Athlete or amateur, male or female, are we truly aware of the effects sports can have on our bodies? Written by researchers and former athletes, this handsome coffee table book decodes the work of athletes, focusing on the interactions between one's body and athletic performance. It's a matter of deriving pleasure from effort, the joy of being in one's body, and health benefits felt with one's whole being. Julie Doron also examines dangers, from the intoxicating feeling of surpassing one's limits, embodied in the most beautiful way by high-level sports, and also the athlete's impressive ability to adapt to constraints both physical and environmental, which circumscribe their activity.