Herman Pontzer

Herman Pontzer is an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University, where he is associate professor of evolutionary anthropology and global health.^[1] He is best known for his research into human bioenergetics.^[2][3][4]

Herman Pontzer
Alma mater	Penn State University (BA) Harvard University (MA, PhD)
Known for	Human evolution
Scientific career
Fields	Biologist, Evolutionary Anthropology
Institutions	Duke University

Constrained Daily Energy Expenditure Model

In the context of the exercise paradox—where increased physical activity does not always lead to weight loss—Pontzer helped develop a theory of human metabolism known as the constrained daily energy expenditure model. According to this theory, total daily energy expenditure is not simply the sum of separate metabolic processes (such as basal metabolism, movement, digestion, reproduction, and immune function). Instead, energy expenditure increases with activity only up to a certain point, after which it plateaus. This suggests that humans have evolved a biological constraint that limits the total amount of energy expended per day.

This new model is called the constrained daily energy expenditure model.^[5]

Books

• Pontzer, Herman (2021). Burn: The Misunderstood Science of Metabolism. Penguin. ISBN 978-0141990170.
• Pontzer, Herman (2025). Adaptable: How Your Unique Body Really Works and Why Our Biology Unites Us. Random House. ISBN 9780593539309.