Corrida de resistência: aspectos evolutivos da anatomia e biomecânica de membros inferiores de Homo sapiens

Abstract

Introduction: The endurance running has stood out from a wide variety of physical exercises because of its benefits to human health. Defined as running distances greater than 5 km using aerobic metabolism, this ability is unique in humans in relation to the order of the primates. Because it is an unusual capacity, it encourages research that seeks to understand the factors that contribute to the development of this aptitude. Due to the greater use of the lower limbs during running, this work focused on the structure of bones, tendons and muscles of the same, as well as thermoregulatory mechanisms. Objective: to verify which characteristics allowed the development of the endurance running in Homo sapiens from the perspective of human evolution, anatomy, biomechanics and physiology. Methodology: a bibliographic review was carried out in the Periódicos Capes, Scholar Google and Pubmed. Results: 14 articles were found dealing with the issue of endurance running and evolution published between the years 2004 and 2017. Conclusion: the evolutionary process led to anatomical and biomechanical modifications in Homo sapiens that allowed the practice of the endurance running using energy economy, stabilization and thermoregulation criteria, and the maintenance of this practice is associated with possible adaptive advantages.