The Energetics and Cardiorespiratory Correlates of Mammalian Terrestrial Locomotion

Energy costs of locomotion in mammals can be predicted from running speed and body mass, with the minimum cost decreasing regularly with increasing mass (Mb-0.30). The predictive value of this model is surprising, given the differences in gait and limb structure among mammals. The decrease in mass-specific cost cannot be explained by the work done in moving the limbs and the centre of mass, as animals of different sizes do the same amount of...