I'd be interested in seeing any such studies.

I don't have a hard time believing the average paleo-man could outperform the average neo/modern-man. However, I find it extremely unlikely that the top level paleo-man could outperform a top level modern athlete at ANY Olympic event.

I have to disagree. I read that article a while back and was not convinced.

I lot of athletes look very paleo especially boxer's for instance. They nearly always have perfect facial structure (besides busted up noses) and supremely mesomorphic. They won the genetic lottery and would be equal to paleoman.

I think it's both but mainly due to the thickness of the bone. Cordain and others explain how the bone gets very mildly damaged by sport activity(like muscle) and when it repairs itself numerous times after very heavy physical activity, it becomes much thicker.At any rate, every study on the subject indicates that Palaeo humans were at least as good as modern athletes or better, judging from the evidence re bones.

And I certainly heavily disagree re the notion that people have evolved beyond the level of palaeoman. Not only is this unlikely given lack of adaptation to many foods(try eating raw grains, for example in large quantities), but scientists have actually suggested that palaeoman was more advanced on the evolutionary scale than modern man. For example, we have smaller brain-sizes than palaeoman(8-11% less, depending on intepretation of dates), but also palaeoman was, most of the time, subject to a high degree of natural selection along with a combination of living in largely  isolated communities, and those 2 factors(not present in Neolithic times)  would have ensured a higher level of evolution. By contrast, we are now actively promoting the continued survival(and breeding) of people with cystic fibrosis and other genetic diseases, which means we are progressively becoming sicker as a population.

What about the javaline throw?  Those guys should beat any modern athlete (performance enhancing drugs aside).  Also, what about throwing a baseball?  No doubt we would have been proficient at throwing rocks.  Or any type of running.  Paleo men would have been running from children on up, never really would have stopped.

Technique does account for alot, so yeah they wouldn't be able to keep up with Roger Federer or Tiger Woods in any type of highly specialized sport.

 

I've had very good results (using max contraction style training) adding strength and muscle density to a physique that was already built up from conventional weight lifting. I think it's the most efficient way to add power to ones muscles and strengthen the connective tissues like tendons  etc.