Tarahumaras are known to be exceptional runners. In 2009, the book « Born to Run » elevated the Tarahumaras to the status of international athletes, solidifying international fascination.
Who are the Tarahumaras?
The Tarahumaras, also known as Rarámuri, are an indigenous people from the Uto-Aztecan family. They inhabit the northern part of Mexico, in the Sierra Madre mountains, a densely wooded region of pine trees and carved with wide, deep canyons. The Tarahumaras number no more than 40,000. Driven to the mountain heights by the arrival of Europeans, they leveraged the rugged geography by turning to livestock farming and maize cultivation.
Exceptional Runners?
From the outset, Westerners described the running feats of the Tarahumaras as unparalleled, attributing it to their lifestyle, genetics, or diet, reflecting the dominant Eurocentric perspective of the time. Is there, nonetheless, a grain of truth behind the Rousseauian myth of the noble savage?
The first account attesting to the marathon talent of the Tarahumaras comes from the work « Unknown Mexico, » dating back to 1905 and written by the Norwegian explorer Carl Lumholtz. Lumholtz notably describes some community members capable of running « 170 miles without stopping, with others carrying more than 100 pounds for 100 miles in 70 hours, and an individual covering 600 miles in five days. »
But 600 miles in five days is pushing the envelope! However, Tarahumaras who participated in endurance races regularly claimed prizes. In 1995, three Tarahumaras finished in the top 10 of the challenging Western States 100 in California.
Their prowess in the races has often been linked to the consumption of Tesgüino, a corn beer. In the wake of this, several myths have emerged in the haze of the online community: the Tarahumaras supposedly owe their epic endurance to a fermented corn drink, enabling them to cover incredible distances.
What Explains This Endurance?
In 1971, physiologist Dale Groom conducted cardiovascular tests on adult and child Tarahumaras, monitoring the pulse and blood pressure of Tarahumara runners during a five-hour race. He found that their blood pressure decreased during the race, and their average heart rate, while running at an eight-minute per mile pace, was only 130 beats per minute.
What impressed Groom the most, however, was something invisible to his instruments: after running 50 miles, the Tarahumaras didn’t even seem tired. While Groom took their blood pressure, they stood there chatting. This led Groom to conclude that no people had attained such a level of vitality since the Spartans.
A team of researchers, including Daniel E. Lieberman, Mickey Mahaffey, Silvino Cubesare Quimare, Nicholas B. Holowka, Ian J. Wallace, and Aaron L. Baggish, sought to demystify the phenomenon by speaking directly with community veterans. Using structured interviews with 61 questions across ten individuals aged 50 to 90, they aimed to place Tarahumara running in a social and cultural context.
Their study led them to the necessities of geography and significant changes related to external upheavals. Historically, the Tarahumaras practiced a type of long-distance hunting called persistence hunting. This hunting technique requires high-speed running and endurance and is practiced in various ways, involving tracking skills, cooperation, and strategic use of the landscape.
The Tarahumaras used this hunting method for pursuing deer, wild boars, and other prey. Although persistence hunting has nearly disappeared due to the introduction of new hunting technologies and a decline in wildlife, the limited knowledge of Tarahumara hunters provides valuable insights into this endangered hunting method.
These hunts could extend over a continuous run of 12 to 36 kilometers, falling short of the heroic accounts mentioned earlier but still a remarkable achievement. Community members also mentioned regularly walking during their hunts. So, farewell to the idea of a heroic race. Nevertheless, persistence hunting also served a social purpose, fostering bonds and providing a euphoric experience (The Runner’s High is real!).
Tesgüino: a Social Fuel
The same research allows us to draw more nuanced connections between beer and running. The Tarahumaras frequently organize endurance races, either purely for pleasure, in a spirit of competition, or, of course, a mix of both. The organizers of these races also have a mission of leadership and hospitality. For the occasion, they bring (or prepare Tesgüino).
Another significant hobby of the Tarahumaras is the endurance dance, also a crucial ritual in everyday life. In reality, the practice is far from as formal as the name suggests and resembles much more a good old party. Once again, the dance is often accompanied by corn beer.
In a study dated today, a researcher claimed that they spend almost a third of the year preparing the nutritious and sacred drink. The few recent anecdotes we have received do not confirm such a quantity, but what is certain is that the beverage is at the heart of daily life. The Tarahumaras regularly organize « beer parties, » called tesguinadas, to simultaneously release any accumulated passion or anger while using excess corn by fermenting it to make beer.
Thus, the anecdote of drinking heavily before a race is primarily a popular fiction. The traditional Tarahumara beer typically has around 2 to 4% alcohol, and the idea of getting drunk to run makes no sense, as anyone who has ever had a hangover knows.
The Tarahumaras are renowned for their incredible endurance in running, as demonstrated in various competitions. However, it is important to note that their ability to run long distances is the result of years of practice, a balanced diet, and an active lifestyle, not excessive alcohol consumption.
What Science Says about Beer and Running
Scientific studies have examined the exceptional endurance of the Tarahumaras. Research conducted by the University of Colorado revealed that their ability to run long distances is linked to unique physiological adaptations, such as increased muscle efficiency and improved lung capacity. These adaptations result from an active lifestyle and regular training, not alcohol consumption.
The fascination with the topic arises from a widely spread myth that alcohol aids in running. However, a quick look at the effects of alcohol on metabolism is enough to debunk this popular idea. Alcohol consumption reduces the liver’s ability to produce sugar in the blood, decreases the body’s capacity to convert food into energy, impairs coordination, slows down the production of the growth hormone necessary for muscle tissue repair, and increases the production of lactic acid.
Advocates of this thesis may argue that beer is beneficial after training due to its vitamin content and calories. Unfortunately, this is not accurate. Alcohol inhibits hydration, which is essential after a good workout. Moreover, alcohol prolongs the recovery time, as the body prioritizes the elimination of the toxic molecule of ethyl alcohol. The body needs water to metabolize alcohol into acetaldehyde, a molecule even more toxic than alcohol, ultimately producing acetic acid. For the body, this process is a survival priority, taking precedence over muscle repair.
But what about non-alcoholic beer?
Unsurprisingly, once alcohol is removed, the calories from grains and vitamins remain. Some researchers have questioned whether non-alcoholic beer could be a more suitable, acceptable, and even recommended drink for active individuals. The initial clues were revealed in a highly debated 2012 study involving 277 men registered for the Munich Marathon.
Scientists asked half of them to drink about two to three pints of non-alcoholic beer daily for three weeks before the race and two weeks after. The others drank a placebo with a similar taste as a control group. (A slight caveat: the study was funded by a German brewery, but the researchers stated in the study that the brewer had no impact on the study’s design or analysis!)
- Born to Run, Secrets of the Tarahumara
- The Tarahumara of Mexico, Carla Paciotto
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- Vella, L. D., & Cameron-Smith, D. (2010). Alcohol, Athletic Performance and Recovery. Nutrients, 2(8), 781-789.
- Maughan, R. J. (2012). Alcohol and Sport: Impact of Social Drinking on Recreational and Competitive Sports Performance. Sports Medicine, 42(10), 815-823.
- Parr, E. B., Camera, D. M., Areta, J. L., et al. (2014). Alcohol Ingestion Impairs Maximal Post-Exercise Rates of Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following a Single Bout of Concurrent Training. PLOS ONE, 9(2)
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