SUMMARYLittle is known about how in vivo muscle efficiency, that is the ratio of mechanical and metabolic power, is affected by changes in locomotory tasks. One of the main problems with determining in vivo muscle efficiency is the large number of muscles generally used to produce mechanical power. Animal flight provides a unique model for determining muscle efficiency because only one muscle, the pectoralis muscle, produces nearly all of the mechanical power required for flight. In order to estimate in vivo flight muscle efficiency, we measured the metabolic cost of flight across a range of flight speeds (6-13ms -1 ) using masked respirometry in the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) and compared it with measurements of mechanical power determined in the same wind tunnel. Similar to measurements of the mechanical power-speed relationship, the metabolic power-speed relationship had a U-shape, with a minimum at 10ms -1 . Although the mechanical and metabolic power-speed relationships had similar minimum power speeds, the metabolic power requirements are not a simple multiple of the mechanical power requirements across a range of flight speeds. The pectoralis muscle efficiency (estimated from mechanical and metabolic power, basal metabolism and an assumed value for the 'postural costs' of flight) increased with flight speed and ranged from 6.9% to 11.2%. However, it is probable that previous estimates of the postural costs of flight have been too low and that the pectoralis muscle efficiency is higher.
SUMMARYIn order to meet the varying demands of flight, pectoralis muscle power output must be modulated. In birds with pectoralis muscles with a homogeneous fibre type composition, power output can be modulated at the level of the motor unit (via changes in muscle length trajectory and the pattern of activation), at the level of the muscle (via changes in the number of motor units recruited), and at the level of the whole animal (through the use of intermittent flight). Pectoralis muscle length trajectory and activity patterns were measured in vivo in the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) at a range of flight speeds (0-16ms -1 ) using sonomicrometry and electromyography. The work loop technique was used to measure the mechanical power output of a bundle of fascicles isolated from the pectoralis muscle during simulated in vivo length change and activity patterns. The mechanical power-speed relationship was U-shaped, with a 2.97-fold variation in power output (40-120Wkg -1 ). In this species, modulation of neuromuscular activation is the primary strategy utilised to modulate pectoralis muscle power output. Maximum in vivo power output was 22% of the maximum isotonic power output (533Wkg -1 ) and was generated at a lower relative shortening velocity (0.28V max ) than the maximum power output during isotonic contractions (0.34V max ). It seems probable that the large pectoralis muscle strains result in a shift in the optimal relative shortening velocity in comparison with the optimum during isotonic contractions as a result of length-force effects.
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SUMMARYThere have been few comparisons between the relationship between the mechanical power requirements of flight and flight speed obtained using different approaches. It is unclear whether differences in the power-speed relationships reported in the literature are due to the use of different techniques for determining flight power or due to inter-specific differences. Here we compare the power-speed relationships in cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) determined using both an aerodynamic model and measurements of in vitro performance of bundles of pectoralis muscle fibres under simulated in vivo strain and activity patterns. Aerodynamic power was calculated using different ranges of values for the coefficients in the equations: induced power factor (k 1.0-1.4), the profile (C D,pro 0.01-0.03) and parasite drag (C D,par 0.05-0.195) coefficients. We found that the aerodynamic powerspeed relationship was highly sensitive to the values assumed for these coefficients and best fit the power calculated from in vitro muscle performance when k1.2, C D,pro 0.02 and C D,par 0.13.
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