Alisson Luiz da Rocha

What’s the meaning of life? Where does the universe end? Born in 1991 in Campinas, Brazil, and raised in a nearby town, I’ve always been drawn to big questions—and sports. As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a pro soccer player, but reality had other plans. Instead, I pursued a degree in Physical Education and Sports at USP-Brazil (2010–2014). Science wasn’t my original path, but an exchange in Lisbon-Portugal (2012–2013) changed everything. I realized I could turn curiosity into a career. I became fascinated with exercise limits: Why do we get tired? What holds us back? Can too much training be harmful? These questions guided my Master’s (2015–2017) and Ph.D. (2017–2022) at USP-Brazil. Then, personal experience sparked a new mystery—I often felt down for days-weeks after long endurance exercises. Was it just me? Science suggests this is real, but no one knows why. Now, in my postdoc at UNICAMP (2022–2026), I started to explore this paradox: exercise boosts mood and energy, but beyond a certain point, the effect reverses. Why? At the Ruas Lab, with Professor Jorge Ruas, I’m working to piece this puzzle together. Maybe, in the process, I’ll uncover something deeper—not just about exercise, but about the big questions that have always fascinated me.