Editing Exercise physiology (section)

== Human adaptations ==
Humans are specifically [[human evolution|adapted]] to engage in prolonged strenuous muscular activity (such as efficient long distance [[Human skeletal changes due to bipedalism|bipedal]] running).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bramble |first=DM |last2=Lieberman |first2=DE |year=2004 |title=Endurance running and the evolution of ''Homo'' |url=http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~skeleton/pdfs/2004e.pdf |journal=Nature |volume=432 |issue=7015 |pages=345–52 |bibcode=2004Natur.432..345B |doi=10.1038/nature03052 |pmid=15549097 |s2cid=2470602}}</ref> This capacity for endurance running may have evolved to allow the [[Persistence hunting#Persistence hunting in human evolution|running down]] of game animals by persistent slow but constant chase over many hours.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carrier |first=David R. |year=1984 |title=The Energetic Paradox of Human Running and Hominid Evolution |journal=Current Anthropology |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=483–495 |doi=10.1086/203165 |s2cid=15432016}}</ref>

Central to the success of this is the ability of the human body to effectively remove muscle heat waste. In most animals, this is stored by allowing a temporary increase in body temperature. This allows them to escape from animals that quickly speed after them for a short duration (the way nearly all predators catch their prey). Humans, unlike other animals that catch prey, remove heat with a specialized [[Thermoregulation#Variation in animals|thermoregulation]] based on [[sweating|sweat]] evaporation. One gram of sweat can remove 2,598 J of heat energy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Snellen |first=JW |last2=Mitchell |first2=D |last3=Wyndham |first3=CH |year=1970 |title=Heat of evaporation of sweat |journal=Journal of Applied Physiology |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=40–4 |doi=10.1152/jappl.1970.29.1.40 |pmid=5425034}}</ref> Another mechanism is increased skin blood flow during exercise that allows for greater convective heat loss that is aided by our upright posture. This skin based cooling has resulted in humans acquiring an increased number of [[sweat glands]], combined with a lack of [[fur|body fur]] that would otherwise stop air circulation and efficient evaporation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lupi |first=O |year=2008 |title=Ancient adaptations of human skin: Why do we retain sebaceous and apocrine glands? |journal=International Journal of Dermatology |volume=47 |issue=7 |pages=651–4 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-4632.2008.03765.x |pmid=18613867 |s2cid=32885875}}</ref> Because humans can remove exercise heat, they can avoid the fatigue from heat exhaustion that affects animals chased in a persistent manner, and so eventually catch them.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Liebenberg |first=Louis |year=2006 |title=Persistence Hunting by Modern Hunter-Gatherers |journal=Current Anthropology |volume=47 |issue=6 |pages=1017–1026 |doi=10.1086/508695 |s2cid=224793846}}</ref>