...
Post A Reply
my profile
|
directory
login
|
register
|
search
|
faq
|
forum home
»
EgyptSearch Forums
»
Deshret
»
African Athletic Prowess: How to Explain it
» Post A Reply
Post A Reply
Login Name:
Password:
Message Icon:
Message:
HTML is not enabled.
UBB Code™ is enabled.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Perahu: [QB] Why Negroids are the better runners But it should be added that West African sprinters are not the best (genetically) for the long range, nor are East Africans the best for sprints. The versatile field is dominated by Europids and Mongolids and extremely long range (Marathon) is rather balanced, if the run goes through hilly areas, Eurasians do better again me thinks. Negrids have a lower weight and subcutaneous fat on average relative to their muscles, what makes them such good runners too. But without their muscle structure, f.e. progressive Europid males could compete with them easily. But those West African Negrids were selected for small group sprint hunting rather than large social organisations and big group hunting strategies. That made them more individualistic and sexual oriented (less group plans, easier survival of individuals), more masculine and aggressive (especially males, thats a reason why Negrid females are (so much - females are fit generally better in the liberal Western school system) more successful in a Western school system). Such small group (sprint) hunters wouldnt have won in other regions of the world (f.e. Europe, Arctic hunters) for various reasons, so this specialisation on that would have been disadvantageous elsewhere most likely (bad temperature control, high need for physical energy but at the same time somewhat lower endurance, low group efficiency etc.) His body type is not that extreme for a Negrid with the exception of his muscles partially and efficiency in short range runs. He is generally not that extreme and rather physically progressive for Negrid standards if its about his head and facial features. So basically, this West African type was really bred for the sprint and explosive muscle power - its his prime advantage, even the only one if compared with other types. East African types (Nilotid, Aethiopid) are more leptomorphic build, less muscles, long extremities, whats good for long range in general (with low energy consumption in particular) and typical for mobile groups. An environmental factor for Ethiopia and Kenia is the higher topography - thin air is always good for lung development and on the long run such things are not just modifications, but are also racially selected, which leads to more efficient oxygen use and again a reduction of useless mass (like muscles you dont need - same like in leptomorphic herder types). Dry heat is another factor which strengthened the same trend. They have more long muscles, but less muscle and fat mass, an efficient respiratory system, are adapted to higher areas (thin air), leptomorphic build (and rangy) for that and other reasons best in long range runs = East Africans. They dominate in aerobic sports obviously. West Africans on the other hand have a higher muscle mass, especially a higher percentage of a certain muscle type, but still the body fat and weight is low, the masculine tendency extreme. They are better in anaerobic (especially explosive short time power) sports as long as no constant strong muscle power is needed and long extremities are disadvantageous. Some sources I found: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/305/5684/637.summary?rbfvrToken=9e84da1dd1790e5fa002eb22735718b4b75e1e63 Unfortunately no access: [i]Over the years there have been more than two hundred studies comparing the body composition of athletes, with the work of British physician James M. Tanner the most famous. His The Physique of the Olympic Athlete, published in 1960 after the Rome Olympics, found an ideal body for each sport, although the study noted considerable overlap in types - a classic bell curve. Sprinters were the most muscular. Beginning at 400 meters on up to the marathon, athletes competing in these events were progressively less muscular in the upper body. Long-distance runners were generally small, short-legged, narrow-shouldered, and ectomorphic, or lacking in muscle.[/i] [i]For years it was axiomatic that muscles have two types of fibers - white, or fast-twitch, which were thought to be adapted for power movements, such as leaping or sprinting; and red, or slow-twitch, which were adapted for endurance. Now we know the model is more complicated. There are in fact two different types of fast-twitch fibers, one more metabolically efficient. Whites on average have a higher percentage of slow-twitch fibers than West African blacks who generally have more of both types of fast-twitch fibers.[/i] [i]The West Africans, by a ratio of approximately two to one, had more of the larger fast-twitch fibers. The researchers concluded that the force generating capacity of type-II muscle fibers at high velocity, the speed and tempo of movements, and the capacity of an individual to adapt to exercise training are all genetically influenced.[/i] For aerobic sports: [i]Noakes's colleague, Bengt Saltin, head of the Muscle Research Institute in Denmark, has come to the conclusion that certain population groups, including Northern Europeans, who are notable endurance runners and cross-country skiers, may have superior fatigue resistance encoded in their genes. He has found that Scandinavian distance runners, Kenyans, and South African blacks all have consistently lower blood-lactate levels and perform more efficiently than athletes from other regions, the likely result of their having evolved in mountainous regions. Population genetics - ancestry - is the key determinant.[/i] Here the authors forgot to mention the different lifestyle their ancestors had, they were more mobile people, usually herder warriors (like East African Aethiopids, original Nordid variants) and of leptomorphic type with longer extremities. But still leptomorphic Europids are not as specialised: [i]In a subsequent study Saltin brought several groups of Kenyans to the Karolinska labs in Sweden, where he was then working. Muscle-fiber distribution was similar for the Kenyans and Swedes. But biopsies of the quadricep muscles in the thighs indicated that the Kenyans had more blood-carrying capillaries surrounding the muscle fibers and more mitochondria within the fibers. That's important because mitochondria act a little like power stations, processing the glucose with oxygen brought in by breathing into energy. The Kenyans also were found to have relatively smaller muscle fibers than the Swedes, which Saltin speculated might serve to bring the mitochondria closer to the surrounding capillaries. This process aids in oxidation, bringing more "fuel" to the mitochondria, the engine of the muscles.[/i] [i]They have more of the muscle enzymes that burn fat, and their glycogen reserves are not burned as quickly, which improves endurance.[/i] But in a temperate and even more cold climate, this would lead to too much energy and temperature losses. [i]Saltin has privately suggested that Kenyans appear to be innately efficient, durable, and fast - with the most perfect aerobic potential measured so far on earth.[/i] [i]The key point is that these biological characteristics are not unique to either West or East African blacks. These characteristics are seen in all populations, including whites. However, based on the limited number of studies available, there seems to be more African Blacks with such characteristics than there are in other populations.[/i] My opinion is that other energy losses and keeping heat were not as important in Subsaharan Negrid Africans than in other groups. http://run-down.com/guests/je_black_athletes_p2.php Of course extreme leptomorphy is one sided overspecialisation, and being good at long distance runnings is not enough for being versatile. So like almost always, too extreme is not that desirable, even if advantageous in special circumstances. Another link: http://www.jonentine.com/reviews/chi_trib.htm [/QB][/QUOTE]
Instant Graemlins
Instant UBB Code™
What is UBB Code™?
Options
Disable Graemlins in this post.
*** Click here to review this topic. ***
Contact Us
|
EgyptSearch!
(c) 2015 EgyptSearch.com
Powered by UBB.classic™ 6.7.3