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It is not a secret that the pregnancy process is a superhuman feat that requires a lot of strength and energy. Researchers have since corroborated this sentiment with data, arguing in a new study that pregnancy and extreme endurance sports had more similarities than expected. Translation: Give yourself a big pat on the back, parents.
An endurance sport consists in "exercising key muscles at a submaximal intensity for long periods", according to Medical Dictionary, which description seems pretty similar to pregnancy because, as noted by medical experts, the body's muscles change over time to support the growing fetus.
But until Wednesday, there was not really any relevant data to back up these similarities. All this changed when the newspaper Progress of science published a study analyzing the caloric intake and performance data of athletes participating in the Race Across the USA – a grueling 4,800km race, extending 120km from California to Washington, DC – and It's compared to various other endurance activities, such as trekking at a distance and pregnancy, "according to CTV News.
The researchers also compiled a chart of pregnancy statistics because, as noted by the lead author of the study, Herman Pontzer, an anthropologist of evolution at Duke University, "Si you think about it, [pregnancy] is like the ultimate activity of endurance ".
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In the end, scientists determined that towards the end of the race, athletes who were burning "600 fewer calories per day than expected – 5,400 instead of 6,000", while "their metabolism slowed down to about 2, 5 times their basal metabolic rate, "according to Quartz. .
According to these data, scientists have determined that a person can "successfully succeed 4,000 calories on average" before his metabolic rate will slow down and the body begins to rely on its caloric reserves. , according to CNN. This amount is "2.5 times the basal metabolic rate, or the amount of calories a body needs to function at rest", according to Runner's World.
The researchers believe that these statistics represent the "ultimate limit of human endurance", according to Runner's world, which is a pretty cool discovery in itself.
But what's more interesting? Scientists have discovered that "the energy consumption of the person will reach 2.2 times its resting metabolic rate", which is one decimal of the metabolic rate of an athlete running long distance marathons. phew.
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Pontzer explained how these similarities occurred, noting, according to Jezebel:
Humans may have evolved to be capable of incredible endurance feats, which has had the side effect of allowing us to have big babies. The opposite could also be true: having big babies allowed us to practice extreme sports over long periods. There is no reason for it not to be both.
The lead author also spoke of the miraculous nature of the human body, highlighting the difference between a high endurance athlete and a pregnant person. "I think we all have the potential – but how can we achieve it?" With your pregnancy, your body takes over and you have no control over it, "he said. according to CTV News. "All pregnant mothers have made this effort themselves."
Of course, anyone who has been pregnant or knows someone who probably does not need these results to know that pregnancy is an awesome feat. But it is rather interesting to note, thanks to scientific research, that the endurance of a pregnant person is essentially equivalent to that of a professional athlete.
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