Dr. Tyler LeBaron: Athlete
Tyler doesn’t just study human performance. He applies it to his real life.
As a hybrid athlete, Tyler competes across a spectrum of strength and endurance, from arm wrestling and strongman to road races (1500 m through marathon), tower running, Spartan races, and beyond, while actively educating on the physiological systems that make both possible.
About Tyler
He has competed since childhood, and the research career grew from that foundation. Tyler holds a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry, a Master’s in Exercise and Sports Conditioning, and a PhD in Physiology. His dissertation was on cardiovascular and cerebral vascular diseases in which he used H2 as a therapeutic modality.
His academic background is not adjacent to athletic performance. It is the same subject. When he explains what is happening inside your body during hard training, he is drawing from decades of doing it himself and from a scientific framework built on understanding the body at a physiological level.
He has the data and the race results to back it up.
These reflect his current abilities. He hopes to keep improving.
|
Stat |
Number |
Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
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ENDURANCE RUNNING |
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|
Current Mile |
A 4:38 mile at age 35–39 is approximately a top-1% performance among male runners and is considered national-class by age-grading standards. |
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Current 5K |
6th overall out of 1,553 finishers, 1st in division (St. George Gobbler, 2025). Also 1st overall out of 136 finishers (Utah Summer Games, 2019). |
|
|
Current 10K |
32:32 |
1st overall out of 209 finishers (ShamROCK 10K, 2022). |
|
Current Half Marathon |
1:11:47 |
The average man finishes a half marathon in 1:59:48. Tyler runs it nearly 48 minutes faster, at a 5:29 per mile pace sustained over 13.1 miles. |
|
Current Marathon |
2:30:56 |
7th overall out of 5,718 finishers (St. George Marathon, 2011). |
|
Boston Marathon |
3:00:23 |
Ran in 2006 at approximately age 18. Most runners qualify decades later. |
|
TRACK (UTAH SUMMER GAMES, MASTERS 35-39) |
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|
400 m Dash |
56.75 |
1st place, Masters 35-39 (2025). |
|
800 m Run |
2:12.45 |
1st place, Masters 35-39 (2025). |
|
1500 m Run |
Utah Summer Games Masters 35-39 record holder (2023). Subsequently ran 4:22.36 in 2025. |
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|
TOWER RUNNING |
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State Bank YMCA Building Stair Climb |
1st place |
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|
US National Tower Running Championship |
The average person takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete this course out of 2,000 climbers. (Chicago, 2026). |
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Las Vegas Stratosphere Tower Run |
Nationally recognized tower running event. (2025). |
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OTHER ENDURANCE EVENTS |
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Spartan Race |
Utah Spartan Beast Elite (2022). Tyler’s first Spartan race. Granted special permission to compete in the elite field of 75 rather than the open division. Placed 31st among elite competitors out of 2,335 total finishers across all divisions. |
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|
COMPETITIVE ARM WRESTLING |
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|
IFA Pro Division |
Competes at the Pro level across multiple weight classes on both arms. Best results at his natural competition weight of 154 lbs, though he has competed as light as 139 lbs and as heavy as 220+ lbs without adding extra body weight. |
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World Arm Wrestling Championships (International Federation of Arm Wrestling, IFA) |
Orlando, 2021. Weight class: 63kg (138.9 lbs). |
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North American Arm Wrestling Championship |
150 lbs weight class. (2026). |
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Utah Summer Games Arm Wrestling |
Utah Summer Games Championships (2025). |
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Mr. Olympia Arm Wrestling |
Orlando, 2023. |
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STRENGTH EVENTS |
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|
2025 Iron Firefighter Challenge: Iron Bison Invitational |
3rd place |
Open class, lightweight division (<181 lbs). First time competing in strongman events, skipped novice class. |
|
2024 Olympia Strict Curl Championship |
1st place |
165 lbs (75 kg) weight class; performance 62 kg (137 lbs). |
|
2024 Olympia Bench Press — Body Weight for Reps |
1st place |
Performance: 25 reps. |
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SUMMARY |
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Years Competing |
20+ documented |
Athlinks results go back to 2005. Competition started before that. |
Competition has always been part of the routine
There is a difference between someone who talks about discipline and someone who has simply never lived without it. Tyler has never needed to build a habit around training because training was never a question. It was just what he did.
In elementary school, he watched his Uncle Merrill do 100 situps. So he went home and did situps every day until he could do over 1,000. It was the amazement of how what used to be hard became easy with training. The human body is truly amazing. That same quiet drive showed up in high school wrestling practice. Although many started as children, Tyler started as a freshman and trained hard eventually winning the2006 state wrestling championship.. He put the same discipline in track events placing at state both the 1600 m (mile) and 3200 m (two mile). track and field. Most people with Tyler’s research background might treat exercise as a required health tool. Tyler just loves to see what he is capable of and competition helps bring out his best. With 30 years of documented race results behind him, that has not changed.
Competition Events
Below are select highlights from competition and training.
“What makes Tyler credible is that he embodies what he teaches. He brings the same rigor to his personal life and athletic pursuits that he brings to his scientific work.”
Anonymous
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tyler LeBaron’s research on molecular hydrogen actually influence how he trains?
Only in so much that I am actively learning about cell signaling and molecular biology. I learn new things that I may apply to my training. For example, I’ve learned that high-dose of conventional antioxidants may negate exercise training adaptations, whereas H2 does not. I am careful about the supplements that I take.
Does Tyler LeBaron follow a specific training protocol or use his own research to design his workouts?
I use my own research in the sense that I am a student and a teacher, but not so much in the studies that I have published is now modifying how I research. It’s mainly because I teach things like advanced exercise physiology, and I stay up to date in the field with the best literature. I take that knowledge and apply it to my training to best achieve my personal goals.
How does Tyler LeBaron balance a full research and teaching career with serious athletic training?
It actually doesn’t take that long of training per day to be elite, you just have to be consistent, and train correctly. Hard training is still hard. I choose to do my hard cardio in the morning before anything and it only takes 30-60 min to complete a typical daily session. I then lift weights in the late afternoon and then can vary between 30-90 min depending on the days goals/training. I keep to a tight schedule and exercise time becomes my sacred time that I protect.
Tyler’s research and education in those areas allowed him to understand how molecular hydrogen works on a deeper level across multiple scientific disciplines and fields.
Explore More
The Educator
See how Dr. Tyler translates complex research into accessible teaching, from university classrooms to podcasts and medical conferences worldwide.
The Scientist
See how Dr. Tyler applies his research background to real-world questions about health, performance, and what the evidence actually shows.
