Activity patterns of the Canadian Eskimo

Godin, G.; Shephard, Roy J.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-433-08155-5.50025-x

Cited by 29 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In particular, great advances have been made in the carrying of modern laboratory procedures to remote field stations. Energy flow studies (Foote and Greer-Wootten, 1966; Kemp, 1971; Godin and Shephard, 1973) have enabled investigators to evaluate not only the current adaptation of a given population to its environment, but also the future prospects of a settlement when adopting various tactics of energy deployment. Such studies will assume ever-greater relevance as the world population increases and reserves of food and nonrenewable energy decline.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While this increases the number of children to be carried by the women of the community, it also becomes increasingly difficult for large families to wander in search of food. The net effect is then a reduction in the working capacity of the individuals concerned, while the energy balance for the entire settlement is threatened (Foote and GreerWootten, 1966;Lee, 1969;Kemp, 1971;Godin and Shephard, 1973;Shephard, 1978).…”

Section: Nutritional Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, the ability to work twice as hard as one's peers is relatively unimportant in many "primitive" societies (Clark and Haswell, 1974; Lee, 1972a,b; Norgan and FerroLuzzi, 1978; Hawkes and O'Connell, 1981). Hunters may exercise for long periods in order to catch sufficient game in adverse environments such as the high arctic, but even in such situations physical endowment contributes less to either the take of game or to survival than does intellect, experience, and accumulated skills (Godin and Shephard, 1973;Shephard, 1978). Indeed, the very diversity of environmental challenges and the resultant seasonal differences in sources of food militates against the emergence of a single advantageous trait.…”

Section: Critique Of Population Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A characteristic that would be helpful at one time of the year would be a major handicap at a different season or in a different part of the complex ecosystem. Furthermore, the very concept of individual success in a fragile economy is somewhat naive; successful colonization depends rather upon a cooperative lifestyle, with the development of an overall energy balance between the inhabitants of a settlement and the supporting natural region (Godin and Shephard, 1973;Foote and Greer-Wootten, 1966; Breymeyer and Van Dyne, 1979).…”

Section: Critique Of Population Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors associated with population variation in physiological working capacity

Shephard

1985

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

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Determinants of working capacity vary with the task to be performed, cultural differences in the distinction between work and leisure, and secular trends to a sedentary society. However, tolerance of physical effort is still necessary in many developing countries. Determinatians of working capacity should examine at least aerobic power, body composition, physical performance, and muscular endurance. Often, compromises will be necessary when testing in remote locations, but where possible, normal laboratory procedures should be followed. Data must be interpreted in relation to size, nutrition, fluid balance, lifestyle (including current activity habits and cigarette consumption), family size, and general health. The range of human variation can be examined by several techniques, including data distribution curves for large populations, the study of extreme variants such as athletes and patients with metabolic abnormalities, and comparisons between close relatives. To date, population studies have failed to unravel the relative contribution of constitution and environment to the determination of physical working capacity. The way ahead probably lies in more extended studies of relatives, sustained over several generations.In recent years, physical anthropologists have added to their basic repertoire of static measurements a range of dynamic observations, including data on human working capacity. It has been suggested that the ability to colonize a n unpromising habitat may depend more upon these dynamic characteristics than upon static dimensions. In the present paper, the physiological determinants of human working capacity are considered, discussing in particular methods of data collection which are appropriate to field situations. Given the excellent review of Bouchard et al. (1981) and several other fairly recent publications (Shephard, 1480; 1982a ,b; Andersen et al., 1978;Harris, 1982), a systematic treatment of such topics as the growth, aging, and training of working capacity would be superfluous. Rather, factors modifying the observed characteristics of any given community (such as body size, nutrition, lifestyle, family size, and health status) are emphasized. Comment will be offered on the potential for exploring human variation through comparisons between athletes and sedentary individuals, studies of twins and close relatives, and an examination of inherited abnormalities of working capacity. Comparisons between populations colonizing extreme habitats, ethnic comparisons within a given habitat, and studies of migrants will be exploited to examine the range of human adaptability. Finally, a brief critique will be made of both the findings and the underlying philosophy of these several approaches to the variance of populations. DETERMINANTS OF WORKING CAPACITY Nature of workOne immediate handicap when attempting to measure the working capacity of any human population is a lack of agreement on the nature of "work." The debate 0 1985 Alan R. Liss, Inc.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nutritional Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Critique Of Population Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Critique Of Population Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors associated with population variation in physiological working capacity

Shephard

1985

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

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“…Our data were collected on residents of Igloolik (69°40'N, 81°W). In 1969/ 1970 [5], many of the population continued traditional hunting and fishing activities [6], and physical fitness levels were high [7]. During the subsequent 20 yrs, there was rapid acculturation to a sedentary lifestyle [8], with associated changes in the prevalence of respiratory disease, exposure to arctic air and air pollutants (including cigarette smoke), cigarette consumption, adult stature [9], and survival to old age.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The ageing of lung function: cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of an Inuit community

Rode

Shephard²

1994

Eur Respir J

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We conclude that an apparent secular trend to a faster ageing of lung function in men is not explained by disease or domestic air pollution. Possible factors include increased lung volumes in young adults, greater pack-years of cigarette exposure, nonspecific respiratory disease, increased inspiration of cold air or altered chest mechanics due to operation of high-speed snowmobiles, and loss of physical fitness.

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Energetics and population ecology of Siberian herders

Leonard

Katzmarzyk²,

Crawford

1996

Am. J. Hum. Biol.

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Methodological advances now permit human biologists to more effectively monitor energy dynamics in traditional societies. This study examines the nutritional ecology and energetics of semisubsistence herders of Siberia (Evenki) during a single season of their annual cycle (late summer). Total energy expenditure (TEE) among adults, as measured by daily heart‐rate monitoring, is greater in Evenki men (TEE = 11.9 ± 2.8 MJ/d in men and 8.8 ± 2.1 MJ/d in women; P < 0.001), a pattern that reflects the current division of labor under collectivized herding systems. Energy intakes are also greater among men (13.4 ± 5.6 vs. 8.5 ± 3.4 MJ/d; P < 0.01), and are, on average, sufficient to meet daily needs in both sexes. The Evenki appear to be in energy balance at the population level during the late summer (per capita energy intake = 9.0 ± 5.5 MJ/person/d; per capita requirements = 8.6 MJ/person/d); however, only small changes in food availability and/or energy expenditure are necessary to shift the population into negative balance during the winter. Primary sources of dietary energy include reindeer meat and other animal products (25–30%), foraged plant foods (10–15%), and nonlocal products (55–65%), such as flour, rice, and sugar. The anthropometric data indicate that the Evenki grow slowly and have small adult body size. Women are relatively heavier and fatter than men, and show a centripetal pattern of fat distribution. Evenki males appear to be undergoing a secular trend in stature, while no such increases are evident in females. These gender differences may reflect the differential impact to the changes associated with collectivization. Reduced metabolic requirements (due to declining activity and fertility levels), along with greater food availability, are likely to be responsible for the higher rates of obesity among Evenki women. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Activity patterns of the Canadian Eskimo

Cited by 29 publications

References 16 publications

Factors associated with population variation in physiological working capacity

Factors associated with population variation in physiological working capacity

The ageing of lung function: cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of an Inuit community

Energetics and population ecology of Siberian herders

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