Battery theory

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The battery theory of life force is a fringe belief that human beings are born with only a finite amount of energy, which is depleted by physical activity. Persons who subscribe to this theory avoid exercising whenever possible, in the belief that it would cause them to die sooner. [1] Mainstream medical science rejects this view. [2] [3] [4] [5]

U. S. President Donald Trump has been widely reported as subscribing to this view, [6] which is why he avoids most forms of exercise apart from golf. Trump once told an interviewer that all of his friends who worked out ended up getting knee and hip replacements, a normal remedy for the wear and tear of joints connected to osteoarthritis. [7] [5]

References

  1. Belluz, Julia (2017-05-09). "Donald Trump thinks exercise will kill you". Vox. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  2. Thomson, Angus (2025-10-02). "Trump thinks the body works like a battery. Scientists have shown why he's wrong". The Age. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
  3. "Trump's Alleged Long-Held Theory Has Resurfaced And … Wow". HuffPost. 2025-12-05. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
  4. Heggie, Vanessa (2017-05-15). "Trump has a theory about exercise that would fit well in Victorian Britain". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-12-12.
  5. 1 2 Kasprak, Alex (2017-05-18). "Does the Body Have a Finite Amount of Energy?". Snopes. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  6. "Trump thinks that exercising too much uses up the body's 'finite' energy". The Washington Post. 2017-05-12. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2025-12-12.
  7. Cillizza, Chris (2019-02-08). "It's time to revisit Donald Trump's 'battery' theory of life force". CNN. Retrieved 2025-12-12.