Question 1

Why are humans so good at long-distance running?

Accepted Answer

Humans evolved as endurance runners. Millions of sweat glands and hairless skin let us shed heat while moving, so we can run for hours in the heat without overheating. Combined with spring-like tendons and stabilizing anatomy, this lets us outlast most animals over long distances.

Question 2

Can a human really outrun a horse?

Accepted Answer

Over short distances a horse wins easily, but over long distances in heat a fit human can win. At the annual Man versus Horse race in Wales, human runners beat the horses in 2004 and 2007 on hot days, because horses cannot pant and gallop at the same time and eventually overheat.

Question 3

What is persistence hunting?

Accepted Answer

Persistence hunting is chasing prey at a steady jog until it collapses from heat exhaustion. The animal sprints away but must stop to cool down, while the sweating human keeps following. San hunters in the Kalahari have been documented running down kudu this way over roughly twenty miles.

biomechanics

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The Body That Was Built to Outlast