Prof Michael Adrian Stroud, OBE, FRCP (born 17 April 1955) is an Gastroenterologist, a Professor of Clinical Nutrition and an expert on human health under extreme conditions.
His interest in human endurance under extreme conditions was based on personal experience including running multi-marathons in the Sahara and trekking across polar ice.
He then joined Ranulph Fiennes in a series of expeditions between 1986 and 1990, attempting to journey on foot to the North Pole unsupported by other men, animals or machines.
He points out that historically the human body is pre-tuned to undergo bouts of hard work and in particular can cope remarkably well with endurance events in hot climates.
He argues that our current sedentary lifestyle conflicts with our body's design and is leading to the health issues that an increasing proportion of the Western world is experiencing today.
[7][8] in 2022, Stroud and Chris Buckton competed using a twin kayak in the Yukon 1000 mile race - the World’s longest canoeing event from Canada to Alaska.