Ancient ancestors would out-do elite athletes

Our ancient ancestors had the fitness of elite athletes but over time modern humans have grown weak, according to new research.

Scientists at Cambridge University have studied skeletons dating back as far as 5300 BC and as recent as 850 AD, and then compared them with the stature of their current students.

The results suggest that ancient ancestors would be able to outrun and out-lift not just today's crop of university students but some of the world's top athletes.

"Even our most highly trained athletes pale in comparison to these ancestors of ours," Dr Colin Shaw told Outside Magazine.

"We're certainly weaker than we used to be."

The study, published on the university's website as a discussion paper, found the bones of male farmers from 5300 BC were similar to those of highly-trained cross-country runners – but only 3000 years later, the bone structure of those from about 850 AD were closer to that of the average modern man.

The researchers believe that as humans transitioned from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural ones, their lower limb strength and overall mobility decreased because they were covering less distance on foot and performing lighter physical tasks.

Source: Outside Magazine.