The evolution of marathon running : capabilities in humans.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and evolutionary hypothesis without primary experimental human data
PubMed 17465590 · doi:10.2165/00007256-200737040-00004
What was done
This narrative review synthesizes comparative anatomical, biomechanical, and physiological evidence to evaluate the evolutionary origins and functional mechanisms underlying human endurance running capabilities in hot, arid environments compared to other primates and mammals.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative experimental data or numerical effect sizes. It qualitatively describes specialized human features that facilitate lower-limb elastic energy storage and release, center-of-mass stabilization, and thermoregulation during long-distance running. It posits that human endurance running performance compares favorably with specialized mammalian cursors and likely emerged around 2 million years ago to aid carnivorous hominids in competing with other predators.
Why it matters
Synthesizes the endurance running hypothesis, providing an evolutionary framework for understanding the unique physiological and musculoskeletal adaptations that allow humans to sustain prolonged aerobic exercise.
Limits
The paper is a theoretical narrative review rather than an empirical study; no sample size, experimental measurements, or statistical evaluations are reported in the abstract. Hypotheses regarding hominid behavior 2 million years ago rely on indirect fossil and comparative evidence rather than direct observation.
Cited by
- supports The human foot and its specialized anatomy for running evolved long before the evolution of the modern human brain.