title: Mechanics and energetics of swinging the human leg.
abstract: We measured how much metabolic energy is expended to swing a human leg. A previous dynamical model of walking predicted that increasing metabolic costs for walking with step length and step frequency trade-off against each other to determine the optimum step combination at a given speed. Simple pendulum dynamics indicate that the cost of walking at high step frequencies could be associated with driving the legs back and forth relative to the body, at a rate increasing approximately with the fourth power of frequency, possibly due to the low economy of producing muscle force for short durations. A similar cost would be expected for isolated swinging of a leg at faster than its natural frequency. We constructed an apparatus to measure work performed on the leg, and measured metabolic cost as human subjects (N=12) swung one leg at frequencies 0.5-1.1 Hz and fixed amplitude. Rate of mechanical work ranged from 0.02-0.27 W kg(-1) over these frequencies. Net metabolic rate for leg swinging (subtracting that for quiet standing) increased from 0.41-2.10 W kg(-1), approximately with the fourth power of frequency (R(2)=0.92) and in proportion to a hypothesized cost of force production for short durations. The costs of producing force and work could account for the increase. In a crude comparison, moving the legs back and forth at a typical stride frequency of 0.9 Hz, might consume about one-third of the net energy (2.8+/-0.8 W kg(-1)) needed for walking at 1.3 m s(-1).
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125 USA. jdokeh@umich.edu
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doke
authors.forename: J Maxwell
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Donelan
authors.forename: Arthur D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*