Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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What really happens inside our bodies when we push them to the limit? This film goes inside a Human Performance Laboratory to find the answers, exploring the fine line between healthy exertion and dangerous overexertion. We follow the scientific testing of a wide range of subjects, from elite athletes and post-heart attack patients to people with disabilities. From measuring the energy output of a custom-built walker to analyzing a runner's blood, the research aims to help everyone from the sick to the super-fit reach their full potential.

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Only one scientist in thousands wins a Nobel Prize. Far fewer ever become household names. In this fascinating series, Brian Trueman looks at the work of scientists whose names are relatively unknown outside their own very specialist fields.

This film was first broadcast: 1981

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Discover the best science, technology, and engineering shows. Explore amazing experiments, groundbreaking inventions, and the secrets behind incredible builds. Ignite your curiosity!

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