Mitochondria: why endurance training grows them, and why fat is the clean fuel
The heart as a muscle — stroke volume and why running starts to feel easier
Why "no pain, no gain" is the number-one endurance mistake
Consistency over heroics: the most important session is the next one
Building the aerobic base first (Paul's fat-burning study with Stephen Seiler)
MAF and low-heart-rate training, with a nod to Phil Maffetone
Nutrition as a lever: insulin, whole foods, and the simple PFC rule
When to add HIIT, and how it recruits fast-twitch fibres
The neuromuscular system and Dr. Marius Bakken's Norwegian Method
What adaptation is and when it happens: sleep, recovery and nutrition
Reading your body's data: wearables, RPE, feel and HRV
Understanding HRV: 7-day vs 60-day averages and overtraining risk
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Fat is your clean fuel — aerobic training teaches your body to burn it efficiently
Patience beats punishment — build the base before adding intensity
Recovery is training — prioritise sleep, then whole-food nutrition
Listen to the trend, not the day — use HRV to adjust before stress builds
MENTIONED Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training — Laursen & Buchheit Lore of Running (5th edition, with Tim Noakes) The Norwegian Method Applied — Dr. Marius Bakken
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