Remember the story of Lizzette Perez,who ran the Boston Marathon last month while eight months pregnant.? Average women have more in common with her than you think. Ask anyone who’s ever been pregnant and she’ll tell you, growing another human inside of you is rough. And according to a new study, being pregnant requires the same level of endurance as running a marathon.
Researchers studied the metabolic rates of people participating in endurance-testing events, like the Race Across the USA, a 14-week race covering over 3,000 miles. And they found there is a limit to the amount of energy the human body can burn before using up its energy stores. And the rates for these endurance athletes slowed to about the same rate as pregnant women.
So basically, when the body is subjected to extreme stress – like running a million miles or carrying a small human inside you – the body finds a way to adapt and store energy. Just ask that real life wonder woman As study co-author Herman Pontzer puts it, “If you think about it, pregnancy is like the ultimate endurance activity.”
Source:The Stir