# Hysterical strength and similar phenomena

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterical-strength-and-similar-phenomena/747620>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 1, 2016, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterical-strength-and-similar-phenomena/747620 "2016-03-01T11:42:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterical-strength-and-similar-phenomena/747620/1 "2016-03-01T11:42:24Z")

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We’ve all heard anecdotes about people lifting cars under stressful conditions: [Hysterical strength - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterical_strength)

If we understood the phenomenon enough to trigger it at will, what kind of maximum limits or multiplication factors could we expect when it comes to strength, stamina, speed, acceleration, reflexes, pain tolerance and other similar traits?

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**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterical-strength-and-similar-phenomena/747620/2 "2016-03-01T12:03:40Z")

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Joints are relatively fragile, and your body protects them by letting you think you’re using maximum strength long before you actually are. You can train yourself to use more strength, or you will do so automatically in life-and-death situations. But don’t be surprised if you end up inflicting a good amount of damage to your body.

Just look at trained athletes. They have more stamina, more strength and can get closer to their limits and do all of this consistently.

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**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterical-strength-and-similar-phenomena/747620/3 "2016-03-01T12:16:34Z")

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I’d say the death of British cyclist Tom Simpson in 1967 falls into this category:

> [@](#):
>
> Media reports suggested that his death was caused by heat exhaustion,[47] until, on 31 July 1967 British journalist J. L. Manning of the Daily Mail broke the news about a formal connection between drugs and Simpson’s death: **“Tommy Simpson rode to his death in the Tour de France so doped that he did not know he had reached the limit of his endurance. He died in the saddle, slowly asphyxiated by intense effort in a heatwave after taking methylamphetamine drugs and alcoholic stimulants.”** [48]

(bolding mine)

→ [Death of Tom Simpson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tom_Simpson) (Wikipedia)

In this case, the “hysterical strength” was artificially induced.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterical-strength-and-similar-phenomena/747620/4 "2016-03-01T14:58:06Z")

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I don’t doubt your overall point but I find the term “alcoholic stimulants” to be a non sequitur.

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterical-strength-and-similar-phenomena/747620/5 "2016-03-01T15:02:40Z")

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> [@iljitsch](#):
>
> Joints are relatively fragile, and your body protects them by letting you think you’re using maximum strength long before you actually are. You can train yourself to use more strength, or you will do so automatically in life-and-death situations. But don’t be surprised if you end up inflicting a good amount of damage to your body.
> 
> Just look at trained athletes. They have more stamina, more strength and can get closer to their limits and do all of this consistently.

And, in consequence, [develop chronic joint injuries earlier and more severely than non-athletes](https://www.asep.org/asep/asep/FrieryJEPonlineApril2008.pdf).