Locomotion: Comparative Energetic Costs

R McNeill Alexander, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0001871

The relative energetic cost of animal locomotion, over land, in water, and in the air, varies according to body size and the mode of locomotion adopted. Using various techniques, these costs may be measured and compared.

Keywords: walking; running; swimming; flight; energy costs

Figure 1. Three experiments in which oxygen consumption during locomotion was measured. In each case the animal remains stationary while the environment moves. From R. McN. Alexander (1975) Biomechanics, Chapman and Hall, London.
Figure 2. Schematic graphs of metabolic rate against speed, for (a) running; (b) flapping flight; and (c) swimming. vmr, maximum range speed.
Figure 3. Diagrams of human locomotion: (a to c), walking; (d to f), running.
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 Further Reading
    book Alexander RMcN (1992) Exploring Biomechanics: Animals in Motion. New York: Scientific American Library.
    book Alexander RMcN (1995) How Animals Move. A multimedia CD-ROM produced by Maris Multimedia, London for the Discovery Channel.
    book Alexander RMcN (1998) Energy for Animal Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    book Ellington CP and Pedley TJ (eds) (1995) Biological Fluid Dynamics. Symposia of the Society for Experimental Biology, vol. 49. Cambridge: Company of Biologists.
    book Maddock L, Bone Q and Rayner JMV (eds) (1994) Mechanics and Physiology of Animal Swimming. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Rayner JMV (1995) Flight mechanics and constraints on flight performance. Israel Journal of Zoology 41: 321–342.
    Suarez RK (1996) Upper limits to metabolic rates. Annual Reviews of Physiology 58: 583–605.
    book Videler JJ (1993) Fish Swimming. London: Chapman and Hall.
    other Weibel ER and Taylor CR (eds) (1981) Design of the mammalian respiratory system. Respiration Physiology 44: 1–164.
    book Wieser W and Gnaiger E (1989) Energy Transformations in Cells and Organisms. Stuttgart, Germany: Thieme.

Related Sub-Topics:

Physiological Ecology
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Article Title: Locomotion: Comparative Energetic Costs
 
How to Cite close
Alexander, R McNeill(Apr 2001) Locomotion: Comparative Energetic Costs. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0001871]