Efficiency and Mechanical Function of Muscle in Locomotion

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Movement in most animals is powered by contractions of muscle. Muscles can be used in ways that promote metabolic savings, providing economical movement for sustained activity without fatigue. Muscles can also be used in ways that enhance mechanical performance, augmenting power output and speed, thus promoting high performance physical activity. Our objectives are to understand the mechanisms employed by muscles and limbs to power movement both effectively and economically, what trade-offs might exist between exhibiting high performance versus high economy, and how we and other animals might take advantage of such designs for enhancing movement. Current studies exploit the remarkable diversity of muscle design in fishes, from Canada's Atlantic cod and trout/salmon species to pelagic sharks with extraordinary swimming abilities. We are striving to understand how high performance swimming is attained, what mechanisms are available to muscles to power movement across a diversity of body designs, and how fish might cope with both cold and warm(ing) water temperatures toward understanding why some fish can tolerate warm temperatures while others cannot, and determine how adaptable muscles might be in response to warming temperatures. We are also studying how animals might apply elastic structures that connect muscle to the skeleton (e.g. tendons) to both enhance locomotor performance (e.g. jumping and running ability) and markedly reduce metabolic costs associated with moving (fatigue resistance). We are testing the limits to which movements such as jump height might be increased and the cost savings that might be realized by simply incorporating the right elasticity in the limb. The research integrates measurements from moving animals, isolated tissue and computer modeling to tackle these questions. These studies will help us understand the diversity in design and the remarkable athletic abilities and stamina seen in the animal world, leading to a better appreciation of how our own bodies are designed to move and how we might enhance those abilities through an understanding of other animals.