Interesting read about footstrike during running

[Garrett Smith]

Okay, so maybe LSD running isn't maladaptive. Then again, how often were these hunters being asked to run this way? My best guess would be a couple times a week, tops...

[Dave Van Skike]

Originally Posted by Garrett Smith

Okay, so maybe LSD running isn't maladaptive. Then again, how often were these hunters being asked to run this way? My best guess would be a couple times a week, tops...

that would be a *guess*.

you're in AZ, go chase down a couple javelina and get back to us with some data.

otoh. a "couple times a week" corresponds to about the amount of times per week an elite endurance athlete might hit long runs.

[Darryl Shaw]

Originally Posted by Arien Malec

It's worth noting references to the following studies:

http://yannklimentidis.blogspot.com/...e-hunting.html
http://www.publicanthropology.org/Archive/Ca1984.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-hrm111204.php

I'd also note that any form of hunting has a high energy expenditure and failure rate. The reason persistence hunting might have been efficient is that, once you separate the animal from the herd, the main challenge is keeping up and keeping the trail (as opposed to a once and succeed or miss sprint and strike).

It's further worth noting that once you run the animal down, you need drag the meat back a long freaking way to camp, so persistence hunters aren't frail.

Thank's for the links; interesting stuff.
I had a quick look through my copy of The Hunting Peoples by Carleton S. Coon (sadly now out of print) last night and couldn't find any references to persistence hunting so those links filled a gap in my knowledge.

I disagree that all forms of hunting involve a high energy expenditure as the more common forms of hunting such as bow hunting from a hide, trapping or simply sneaking up on your lunch and throwing a stick at it are all fairly low intensity activities compared with running a kudu to death.

Originally Posted by Arien Malec

It's worth picking on this sentence. The persistence hunter in the documentary was not carb loading, was as lean as any competitive body builder, and yet managed to run for well more than a couple of hours in the blazing heat.

It's a dubious proposition that man evolved solely under the pressures of persistence hunting, but the presence of persistence hunting is a strong counter-argument to the premise that endurance running is maladaptive.

How can you sure that the bushmen aren't carb loading given that roots, tubers and maize based porridges are staple foods throughout most of Africa?

This is pure speculation on my part but I would guess that roots, tubers and porridges must be a staple part of the bushmans diet because they would have no reason not to make use of such an readily available source of energy and it's this regular intake of carbs that allows them to expend so much energy on a fairly high risk hunting strategy such as running a kudu to death.

[Dave Van Skike]

Persistence hunting is theorized to be one of the oldest hunting forms, maize arrived on the eastern part of the continent in the 1600's at the earliest.

[Mike ODonnell]

[Scott Kustes]

Having read The Old Way by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas about the !Kung in the Kalahari, Darryl is right that the Bushmen consume quite a load of roots and tubers. In fact, while the men bring home the coveted meat, the women bring home the staple roots that are eaten daily.

[Dave Van Skike]

Carb loading is not maladaptive? Excellent.

I shall have the Corn Pops with antelope blood.

[brandon merson]

Running is the natural way to hunt. If you were to examine our ancestors, they did not walk to get their protein. If they had, I'm sure either starvation or vegetarianism ensued.

As for foot strike, take off those ridiculous things you call 'running shoes.' Again going back to our roots, they didn't rely on Air Max to establish a cushion for ground strike. Barefoot was all that was available and anyone who has ran barefoot doesn't even think to let that heel touch.

I attended the Crossfit Running/Endurance Certification a little over a month ago. It is now understood that operating within the laws of Nature, injury prevention/avoidance is real.