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。肌肉可以被用于促进代谢储蓄的方式，为持续的活动提供经济的运动而不会疲劳。肌肉还可以用于提高机械性能，增加功率输出和速度，从而促进高性能的体育活动。我们的目标是了解肌肉和四肢有效和经济地为运动提供动力的机制，在表现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鳟鱼/鲑鱼物种到具有非凡游泳能力的远洋鲨鱼。我们正在努力了解高水平游泳是如何实现的，肌肉在各种身体结构中运动的机制是什么，以及鱼类如何应对寒冷和温暖的水温，以理解为什么有些鱼类可以忍受温暖的温度，而另一些却不能，并确定适应性肌肉如何应对变暖的温度。我们也在研究动物如何应用将肌肉连接到骨骼（如肌腱）的弹性结构来增强运动性能（如跳跃和跑步能力）并显着降低与运动相关的代谢成本（抗疲劳性）。我们正在测试跳跃高度等运动的极限，以及通过简单地在肢体中加入适当的弹性来实现的成本节约。这项研究综合了来自运动动物、分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卓越的运动能力和耐力，从而更好地理解我们自己的身体是如何设计来运动的，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.