Dissertation Research: Mechanics and Energetics of Quadrupedal Walking: Effects of Size and Speed Within Horses

这项研究整合了动物运动的生物力学和生理学。 人们对行走的力学和代谢成本之间的联系知之甚少，特别是在四足动物中。 总体目标是了解四足步行代谢成本的生物力学基础。 具体来说，什么是机械和代谢的基础，为首选的步行速度和步行快步过渡速度？ 这项研究将集中在一个物种，国内的马，因为它提供了一个13倍的成年大小范围与优秀的实验对照。 运动的机械功和代谢成本将在不同大小的马（70公斤至900公斤）在步行和慢跑速度的范围内测量。研究一个极端大小的马将提供独特的见解，控制动物运动的一般机制。 了解身体大小、偏好速度和步行代谢成本之间的关系，对于确定迁徙动物和其他栖息地减少、资源日益分散的动物的能量预算具有重要意义。 此外，生物力学分析将提供有价值的洞察神经肌肉控制的运动，并可能有助于步行机器人的设计和控制。 拟议的研究将允许对肌肉骨骼损伤的马匹进行更明智的诊断和治疗，并通过提供更广泛的数据库来了解身体大小对运动马匹每日能量需求的影响，从而改善马匹健康。

This study integrates the biomechanics and physiology of animal locomotion. The link between the mechanics and metabolic cost of walking is poorly understood, particularly in quadrupedal animals. The overall objective is to understand the biomechanical basis for the metabolic cost of quadrupedal walking. Specifically, what are the mechanical and metabolic bases for the preferred walking speed and the walk-trot transition speed? This study will focus on one species, the domestic horse, because it provides a 13-fold adult size range with excellent experimental controls. The mechanical work and metabolic cost of locomotion will be measured in different sized horses (70 kg to 900 kg) over a range of walking and slow trotting speeds.Studying an extreme size range of horses will provide unique insight into general mechanisms governing animal locomotion. Understanding the relationship between body size, preferred speed, and the metabolic cost of walking has important implications for determining the energy budgets of migratory animals and other animals where habitats are reduced and resources are becoming increasingly fragmented. Furthermore, the biomechanical analyses would provide valuable insight into the neuromuscular control of locomotion and may aid in the design and control of walking robots. The proposed research will allow for more informed diagnosis and treatment of horses with musculo-skeletal injuries and could improve horse health by providing a broader database to understand the effects of body size on the daily energy requirements in exercising horses.