Kazuo Maie

The Energetic Cost for Human Running and Walking and the Problem of Hominization

There are many studies on the energy cost of human running and walking (Astrand,P.,et al, 1970; Boje, O.,1944;Cavagna,G., et al,1977; Margaria,R.,et al, 1963; Shephard,R.,1969). However, there has been no trial on the origin of human bipedalism using those data. When the origin of human bipedalism is considered, the energetic characteristics of modern human running and walking must be great help. The purpose of this study is to compare the changing ratios of the energy consumption rate against speed (CHANGING RATIO, for short) of human running and walking on a treadmill, at an individual level and at a species level, and to speculate the human gait in the earlier stage of hominization.