Diversity of Terrestrial Locomotor Design: Mechanics and Energetics

拟议研究的总体目标是确定在非稳态、间歇性活动期间的性能极限，以揭示组织设计的一般原则。我们的目标将通过利用动物在陆地上有腿运动的巨大变化来实现。能量、氧气运输和肌肉骨骼系统在稳态、匀速运动中已经得到了很好的研究，但这些系统也必须在非稳态、瞬态条件下发挥作用。我们建议测试在稳态运动下建立的性能极限是否间歇性地进行。我们将确定节肢动物间歇运动时的耐力在多大程度上取决于运动时间、暂停时间、运动与暂停时间的比率以及运动期间的速度。我们还将测试在考虑有氧和无氧源的情况下，间歇运动的每时间和每距离的成本是否比在相同平均速度下的连续运动更昂贵。最后，我们将确定间歇性运动表现的生理相关性。我们将测量和模拟在运动期间积累但在暂停期间被移除、减少或清除的疲劳引起因子和在暂停期间积累的疲劳引起因子的相关性。关于间歇性运动的研究试图推进先前基于稳态运动的范式，并采取下一步合乎逻辑的发展一般活动理论。

The general objective of the proposed research is to determine the limits of performance during non-steady state, intermittent activity in order to reveal general principles of organismal design. Our objective will be accomplished by exploiting the enormous variation in the way animals are built for legged terrestrial locomotion. Energy, oxygen transport and musculo- skeletal systems have been well studied during steady-state, constant speed locomotion, but these systems must also function under non-steady state, transient conditions. We propose to test whether or not performance limits established under steady-state exercise is conducted intermittently. We will determine the extent to which endurance during intermittent locomotion in arthropods is dependent on exercise period duration, pause period duration, the ratio of exercise to pause duration, and the speed during the exercise period. We will also test whether or not the cost of intermittent locomotion, both per time and per distance, is more expensive than continuous locomotion at the same average speed when both aerobic and anaerobic sources are considered. Finally, we will determine the physiological correlates of intermittent exercise performance. We will both measure and model correlates of fatigue causing agents that accumulate during exercise periods, but are removed, reduced or cleared during the pause periods and fatigue causing agents that accumulate during the pause periods. The proposed research on intermittent locomotion attempts to advance the previous paradigm based on steady-state locomotion and takes the next step logical to the development of a general theory of activity.