Summary

Dr. Daniel Lieberman of Harvard talks about considering human evolution through adaptations to run. He also explains mismatch diseases and the types of preventative care we can take to keep ourselves healthy. We also chat about diversity and the importance of including your study population in your work. 

Recommendations

• What to read to learn more:
  • The Evolution of the Human Head by Daniel Lieberman
  • The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease by Daniel Lieberman
  • Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding by Daniel Lieberman
  • Daniel Lieberman’s website
• What he’s reading for work right now:
  • Effects of physical activity on morbidity and mortality
  • Inflammation
  • Epidemiology
  • Locomotor biomechanics
  • Effects of exercise and metabolism
• What he’s consuming for fun right now:
  • So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
  • Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA by Neil Shubin
  • The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies

Reference articles:

• Bramble, D., Lieberman, D. Endurance running and the evolution of Homo. Nature 432, 345–352 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03052
• Lieberman, D., Venkadesan, M., Werbel, W. et al. Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners. Nature 463, 531–535 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08723
• D. E. Lieberman, M. Mahaffey, S. Cubesare Ouimare, N.B. Holowka, I.J. Wallace, and A.L. Baggish. 2020. “Running in Tarahumara (Rarámuri) Culture: Persistence Hunting, Footracing, Dancing, Work, and the Fallacy of the Athletic Savage.” Current Anthropology, 61, 3.