Knew it.
Any woman who has ever been pregnant knows the stress and strains that your body goes through. For the best part of nine months, you’re not only dealing with the extra weight of carrying another person but also morning sickness, lightheadedness and back pain.
It’s unsurprisingly then that a recent study by Duke University proves that pregnant women are basically endurance athletes.
I can’t really say that I’m surprised.
What is the limit to human #endurance?
Study of multi-day events suggests it’s 2.5X a person’s metabolic rate. Above that energy stores deplete limiting how many days one can continue @sciencemagazine: https://t.co/UqBCoka1wP
Energy used during #pregnancy reaches this limit. pic.twitter.com/OBwImf1zZA
— Scott Lear, PhD (@DrScottLear) June 8, 2019
The study analysed elite athletes from different fields and recorded their basal metabolic rates. Your basal metabolic rates are how many calories you need in order to function when your body is at rest.
While a Tour de France cyclist moves at 4.9 times their resting rate a pregnant woman can operate at 2.2 times their BMR. The most any person should be able to sustain according to the study is burning calories at 2.5 times their BMR.
Speaking to the New York Post, evolutionary anthropology professor Herman Pontzer said:
“I don’t think any mother is surprised to learn how difficult pregnancy is! But I’ve had a few friends — including my wife — tell me it was good to see pregnancy recognized as extremely challenging.”
All this information considered, they really should start handing out medals at maternity hospitals.
