Truism or Inflammatory Statement?

[Brian Grasso]

Reading a good book right now about the development of contemporary nutritional habits.

The author made this reference when referring to training and conditioning (and our 'scientific' aspects to it) -

"Today, there are Aboriginal people in the remote regions pf the Australian outback with the strength and fitness of Olympic athlete".

Neat statement... unsubstantiated (as per there being no reference). Aside from stats and data though, what do you all think about that?

- Brian

 

[dswithers]

One could agrue that in a non-industrialized society without access to modern medical care, the Darwinian "survival of the fitest" principal means that only those individuals that are extremely healthy live long enough to reproduce and pass on a genetic tendency toward a high degree of good health. Also, if those individuals require a high degree of athletic ability to escape danger, find food, etc., then those capabilities are genetically "selected" and enhanced through the generations. For those reasons an isolated society like the aborigonies may have some extremely athletic genes running around.
Another way to think of this is to look at wild animals. Take chimpanzis (our closest genetic relatives?) and lions for example. Chimpanzis are much stronger, pound for pound than we are, and are naturally very lean, without cardio, diets, or weightlifting, because their survival in the wild requires it. Adult male lions don't do a lick of exercise, lie around and sleep all day, let the females do all the hunting, and eat their fill first, but when an intruder enters their territory they are up and move with lightning speed and have enormous power and agility. Again this is because they must to survive and reproduce, not because of any exercise, training program or special diet.