Middle-age fat gain possibly explained with "Young Hunter Hypothesis"

[Johnka]

Interesting reading (for me at least). This hypothesis states that men have evolved to pack-on muscle to aid them during their prime hunting years (we were, after all, hunter-gatherers for 99% of our existence). The interesting thing is that after our prime hunting age, fat gain is our body's way of conserving energy (insulin resistance), anticipating the aging process.

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The young hunter hypothesis: age-related weight gain--a tribute to the thrifty theories.
Med Hypotheses 2000 Dec;55(6):521-3 (ISSN: 0306-9877)
Vardi P; Pinhas-Hamiel O
The National Center for Childhood Diabetes, Institute of Pediatric Endocrinology, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel.
A gradual and persistent physiologic increase in body weight of 3-5 kg per decade occurs between the third to the fifth decade. The thrifty genotype theory explains weight gain in large populations, the thrifty phenotype theory explains weight gain in subjects with intrauterine growth retardation. The young hunter theory explains the physiologic age-related weight gain. We believe this is nature's method of preservation by default. According to the young hunter theory, in the past food providers needed an appropriate muscular apparatus to cope with continual hunting expeditions to ensure maximal survival. At the end of the chronological 'hunting' age, there was a gradual redirection of metabolic processes toward energy conservation in anticipation of aging. According to our hypothesis, muscle loss allows for the full expression of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, which allows the fuel previously directed to the muscle to be deposited as adipose tissue. Thus, weight gain is an adaptive process engineered to compensate for adult muscle mass loss, guaranteeing survival and longevity beyond the age of hunting. [Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.].
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[Q.]

JOHNKA, where ya been, man!?! What's going on? Did you find a faculty position or are you hangin' out? I didn't know that you ever came over this way.

(bsmith from MH)

[Johnka]

Hiya Quercus!

You still in TX? I'm teaching 3 courses a semester here at SMU in Dallas.

Good to see the old crew here at JP's [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Q.]

Originally posted by Johnka:
You still in TX? I'm teaching 3 courses a semester here at SMU in Dallas.

Yep, I just read your post under the other thread... HOLY KRAP, BATMAN... 5% BF? That's impressive or scary, depending on how you look at it!

Yes, I'm still in Tejas at Texas State in San Marcos. I'm adjunct faculty here, too, but that's my second job... just one class a semester.

Did I ever tell you that SMU is my old stompin grounds in my pre-college days? Well, mostly just when the cheerleader camps came to town in the summer!

[Johnka]

Originally posted by Quercus:

quote:

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Originally posted by Johnka:
You still in TX? I'm teaching 3 courses a semester here at SMU in Dallas.

Yep, I just read your post under the other thread... HOLY KRAP, BATMAN... 5% BF? That's impressive or scary, depending on how you look at it!

Yes, I'm still in Tejas at Texas State in San Marcos. I'm adjunct faculty here, too, but that's my second job... just one class a semester.
[/quote]Nice! I actually interviewed for an associate professor position at Southwest, and they are still considering the position. So who knows, we might be neighbors! Remind me again what you're teaching?

[Q.]

Coed wrestling.... no, wait, that's what I WANTED to teach. I've been teaching horticulture classes for three years now.

On a more serious note, I used to have this magazine article that my previous wife cut out a LONG time ago. I remember that it talked about how the human body was somehow programmed to eat carbs in the morning only and I assume protein and fat the rest of the day. I carried that around for years and finally got rid of it (the wife, too ) but I've thought about that article a lot more since the popularity of the paleo diet. From what you know, is there any reason to believe that carbs might have been consumed more in the morning hours? I was wondering if it might be a consequence of life style, such as gathering food as a way to essentially "get going" in the morning and then hunting later in the day. That's a WAG but what do you say, doc?

[Johnka]

Ah, that's right. How do you like the campus/ setting? I went tubing down a river near there last 4th of July. I've never seen so many drunk rednecks in my life [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I've never seen anything written about morning carbs in an archaeological context. I'm skeptical that there is much science behind it, because it's nearly impossible to get at when food was eaten during the day in prehistory. The best we can do is make broad generalizations (what was on the menu during a period of 1000 years in a particular location, what remains we find in the cave, etc.).

For issues like this, I'd rather use research on current subjects, which shows that carbs are pumped into the muscles within the post workout period (regardless if it's morning or evening), versus any other time, when they are more likely to be soaked-up by that greedy adipose tissue.

[Jean-Paul]

...when they are more likely to be soaked-up by that greedy adipose tissue.

Yeah, that's the problem with MY adipose tissue... Ubergreed!

[Johnka]

Originally posted by Jean-Paul:

quote:

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...when they are more likely to be soaked-up by that greedy adipose tissue.

Yeah, that's the problem with MY adipose tissue... Ubergreed! [/quote]From the look of your calves in your avatar, your muscles seem to be getting their fair share!

By the way JP, if you're the 4th registered member of this forum, who were the first three?

[Q.]

Originally posted by Johnka:
I went tubing down a river near there last 4th of July. I've never seen so many drunk rednecks in my life [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Probably the Guadalupe although the San Marcos River originates here on campus and people like to tube it. Yes, lots of drunk rednecks is the order of the day. My wife (current... and last ) and I were married on one of those limestone points above the Guadalupe River. In the video, you could hear all the tubers down below whooping and hollering! It was pretty funny... we joined them soon enough!

Originally posted by Johnka:
I've never seen anything written about morning carbs in an archaeological context. I'm skeptical that there is much science behind it, because it's nearly impossible to get at when food was eaten during the day in prehistory. The best we can do is make broad generalizations (what was on the menu during a period of 1000 years in a particular location, what remains we find in the cave, etc.).

Hmmm, yeah, I see what you mean but I wondering if you could determine enough about their daily habit to deduce something like that... of course, you wouldn't want to try to publish it, right!?!