Since 1970, American culture has been athletically optimized, which altered our relationships to ourselves and one another while fueling the appetites of consumer capitalism.

Emily J.H. Contois’ current book project explores how an ethos of elite athleticism has infiltrated American life and what we can do about it.

Get a taste of this new work in recently published public writing:

• Bloomsbury Food Library, Exclusive Articles, “Fueling the Optimization Age: Energy Drinks and the Problems of Rising Caffeine Use,”
• TIME Made by History, “Your New Year’s Resolution to Carry a Water Bottle Has a History,” January 2, 2024.
• “Are We Becoming Ivan Drago? Analyzing Today’s Fitness Tech through Rocky IV,” Nursing Clio, April 24, 2024.
• “Every Second Counts: Obsessive Achievement in The Bear, Sports, and Academia,” Nursing Clio, September 21, 2023.