Efficiency and Mechanical Function of Muscle in Locomotion

大多数动物的运动是由肌肉收缩提供动力的。肌肉可以以促进新陈代谢储蓄的方式使用，提供经济的运动，使持续的活动不会疲劳。肌肉也可以用来增强机械性能，增加动力输出和速度，从而促进高性能的体力活动。我们的目标是了解肌肉和四肢用来有效和经济地驱动运动的机制，在表现出高性能和高经济性之间可能存在什么权衡，以及我们和其他动物如何利用这种设计来增强运动。目前的研究利用了鱼类肌肉设计的显著多样性，从加拿大的大西洋鳕鱼和鲑鱼/鲑鱼物种，到具有非凡游泳能力的远洋鲨鱼。我们正在努力了解游泳的高性能是如何实现的，肌肉可以使用什么机制来推动各种身体设计的运动，以及鱼类如何应对冷水和温水温度，以了解为什么一些鱼可以忍受温暖的温度，而另一些则不能，并确定肌肉对变暖的反应能力如何。我们还在研究动物如何应用连接肌肉和骨骼的弹性结构(如肌腱)来提高运动能力(如跳跃和奔跑能力)，并显著降低与运动相关的代谢成本(如抗疲劳性)。我们正在测试跳跃高度等动作可能增加的极限，以及通过在肢体中加入适当的弹性可能实现的成本节约。这项研究综合了移动动物、隔离组织和计算机建模的测量结果来解决这些问题。这些研究将帮助我们理解动物世界中设计的多样性以及非凡的运动能力和耐力，从而更好地理解我们自己的身体是如何被设计来移动的，以及我们如何通过了解其他动物来增强这些能力。

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.