Karine Dupouy ENG " the impact of endurance sports on your identity! " #EnglishVersion

New brain capsule: when ultra reveals you… and transforms you

Some episodes leave a lasting mark.

The previous conversation around the brain sparked a huge number of reactions: messages, questions, personal feedback… and many of you even reached out directly to my guest.

So we decided to go further.

In this new episode of Ultra Talk, I sit down again with Karine Dupouy, a neuroscience specialist (a trained pharmacist with over 20 years of experience), who now supports people through an integrative mind + body approach. And because she practices ultra-endurance herself, the discussion never stays theoretical: she connects science to what we actually live out in the field.

Why this capsule is different

We often hear: “Ultra changes your life.”

But what does that really mean—concretely—in the brain, in identity, in self-esteem?

In this episode excerpt, we open an essential door: the moment when ultra makes the “filters” disappear.

Karine explains it very simply: in everyday life, we can still “perform,” adapt, wear social masks, and spend energy trying to appear effective.

In ultra, that’s impossible. You no longer have any margin. You shift into efficiency mode: every calorie matters, every decision has to be right—and above all… you can no longer lie to yourself.

What ultra does to your identity

One of the strongest moments in the excerpt touches something many ultra-endurance athletes feel without always being able to put into words:

you come face to face with yourself, without filters, and it acts like a magnified mirror.

Karine talks about brain plasticity: ultra forces you to activate areas of the brain that you don’t use as much in daily life.

You have to make decisions under fatigue, manage uncertainty, keep moving despite the unexpected (weather, mechanical issues, pain, sleep deprivation…). Over time, your brain “reconfigures” itself: you develop new connections, new decision-making reflexes, a different way of moving forward.

And that’s where many experience a real breakthrough moment:

“I was capable of that.”

Not just on a bike. Not just in a race. In life.

Self-esteem, confidence, self-assertion: the three levels

Karine structures this transformation with a very clear framework:

• Self-esteem: the value you give yourself.
• Self-confidence: feeling capable of doing.
• Self-assertion: staying true to yourself, in all circumstances, without betraying who you are.

And ultra can reverse the usual path:

by making “pure” decisions, free from external influence, by moving forward no matter what, you strengthen your confidence… and your self-esteem follows.

The trap: when the quest becomes external

The episode doesn’t romanticize ultra—we also talk about the risks.

Why do some people keep chaining one event after another?

What makes the difference between deep motivation (freedom, meaning, reconnection) and extrinsic motivation (validation, others’ opinions, likes, social pressure, the “ultra-athlete” status)?

Karine offers a simple marker: when extrinsic motivation overtakes intrinsic motivation, be careful.

And she shares a powerful piece of advice to stay aligned: maintain diverse ecosystems, circles of life outside of ultra, and nurture protective factors (love, creation, learning).

👉 An episode not to be missed on Ultra Talk.

🎧 Available on all platforms.

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