Cynthia Monteleone: The Dangers Of Chronic Endurance Training and the Benefits of Sprinting

Aug 26, 2025

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Please enjoy a great conversation with my friend and sprinting mentor Cynthia Monteleone, coming to you all the way from the beautiful big island of Hawaii.

A Team USA world champion sprinter, Cynthia is also a highly trained metabolic health analytics practitioner who coaches numerous Olympic athletes and world champion masters-level athletes, and she goes deep into the nuances of what delivers peak performance and helps people overcome health challenges to reach personal goals, especially weight loss and excelling in athletic goals.

In this episode, Cynthia tells us why chronic cardio might actually be hurting your health—and how training like a sprinter can lead to better longevity, hormones, and overall energy. We discuss the important principles outlined in Born to Walk and get into the damage that can happen to the heart from excessive endurance exercise, how living in that black hole heart rate zone keeps your body in fight or flight, and why you might be storing more visceral fat or throwing off your thyroid just from overtraining. Cynthia shares some eye-opening examples, like a fit masters track athlete who started marathon training and ended up with a heart attack—and we explore how too much endurance training can lead to electrical signaling issues in the heart and chronic inflammation.

We also push back on the grind-it-out mindset that’s become so common—where suffering and pain are glorified as signs of discipline. Instead, we highlight a more empowering, intelligent approach to fitness, based on sprinting, walking, lifting heavy things, and prioritizing recovery. This conversation is all about training smarter—not harder—for the long term.

TIMESTAMPS:

Fitness people may need to rethink their idea of what is good for the body. [04:25]

Brad talks about his participation in sports as a kid and his evolution into triathlon. It took a toll on his life. [06:48]

As a parent coach for the kids, is it effective to push the kids hard to teach them life's lessons? [10:38]

What are the lessons to be learned from this crazy running boom that we've had where people think that when they turn 40, they should run a marathon? [17:22]

Why do people think it is hard to sprint? [18:52]

What is the best way to balance your exercise regimen? [25:53]

A combination of walking and sprinting is preferable to steady state cardio. [33:12]

You can exercise the heart too much. [40:10]

There's a disconnect between mental strength and hurting yourself. [47:38]

All your training and all your fitness endeavors have to factor into the same equation as all the other forms of stress in your life. [51:06]

Is your training making you feel empowered or tired? [59:48]

LINKS:

We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you!

Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life:

B.rad Nutrition: Premium quality, all-natural supplements for peak performance, recovery, and longevity; including the world's highest quality whey protein!
Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Use code BRADPODCAST for 15% off!
Ketone-IQ Save 30% off your first subscription order & receive a free six-pack of Ketone-IQ!
Get Stride: Advanced DNA, methylation profile, microbiome & blood at-home testing. Hit your stride the right way, with cutting-edge technology and customized programming. Save 10% with the code BRAD.
Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount!
Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience
Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.