But did you know that humans can leave them in the dust?

但你知道其實人類跑起步來連獵豹都望塵莫及嗎？

At least in the long run.

至少以長跑來說。

That's right, when it comes to endurance.

沒錯！以長跑來看。

We can outrun wolves, cheetahs, and even horses.

我們可以跑贏狼、獵豹，甚至馬！

Now in the beginning, humans fall short because we're lousy sprinters.

起跑不久時，人類根本達不到標準，誰叫我們不是跑短跑的料呢？

Case in point, Usain Bolt couldn't outrun a cheetah in the 100-meter dash if he wanted to. And he tried.

最佳例子像是短跑運動員 Usain Bolt，他在一百米短跑中絕對跑不贏獵豹，就算他費盡功夫。而且他試過了。

But marathons and ultra-marathons are a whole other ball game.

但馬拉松與超級馬拉松和這完全是兩碼子的事。

Each year, a small town in Wales holds the Man Versus Horse Marathon.

在威爾斯有個小鎮每年會舉辦人馬之間的馬拉松。

It's a 22-mile race between riders on horseback and runners.

比賽全長二十二英里，比的是跑者與騎馬者騎在馬上的速度。

And while horses often win, humans will sometimes prevail.

雖然馬經常獲勝，但有時候人類也會勝出。

So what makes humans such endurance running superstars?

所以人類到底是如何成為長跑巨星的？

The secret weapon is our sweat.

我們的祕密武器是汗！

We have two to four million sweat glands all over our body, which means we can run and cool ourselves at the same time.

我們全身上下大概有二到四百萬條汗腺遍佈，也就是說我們可以在跑步的同時讓身體降溫。

Having no fur is also a huge plus.

沒有皮毛也是一大利多。

In contrast, dogs rely on panting to cool down.

狗正好相反，牠們仰賴喘氣來降溫。

And other animals, like horses and camels, also sweat, but less effectively.

其他動物像是馬、駱駝等也會流汗，但比較沒那麼有效。

As a result, they overheat faster and must slow down sooner.

因此，牠們很快就體溫過高，而必須盡快放慢速度。

The mechanics of our running stride also makes us particularly well-suited for endurance running.

人類跑步時的步伐機制也是使我們特別適合長跑的因素之一。

A human's running gait has two main phases.

人類跑步的步伐分成兩個主要階段。

Aerial, when both feet are off the ground.

空中階段，意即兩隻腳皆離開地面。

And stance, when at least one foot touches the ground.

還有擊球準備姿勢階段，即至少一隻腳觸地。

While in the air, gravity pulls us down, which generates a lot of kinetic energy.

在空中時，地吸引力將我們往地面拉，因此大量動能產生。

However, the second we hit the ground, we instantly decelerate, losing that kinetic energy in the process.

然而，觸地那瞬間我們馬上就會減速，過程中動能就消失了。

Some of it goes into vibrations and sound as we strike the ground.

有些動能會在觸地時轉換成震動和聲響

But most of it actually goes straight to our tendons.

但其實大部分都直接進入肌腱。

Here's where our special adaptations come in.

接下來人體特別的適應作用就登場了。

The tendons and muscles in our legs are very springy.

腿部的肌腱和肌肉非常有彈性。

They act like a pogo stick.

它們如同彈跳桿一般。

Converting kinetic energy from the aerial phase into elastic potential energy, which we can use later.

可將空中階段的動能轉換成彈性位能，以便之後使用。

In fact, our IT Band can store 15 to 20 times more elastic energy than a chimpanzee's similar body part: the fascia lata.

事實上，人類的髂脛束比黑猩猩相似的器官儲存了多十五到二十倍的彈性能，這相似的器官便是闊筋膜張肌。

When it comes time to step off, those springy tendons can turn 50% of that elastic pogo stick energy back into kinetic, making it easier to propel forward.

跨步時，這些彈性肌腱可將百分之五十的「彈跳桿」能量轉回動能，讓 (步伐) 前進更順利。

Without that extra energy, we'd have to exert that much more effort just to take a step.

若是沒有這些額外的能量，我們就必須費這麼多力量才能跨出一步。

So how did humans get to be such great endurance runners?

所以人類到底如何成為這麼優秀的長跑選手？

Some anthropologists believe this became important around two to three million years ago, when we started hunting and scavenging.

部分人類學家認為這項能力大約在二到三百萬年前變得重要，當時人類開始狩獵覓食。

Because we couldn't chase down a gazelle like a cheetah, early humans learned persistence hunting.

由於我們無法像獵豹一樣追到瞪羚，所以早期人類學習了不屈不撓的狩獵法。

Where they would track prey over long distances until the prey either overheated, or was driven into a trap.

即他們會從遠處就一路追蹤獵物，直到獵物不是跑到過熱，就是被逼到陷阱裡。

In fact, persistence hunting remained in use until 2014, such as with the San people of the Kalahari Desert.

其實我們直到 2014 年都還在使用不屈不撓的狩獵法，像是喀拉哈里沙漠的薩恩人。

But distance running can still help you, even if you're not interested in running down your next meal.

即使你對求溫飽沒興趣，長跑仍然有幫助。

Studies show running can lower body weight, body fat, and cholesterol levels.

研究顯示跑步可減重、減脂，還有降低膽固醇。

And the longer you train, the greater the health benefits.

且訓練得越久，身體就越健康。

Just one year of training has been shown to reduce body weight by about seven pounds, lower body fat by 2.7%, and decrease resting heart rate by 2.7%.

已證實一年的訓練便足以減輕大約七磅的重量、降低 2.7% 的體脂以及靜止心率。

It may seem really hard, or maybe even impossible to run a mile or a marathon.

即使跑一英里或馬拉松感覺很難，或是說根本不可能。

But in fact, you were born to go on that run.

但真相是--你天生就是跑者。

We all were.

我們都是！

(upbeat music)

(歡快的配樂)