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The Dissenter

#1020 Cara Ocobock: Can Women Hunt?

Nov 15, 2024
In a lively discussion, Cara Ocobock, an Associate Professor at Notre Dame, dives into human energetics and adaptation to extreme environments, such as those experienced by reindeer herders. She critiques BMI as a health measurement and highlights fascinating gender dynamics in hunting, revealing that women often outpace men metabolically. Challenging traditional narratives, Ocobock uncovers women's historical roles in hunting and survival, and discusses hormone influences on athletic performance, pushing for a reevaluation of gender roles in both science and society.
02:17:33

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Quick takeaways

  • Human energetics explores how individuals adapt their caloric intake and expenditure in response to extreme environmental conditions.
  • Extreme environments necessitate significant metabolic adjustments to maintain thermal balance, illustrating the adaptability of human physiology.

Deep dives

Understanding Human Energetics

Human energetics studies the caloric intake and expenditure of individuals, focusing on how calories are consumed and allocated to different bodily tasks. It examines the metabolic adjustments made in response to internal or external changes, such as environmental extremes, and how these adaptations vary across different contexts, be it anthropology, exercise physiology, or medicine. Researchers like Dr. Kara Okobach emphasize that understanding human energetics is crucial, particularly as climate change introduces more extreme environments that can affect human metabolic processes. This field offers insights into the physiological responses that allow humans to thrive in diverse settings, ranging from extreme cold to heightened heat.

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