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Artwork for Human Performance Outliers Podcast

Human Performance Outliers Podcast with Zach Bitter

Zach Bitter
Ultra Running
Running
Nutrition
Endurance Training
Ultramarathon
Ultrarunning
Hydration
Mental Health
Pacing Strategies
Endurance Sports
Ultra Marathon
Strength Training
Ultramarathon Training
Backyard Ultra
Cocodona 250
Endurance Running
Tunnel Hill 100 Mile
Ultramarathon Running
Leadville 100
Nutrition For Endurance Athletes

Welcome to the Human Performance Outliers Podcast. Your host Zach Bitter, will take you through a series of interesting topics around health, fitness, endurance, running, hybrid athlete training, ultramarathon, and nutrition. Join in for interviews with folks exploring their outer limits and research in a wide variety of sports, fitness, and nutrition.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes523Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
RunningFitnessHealth & FitnessSports

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Artwork for Human Performance Outliers Podcast

Latest Episodes

Allison Mercer is an ultramarathon athlete who has competed at both 50km and 100km World Championships, Tunnel Hill, and Strolling Jim. She joined me to unpack why the World 100 KM deserves more attention, and what ingredients make ultramarathons gro... more

Kim Gottwald is a German ultra runner and content creator who went from law student to backyard-ultra standout by documenting extreme projects in public, including a co-win at Go One More in Texas, and a 449 km Last Soul Ultra victory at home. He co-... more

Phil Gore holds the World Best mark for the Backyard format, completing 119 "yards" for a total of 495.83miles. He recently completed a personal project, called Project 168, where he aimed to see if he would be able to last 168 yards (700 miles). He ... more

Brian Reynolds is a Brooks-sponsored double below-knee amputee runner who, in 2026, became the first athlete in that category to finish the Leadville Trail 100 — on his fourth try, in 28 hours 55 minutes. He lost both legs at age four to meningococce... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Recent Guests

Phil Gore
Ultramarathon runner and Backyard Ultra competitor
Self-directed athlete (Project 168)
Episode: Episode 502: Backyard Ultra Records & Recovery | Phil Gore
Brian Reynolds
Double amputee ultrarunner, Leadville 100 finisher
Leadville Leadville participant (sponsor relationships discussed)
Episode: Episode 501: First Double Amputee To Finish Leadville 100 Mile Run | Brian Reynolds
Tom Nobbs
Elite marathoner discussed during the episode
Professional runner training with coach Brandt
Episode: Episode 500: The Truth Behind Run Slow To Run Fast | Thomas Nobbs
Dr. Trent Stellingwerff
Chief Performance Officer at the Canadian Sports Institute; researcher and clinician in nutrition and physiology
Canadian Sports Institute Pacific / IOC consensus contributor
Episode: Episode 499: REDs & Body Composition | Dr. Trent Stellingwerff
Matt Fox
Founder of Sweat Elite, journalist and running content creator
Sweat Elite
Episode: Episode 498: 2:59 to 2:18 Marathon | Matt Fox - Sweat Elite
Vic Johnson
Mountain Sports Nutrition
Episode: Episode 496: Fueling Your Ultra: Strategies & Challenges | Vic Johnson
Mark Dowdle
Athlete discussed on episode
Professional ultrarunner (Backyard Ultra circuits)
Episode: Run The News | Backyard Ultra Records Disqualified at the Biotropica Backyard Ultra
Lotti Brinks
Ultrarunner focused on Western States and other major races
Professional ultrarunner
Episode: Episode 494: Developing As An Ultramarathon Runner | Lotti Brinks
George Kusche
Comrades Marathon champion, endurance runner from South Africa
Independent athlete
Episode: Episode 493: Comrades Champion | George Kusche

Host

Zach Bitter
Host of the show focusing on health, fitness, endurance, running, and nutrition.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.1k ratings
  • Smart conversations for serious runners

    I've listened to a lot of endurance podcasts over the years, and this has become one of my favorites. Zach consistently brings a thoughtful, evidence-based perspective while staying practical and open-minded. I especially appreciate how he discusses training, nutrition, and recovery with nuance instead of promoting one-size-fits-all solutions.

    The series breaking down his training and fueling through different phases was particularly valuable—it gave me ideas I could actually apply to my own ru... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    valentinaj79
    United States3 months ago
  • Multi nights

    Zach you sound terrified of a200. But I think you’d do great in a backyard

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    F67 and still going
    United States4 months ago
  • A Perfect Blend

    Zach deliveres the perfect balance between data-driven, science-backed talk and personal experience. This creates conversations that are personable and compelling, and there are always little gems of actionable next steps to take as an ultra runner.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Beaver2011
    United States5 months ago
  • Poor information to advertisement ratio

    Of a 25min podcast 10min was spend on his sponsors, code, draw, and socials…. That one of the worst ratio I have seen in the podcast world.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Traubon
    Canadaa year ago
  • Open-minded discussions

    Zach covers a wide-range of health, wellness, and running topics. I’m always learning from keeping an open-mind to his and his guest’s opinions, the same way Zach approaches his own evolution. We are lucky to have Zach (and occasionally Nicole) in the space. ✌🏻💚🏃🏼‍♂️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Catawba King
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality guests and consistently informative content that helps improve training and performance.
Hosts bring calm, insightful moderation and expert perspectives across topics.
Great balance of science and personal experience with guests.
Thoughtful, evidence-based conversations with practical takeaways.
Listeners appreciate open-minded discussions and actionable insights, though some note ad/read ratios could be better.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#44
United States/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#98
Canada/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#151
United Kingdom/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#54
Australia/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#61
Italy/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#206
France/Sports/Running

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 501: First Double Amputee To Finish Leadville 100 Mile Run | Brian Reynolds
Q: What prompted you to pursue Leadville after your first attempts?”,
The drive came from a mix of curiosity about the limits of what's possible, a strong support system, and an evolving belief that the right gear and training could enable finishing the race.
Episode 496: Fueling Your Ultra: Strategies & Challenges | Vic Johnson
Q: How should someone approaching 20+ hour ultras think about total carb intake and pacing?
Long-duration events require balancing intake with GI tolerance and rate of gastric emptying; some athletes may sustain higher hourly carbs if they can avoid GI issues, but most will benefit from gradual increases, personalized targets, and ensuring intake aligns with energy demands and workout schedule.
Episode 496: Fueling Your Ultra: Strategies & Challenges | Vic Johnson
Q: Should athletes ramp up fueling gradually in training, or try aggressive targets early in a race?
It's generally best to ramp gradually, validate tolerability in training, and avoid large early increases that could disrupt performance; individualization and gradual progression help preserve training quality and race-day performance.
Episode 496: Fueling Your Ultra: Strategies & Challenges | Vic Johnson
Q: Hans Troyer's Western States 100 fueling incident – did David Roche's 150 g/hour strategy cost him the win?
The hosts acknowledge it's a loaded, multifactor issue and discuss that high carb intake can be a variable but not a singular cause; conditions, pacing, and GI stress all interplay, so it's not possible to pin the loss on fueling alone.
Episode 494: Developing As An Ultramarathon Runner | Lotti Brinks
Q: Can you explain your fueling strategy during the race and how you handle carbohydrate intake and caffeine?
She uses around 90 grams of carbs per hour with occasional spikes up to 100, relies on caffeine strategically during climbs or specific sections, and emphasizes salt intake to manage her salty sweat, all coordinated with Precision nutrition for individual tailoring.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Human Performance Outliers Podcast

What is Human Performance Outliers Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

- The show centers on high-performance endurance, with deep dives into training, nutrition, recovery, and race strategy across ultrarunning and related disciplines. Guests range from elite ultramarathoners and coaches to nutritionists and researchers, yielding practical, evidence-informed perspectives that listeners can apply to training and racing.

- Unique strengths include a data-driven approach blended with real-world experience, a focus on gut adaptation and fueling, and coverage of multi-day events, pacing, and racing psychology, making it valuable for serious athletes, coaches, and performance-minded professionals.

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Which podcasts are similar to Human Performance Outliers Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Human Performance Outliers Podcast:

1. Everyday Ultra
2. Singletrack
3. The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman
4. Some Work, All Play
5. Choose Strong

How many episodes of Human Performance Outliers Podcast are there?

Human Performance Outliers Podcast launched 9 years ago and published 523 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Human Performance Outliers Podcast?

Recent guests on Human Performance Outliers Podcast include:

1. Phil Gore
2. Brian Reynolds
3. Tom Nobbs
4. Dr. Trent Stellingwerff
5. Matt Fox
6. Vic Johnson
7. Mark Dowdle
8. Lotti Brinks

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