spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif Online submission spacer gif
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Roberts, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by Taylor, C. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Roberts, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by Taylor, C. R.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 201, Issue 19 2745-2751, Copyright © 1998 by Company of Biologists


JOURNAL ARTICLES

Energetics of bipedal running. I. Metabolic cost of generating force

TJ Roberts, R Kram, PG Weyand and CR Taylor
Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Concord Field Station, Old Causeway Road, Bedford, MA 01730, USA. robertst@bcc.orst.edu.

Similarly sized bipeds and quadrupeds use nearly the same amount of metabolic energy to run, despite dramatic differences in morphology and running mechanics. It has been shown that the rate of metabolic energy use in quadrupedal runners and bipedal hoppers can be predicted from just body weight and the time available to generate force as indicated by the duration of foot-ground contact. We tested whether this link between running mechanics and energetics also applies to running bipeds. We measured rates of energy consumption and times of foot contact for humans (mean body mass 78.88 kg) and five species of birds (mean body mass range 0.13-40.1 kg). We find that most (70-90%) of the increase in metabolic rate with speed in running bipeds can be explained by changes in the time available to generate force. The rate of force generation also explains differences in metabolic rate over the size range of birds measured. However, for a given rate of force generation, birds use on average 1.7 times more metabolic energy than quadrupeds. The rate of energy consumption for a given rate of force generation for humans is intermediate between that of birds and quadrupeds. These results support the idea that the cost of muscular force production determines the energy cost of running and suggest that bipedal runners use more energy for a given rate of force production because they require a greater volume of muscle to support their body weight.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
F. E. Nelson and T. J. Roberts
Task-dependent force sharing between muscle synergists during locomotion in turkeys
J. Exp. Biol., April 15, 2008; 211(8): 1211 - 1220.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
K. J. Parsons, T. Pfau, and A. M. Wilson
High-speed gallop locomotion in the Thoroughbred racehorse. I. The effect of incline on stride parameters
J. Exp. Biol., March 15, 2008; 211(6): 935 - 944.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
J. Rubenson, D. B. Heliams, S. K. Maloney, P. C. Withers, D. G. Lloyd, and P. A. Fournier
Reappraisal of the comparative cost of human locomotion using gait-specific allometric analyses
J. Exp. Biol., October 15, 2007; 210(20): 3513 - 3524.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
A. P. Kabat, R. A. Phillips, J. P. Croxall, and P. J. Butler
Differences in metabolic costs of terrestrial mobility in two closely related species of albatross
J. Exp. Biol., August 15, 2007; 210(16): 2851 - 2858.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
J. Doke and A. D. Kuo
Energetic cost of producing cyclic muscle force, rather than work, to swing the human leg
J. Exp. Biol., July 1, 2007; 210(13): 2390 - 2398.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
H. Pontzer
Effective limb length and the scaling of locomotor cost in terrestrial animals
J. Exp. Biol., May 15, 2007; 210(10): 1752 - 1761.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
H. Pontzer
Predicting the energy cost of terrestrial locomotion: a test of the LiMb model in humans and quadrupeds
J. Exp. Biol., February 1, 2007; 210(3): 484 - 494.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
C. P. McGowan, H. A. Duarte, J. B. Main, and A. A. Biewener
Effects of load carrying on metabolic cost and hindlimb muscle dynamics in guinea fowl (Numida meleagris)
J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2006; 101(4): 1060 - 1069.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
A. Arampatzis, G. De Monte, K. Karamanidis, G. Morey-Klapsing, S. Stafilidis, and G.-P. Bruggemann
Influence of the muscle-tendon unit's mechanical and morphological properties on running economy
J. Exp. Biol., September 1, 2006; 209(17): 3345 - 3357.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
K. Karamanidis and A. Arampatzis
Mechanical and morphological properties of different muscle-tendon units in the lower extremity and running mechanics: effect of aging and physical activity
J. Exp. Biol., October 15, 2005; 208(20): 3907 - 3923.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
R. M. Alexander
Models and the scaling of energy costs for locomotion
J. Exp. Biol., May 1, 2005; 208(9): 1645 - 1652.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
H. Pontzer
A new model predicting locomotor cost from limb length via force production
J. Exp. Biol., April 15, 2005; 208(8): 1513 - 1524.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
D. J Ellerby, H. T Henry, J. A Carr, C. I Buchanan, and R. L Marsh
Blood flow in guinea fowl Numida meleagris as an indicator of energy expenditure by individual muscles during walking and running
J. Physiol., April 15, 2005; 564(2): 631 - 648.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
J. Doke, J. M. Donelan, and A. D. Kuo
Mechanics and energetics of swinging the human leg
J. Exp. Biol., February 1, 2005; 208(3): 439 - 445.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A. A. Biewener, C. T. Farley, T. J. Roberts, and M. Temaner
Muscle mechanical advantage of human walking and running: implications for energy cost
J Appl Physiol, December 1, 2004; 97(6): 2266 - 2274.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
A. A. Biewener, C. McGowan, G. M. Card, and R. V. Baudinette
Dynamics of leg muscle function in tammar wallabies (M. eugenii) during level versus incline hopping
J. Exp. Biol., January 15, 2004; 207(2): 211 - 223.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ScienceHome page
R. L. Marsh, D. J. Ellerby, J. A. Carr, H. T. Henry, and C. I. Buchanan
Partitioning the Energetics of Walking and Running: Swinging the Limbs Is Expensive
Science, January 2, 2004; 303(5654): 80 - 83.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
M. A. Daley and A. A. Biewener
Muscle force-length dynamics during level versus incline locomotion: a comparison of in vivo performance of two guinea fowl ankle extensors
J. Exp. Biol., September 1, 2003; 206(17): 2941 - 2958.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
T. M. Griffin, T. J. Roberts, and R. Kram
Metabolic cost of generating muscular force in human walking: insights from load-carrying and speed experiments
J Appl Physiol, July 1, 2003; 95(1): 172 - 183.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
P. M. Schmitt, F. L. Powell, and S. R. Hopkins
Ventilation-perfusion inequality during normoxic and hypoxic exercise in the emu
J Appl Physiol, December 1, 2002; 93(6): 1980 - 1986.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Integr. Comp. Biol.Home page
E. G. Drucker and G. V. Lauder
Experimental Hydrodynamics of Fish Locomotion: Functional Insights from Wake Visualization
Integr. Comp. Biol., April 1, 2002; 42(2): 243 - 257.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A. E. Kerdok, A. A. Biewener, T. A. McMahon, P. G. Weyand, and H. M. Herr
Energetics and mechanics of human running on surfaces of different stiffnesses
J Appl Physiol, February 1, 2002; 92(2): 469 - 478.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
P. G. Weyand, M. Kelly, T. Blackadar, J. C. Darley, S. R. Oliver, N. E. Ohlenbusch, S. W. Joffe, and R. W. Hoyt
Ambulatory estimates of maximal aerobic power from foot -ground contact times and heart rates in running humans
J Appl Physiol, July 1, 2001; 91(1): 451 - 458.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
G. B. Gillis and A. A. Biewener
Hindlimb muscle function in relation to speed and gait: in vivo patterns of strain and activation in a hip and knee extensor of the rat (Rattus norvegicus)
J. Exp. Biol., January 8, 2001; 204(15): 2717 - 2731.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
J. N. Maina and C. Nathaniel
A qualitative and quantitative study of the lung of an ostrich, Struthio camelus
J. Exp. Biol., January 7, 2001; 204(13): 2313 - 2330.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
E. Drucker and G. Lauder
A hydrodynamic analysis of fish swimming speed: wake structure and locomotor force in slow and fast labriform swimmers
J. Exp. Biol., January 8, 2000; 203(16): 2379 - 2393.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
M Verstappen, P Aerts, and R Van Damme
Terrestrial locomotion in the black-billed magpie: kinematic analysis of walking, running and out-of-phase hopping
J. Exp. Biol., January 7, 2000; 203(14): 2159 - 2170.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
J. Exp. Biol.Home page
D. Hoyt, S. Wickler, and E. Cogger
Time of contact and step length: the effect of limb length, running speed, load carrying and incline
J. Exp. Biol., January 1, 2000; 203(2): 221 - 227.
[Abstract] [PDF]




© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1998