The situation is life or death. One wrong move can cause the death of oneself or someone else. Every thought, breath, decision, and action must be thought out precisely and carried out exactly or there will be casualties. Most would believe such a high-pressure situation would cause so much anxiety, they would simply freeze and accept their fate; however, the human body’s priority is to stay alive. This is aided in part by hysterical strength. Videos of people pushing thousand-pound boulders off of their legs, bursting through solid ice to escape drowning in a frozen lake, and lifting a refrigerator off of a small child’s hand come to mind. These displays of superhuman strength save lives and do not require hours of reps at the gym. So how come we are not able to lift the fridge on the regular? Why is my bag so heavy at the end of the day if I can break through solid walls of ice? The answer lies in the brain and the effect hormones have on the body.
During extremely stressful situations, the body responds to the threat involuntarily, more commonly known as the fight-or-flight response. When this occurs, the body goes into survival mode. A stress signal is sent from the hypothalamus in the brain to the adrenal glands in the kidneys. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are released, heightening the senses, increasing heartbeat, and reducing pain sensation. This allows for a singular focus on survival. Should one find themself with a large rock pinning their leg, the immense pain of crushed bones is dulled, so they can focus on throwing the boulder off of their leg; similarly, the pain caused by straining the muscles in the arms is also dulled for the time being in order to free the trapped limb. After the rock is removed, and the individual has hopefully made it to the hospital to be treated by professionals, the body feels the toll of the massive weights it was able to dispatch. Torn muscles, ligaments, and broken bones begin to hurt–a lot.
Recovery from these superhuman displays of strength can be lifelong, some may never recover fully. This ties to the importance of stretching and lifting comfortable weights, so as to not strain the muscles or potentially tear them. Repeated use of a muscle with a manageable weight will tear down muscle and build it back stronger, which is why even though the bag weighs the same, it feels much less heavy in the morning than in the afternoon. However, in those life-or-death situations, the body involuntarily chooses to live with limited mobility rather than to succumb to death. Because those fail-safes are no longer in place, the muscle can be torn down and even completely ripped apart, so instead of a few hours of soreness on a tired bicep, it can be years of chronic pain and potentially surgical intervention. Thankfully, without the rush of adrenaline, it would be very difficult for someone to simply lift a fridge and potentially harm their muscles in the process, as the body has built-in fail-safes to prevent muscle damage. Adrenaline temporarily suspends those fail-safes when an individual is in danger, such as a parent lifting the refrigerator off of a child’s hand.
Should someone find themself in mortal peril, the human body will have their back, both literally and neurologically. An individual in danger will experience a rush of adrenaline that will allow them to perform marvels beyond the span of human strength; this is not without its risks though, as recovery from the extreme muscle strain or tearing in favor of survival can take years and muscles may never recover to the state they were in prior to the life-or-death incident. This emphasizes the importance of stretching and choosing appropriate weights when working out at the gym in order to prevent serious injury. While it is comforting and can be kind of cool to know that humans can lift very heavy objects if pushed to the appropriate limits, it is important to know it is not without its risks and could lead to a decreased quality of life.
Works Cited
Austin, Daryl. ““Hysterical Strength”? Fight or Flight? This Is How Your Body Reacts to Extreme Stress.” National Geographic, 22 Apr. 2024, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/extreme-strength-fight-flight-stress-muscle-power. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
Lawrence V. Gulotta, MD. “Muscle Strain: What You Need to Know about Pulled Muscles.” Hospital for Special Surgery, 2019, www.hss.edu/conditions_muscle-strain.asp. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024. Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board