Young Hispanic female intensely pedals a stationary bike in a gym. She wears a blue sports bra and white pants, surrounded by gym equipment, under warm gym lighting. When Herman Pontzer began studying ...

Cranky pregnant moms, prepare for vindication. Researchers studying the limits of human endurance have determined that the physical intensity of pregnancy is basically like running a 40-week marathon.

What is the limit of human endurance? For years, scientists have been attempting to understand how far we can push the human body. Herman Pontzer of Duke University is a professor of evolutionary ...

In the gym, on medical and wellness websites and on social media, the phrase “boost your metabolism” gets thrown around a lot. Supplement marketers promise pills to make it happen, health mavens pinky ...

It's just not working out: Duke professor claims exercise is pointless when it comes to weight loss. Shutterstock / George Rudy You might feel the burn, but you won’t see it. “We’ve all been told that ...

HAMBURG — For more than two decades, Herman Pontzer, professor of evolutionary anthropology and global health at Duke University, has studied human metabolism and energy expenditure, especially in ...

Scientists have known for years that the energy cost of walking and running is related primarily to the work done by muscles to lift and move the limbs. But how much energy does it actually take to ...

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It’s often been said that you can’t outrun a bad diet, and a new book from a Duke University professor points out some findings as to why that may be. Herman Pontzer, who is an associate professor of ...

How do you study the upper limits of human endurance? Professor Herman Pontzer of Duke University tracked long-distance athletes running across the country. He talks with NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

When Herman Pontzer began studying the metabolisms of the Hadza, a tribe of modern hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, for a 2012 study, he assumed they’d be incinerating calories like a furnace. They were ...