PODCASTPerform Ep 29: What Drives Muscle Growth & What Doesn't | Dr. Mike Roberts
Dr. Andy Galpin
PodcastMay 29, 2026
Perform Ep 16: Dr. Herman Pontzer: How We Really Burn Calories & Lose Weight
Contributor: Dr. Andy Galpin
My guest is Dr. Herman Pontzer, Ph.D., a professor of evolutionary anthropology and global health at Duke University, known for his research on human bioenergetics, particularly energy expenditure and the exercise paradox. We discuss his work comparing highly active hunter-gatherer groups to more sedentary cultures, exploring their total energy expenditure and the surprising similarities.We examine the impact of factors such as age, sex, exercise, and pregnancy on daily energy expenditure. We also break down whether diet or exercise plays a greater role in weight management and weight loss. Additionally, we explore how genetics and the environment interact to shape human physiology, highlighting how population-level findings often overlook individual variation and emphasizing the need for medical and diagnostic practices to account for this diversity.
Articles
- Hunter-Gatherer Energetics and Human Obesity (PLoS ONE)
- Constrained Total Energy Expenditure and Metabolic Adaptation to Physical Activity in Adult Humans (Current Biology)
- Extreme events reveal an alimentary limit on sustained maximal human energy expenditure (Science Advances)
- Time spent in sedentary posture is associated with waist circumference and cardiovascular risk (International Journal of Obesity)
- Physical Activity and Pregnancy Norms Among Daasanach Semi-Nomadic Pastoralist Women in Northern Kenya (American Journal of Human Biology)
Books
- “Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy”
- “Adaptable: How Your Unique Body Really Works and Why Our Biology Unites Us”
Other Resources
Perform Episodes Mentioned
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