An Australia-US study has found that animals with higher metabolisms tend to exercise more than their low-metabolism counterparts and also exhibit more dominant characteristics, including a higher sex drive.
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University of New South Wales senior lecturer Dr Peter Biro and Professor Judy Stamps, from the University of California, Davis, reviewed a range of studies that examined the relationship between behaviour and metabolic rates in insects, animals and birds.
They found that animals with a higher metabolism exercised more and exhibited characteristics of the stereotypical “jock”.
“Some of us are couch potatoes while others are drawn to sport and exercise,” Dr Biro said in a media release.
“We often associate the athletic ‘jock’ type or person with being aggressive and social, whereas the more sedentary ‘nerd’ often is seen as more socially awkward and submissive. These are generalisations, but most people would probably agree there is some truth to them,” he said.
“Male crickets with sex on their mind tend to call to attract mates more and have higher metabolism than those with slower metabolism.”
The results of the research were published in the journal, Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
Your say: Do you agree with these findings? Do you think the stereotype of “jock” and “nerd” are fair or close to the truth? Share your thoughts below.
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