Alex Honnold Free-Solos Taipei 101: The Science Behind Anxiety, Fitness, and Extreme Performance – Muscle & Fitness

History was made in nail-biting fashion on January 25, 2026, when Alex Honnold, free soloing one of the world’s most iconic skyscrapers, became the first person to climb Taipei 101 without the aid of a rope or harness. It was such an extraordinary feat that many of those watching the high-stakes challenge wondered the same thing: Does Honnold experience anxiety? Interestingly enough, scientists tried to answer this question almost a decade ago, with surprising results.

When the inspirational climber from Sacramento, California became the first person free soloed a 5.13a graded climb on a 2900 foot trip in 2017Honnold’s epic undertaking was hailed as “one of the greatest athletic feats of all time,” by The New York Times. An intelligent athlete and author, the 40-year-old has won awards in the Alps and achieved many important milestones, but his recent solo performance of Taipei 101 in Thailand, broadcast live on Netflix, has once again captured the public’s imagination. In his most recent feat, Honnold completed the highest free solo climb of an urban structure in history, taking just 91 minutes and 30 seconds to do so. But if those watching the event were nervous and on the edge of their seats, why did Honnold look so calm during most of his climb? According to science, it could all be explained by his amygdala.

What is the Amygdala and why is it important?

The amygdala appears as two almond-shaped lumps on either side of the brain. It is a network that processes our memories, decision-making capabilities and emotional responses such as fear, anxiety and aggression. In 2016, Honnold agreed observed by neuroscientist Jane Josephto find out whether or not his amygdala responded like the rest of us when confronted with extreme situations. Using functional magnetic resistance imaging (fMRI), Joseph’s team was able to scan Honnold’s brain, and what they discovered surprised them greatly.

What did brain scans reveal about Alex Honnold?

When we are faced with a dangerous situation, the amygdala sends signals to the rest of the body, allowing us to get out of the danger zone without thinking, leading to other reactions such as sweaty palms or a rapid heartbeat.

First, the scientists confirmed that Honnold’s amygdala was present in the brain and that it appeared healthy. Then, to test its functionality, the climber was quickly presented with hundreds of images, the kind of images designed to induce disgust, such as filthy toilets, for example, or the horrors associated with dead bodies.

Does Alex Honnold experience anxiety like we all do? As reported by NautilusHonnold showed no difference in brain activity when confronted with the extreme images, despite the fact that the experiment did show a response in another climber, who participated in the tests as a control candidate.

“Maybe his amygdala isn’t firing; he has no internal responses to these stimuli,” Joseph said at the time. “But it could be that he has such a well-developed regulatory system that he can say, ‘Okay, I’m feeling all these things, my amygdala is going off,’ but his frontal cortex is just so powerful that it can calm him down.”

Joseph has a theory that Honnold does have the ability to feel fear, but his years of experience fighting his way through dangerous situations have given him a different perspective on which situations should require a fear response. “He really has an extraordinary brain,” she said.

Skyscraper Live is now streaming on Netflix

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