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McGrosky A, Swanson ZS, Rimbach R, Bethancourt H, Ndiema E, Nzunza R, Braun DR, Rosinger AY, Pontzer H. Total daily energy expenditure and elevated water turnover in a small-scale semi-nomadic pastoralist society from Northern Kenya. Ann Hum Biol 2024; 51:2310724. [PMID: 38594936 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2024.2310724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pastoralists live in challenging environments, which may be accompanied by unique activity, energy, and water requirements. AIM Few studies have examined whether the demands of pastoralism contribute to differences in total energy expenditure (TEE) and water turnover (WT) compared to other lifestyles. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Accelerometer-derived physical activity, doubly labelled water-derived TEE and WT, and anthropometric data were collected for 34 semi-nomadic Daasanach adults from three northern Kenyan communities with different levels of pastoralist activity. Daasanach TEEs and WTs were compared to those of other small-scale and industrialised populations. RESULTS When modelled as a function of fat-free-mass, fat-mass, age, and sex, TEE did not differ between Daasanach communities. Daasanach TEE (1564-4172 kcal/day) was not significantly correlated with activity and 91% of TEEs were within the range expected for individuals from comparison populations. Mean WT did not differ between Daasanach communities; Daasanach absolute (7.54 litres/day men; 7.46 litres/day women), mass-adjusted, and TEE-adjusted WT was higher than most populations worldwide. CONCLUSIONS The similar mass-adjusted TEE of Daasanach and industrialised populations supports the hypothesis that habitual TEE is constrained, with physically demanding lifestyles necessitating trade-offs in energy allocation. Elevated WT in the absence of elevated TEE likely reflects a demanding active lifestyle in a hot, arid climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zane S Swanson
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Global Food and Water Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, WA, USA
| | - Rebecca Rimbach
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Emmanuel Ndiema
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - David R Braun
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Anthropology Department, George Washington University, Washington, WA, USA
- Technological Primate Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Asher Y Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, PA State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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