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Anthropological and physiological observations on Tarahumara endurance runners
Author(s) -
Balke Bruno,
Snow Clyde
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330230317
Subject(s) - work (physics) , energy metabolism , demography , geography , gerontology , psychology , engineering , sociology , medicine , mechanical engineering
The Tarahumara Indians of Northwestern Mexico have long been famous as endurance runners. These capabilities are best displayed in the traditional Tarahumara sport of kick‐ball racing. Participants in such races may cover up to 100 miles in 24 hours and races lasting 48 hours are not uncommon. This paper presents findings of a preliminary study of Tarahumara endurance capabilities. The data indicate that experienced kick‐ball racers are capable of energy expenditures of more than 10,000 Kcal/24 hour‐a figure which is generally considered to repre‐sent the upper limits of human voluntary work effort. The aerobic work capacity of Tarahumara boys, who had attended a Mission boarding school for several years, was not significantly different from that of their Mestizo classmates. Unacculturated Tarahumara boys excelled both of these latter groups in physical performance.