Evaluation of the minimum energy hypothesis and other potential optimality criteria for human running

Miller, Ross H.; Umberger, Brian R.; Hamill, Joseph; Caldwell, Graham E.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.2015

Cited by 104 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The Journal of Experimental Biology (2014) Miller et al, 2011;Dorn et al, 2012). Although other criteria, such as maximizing muscular power generation (Cavagna et al, 1971;Ward-Smith, 1985), may potentially be more applicable for time-dependent locomotion tasks like maximum sprinting, they are unlikely to apply at submaximal running speeds.…”

Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

Tendon elastic strain energy in the human ankle plantar-flexors and its role with increased running speed

Lai

Schache

Lin

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

107

122

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The human ankle plantar-flexors, the soleus and gastrocnemius, utilize tendon elastic strain energy to reduce muscle fiber work and optimize contractile conditions during running. However, studies to date have considered only slow to moderate running speeds up to 5 m s −1 . Little is known about how the human ankle plantar-flexors utilize tendon elastic strain energy as running speed is advanced towards maximum sprinting. We used data obtained from gait experiments in conjunction with musculoskeletal modeling and optimization techniques to calculate muscle-tendon unit (MTU) work, tendon elastic strain energy and muscle fiber work for the ankle plantar-flexors as participants ran at five discrete steady-state speeds ranging from jogging (~2 m s −1 ) to sprinting (≥8 m s −1 ). As running speed progressed from jogging to sprinting, the contribution of tendon elastic strain energy to the positive work generated by the MTU increased from 53% to 74% for the soleus and from 62% to 75% for the gastrocnemius. This increase was facilitated by greater muscle activation and the relatively isometric behavior of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscle fibers. Both of these characteristics enhanced tendon stretch and recoil, which contributed to the bulk of the change in MTU length. Our results suggest that as steady-state running speed is advanced towards maximum sprinting, the human ankle plantar-flexors continue to prioritize the storage and recovery of tendon elastic strain energy over muscle fiber work.

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Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

Tendon elastic strain energy in the human ankle plantar-flexors and its role with increased running speed

Lai

Schache

Lin

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

107

122

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Such models may also be used in forward dynamics simulations to evaluate performancebased optimization criteria, which have provided considerable insight into the physiological bases of walking, running and jumping (e.g. Anderson and Pandy, 2001;Miller et al, 2012;Pandy et al, 1990;Umberger, 2010). Understanding how muscular, skeletal and neural traits interact to influence locomotor performance is an important goal not only for improving human health, but also for gaining new insights into the evolution of human locomotor behavior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) pelvis and hind limb

O’Neill

Lee

Larson

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

Self Cite

138

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SUMMARYMusculoskeletal models have become important tools for studying a range of muscle-driven movements. However, most work has been in modern humans, with few applications in other species. Chimpanzees are facultative bipeds and our closest living relatives, and have provided numerous important insights into our own evolution. A chimpanzee musculoskeletal model would allow integration across a wide range of laboratory-based experimental data, providing new insights into the determinants of their locomotor performance capabilities, as well as the origins and evolution of human bipedalism. Here, we described a detailed three-dimensional (3D) musculoskeletal model of the chimpanzee pelvis and hind limb. The model includes geometric representations of bones and joints, as well as 35 muscle-tendon units that were represented using 44 Hill-type muscle models. Muscle architecture data, such as muscle masses, fascicle lengths and pennation angles, were drawn from literature sources. The model permits calculation of 3D muscle moment arms, muscle-tendon lengths and isometric muscle forces over a wide range of joint positions. Muscle-tendon moment arms predicted by the model were generally in good agreement with tendon-excursion estimates from cadaveric specimens. Sensitivity analyses provided information on the parameters that model predictions are most and least sensitive to, which offers important context for interpreting future results obtained with the model. Comparisons with a similar human musculoskeletal model indicate that chimpanzees are better suited for force production over a larger range of joint positions than humans. This study represents an important step in understanding the integrated function of the neuromusculoskeletal systems in chimpanzee locomotion.

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“…In reconstructions 2 Journal of Anthropology of mobility patterns and daily energy budgets [23,24], assumptions are generally made that all people are traveling at their optimal speed-the speed at which the metabolic cost of walking is at the lowest [19,[25][26][27][28][29][30]. Evidence supports this general assumption that people (and other animals) adjust their speed by numerous amounts of physiological input, including energetic [27,29,31,32], muscular [33,34], and thermoregulatory [35][36][37], so that the speed of travel is generally near this minimum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Size and Shape: Morphology's Impact on Human Speed and Mobility

Wall-Scheffler

2012

Journal of Anthropology

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While human sexual dimorphism is generally expected to be the result of differential reproductive strategies, it has the potential to create differences in the energetics of locomotion and the speed at which each morph travels, particularly since people have been shown to choose walking speeds around their metabolic optimum. Here, people of varying sizes walked around a track at four self-selected speeds while their metabolic rate was collected, in order to test whether the size variation within a population could significantly affect the shape of the optimal walking curve. The data show that larger people have significantly faster optimal walking speeds, higher costs at their optimal speed, and a more acute optimal walking curve (thus an increased penalty for walking at suboptimal speeds). Bigger people who also have wider bitrochanteric breadths have lower metabolic costs at their minimum than bigger people with a more narrow bitrochanteric breadth. Finally, tibia length significantly positively predicts optimal walking speed. These results suggest sex-specific walking groups typical of living human populations may be the result of energy maximizing strategies. In addition, testable hypotheses of group strategies are put forth.

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Evaluation of the minimum energy hypothesis and other potential optimality criteria for human running

Cited by 104 publications

References 45 publications

Tendon elastic strain energy in the human ankle plantar-flexors and its role with increased running speed

Tendon elastic strain energy in the human ankle plantar-flexors and its role with increased running speed

A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) pelvis and hind limb

Size and Shape: Morphology's Impact on Human Speed and Mobility

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