Energetics (and Mechanical Determinants) of Sprint and Shuttle Running

Paola Zamparo1, Andrea Monte1, Gaspare Pavei2

  • 1Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Related Concept Videos

Exercise and Muscle Performance01:27

Exercise and Muscle Performance

Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
1.5K
Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction01:25

Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction

Skeletal muscle fibers have the unique ability to switch between rest and contraction states, using different sources of ATP for energy. The contraction cycle and Ca2+ transport back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum for relaxation require significant ATP. However, the ATP reserves in muscle fibers are limited and can only sustain contractions for a few seconds. Additional ATP production becomes necessary for prolonged contractions. As a result, muscle fibers generate ATP through various sources,...
3.2K
Energy Diagrams - I01:14

Energy Diagrams - I

The dynamics of a mechanical system can be easily understood by interpreting a potential energy diagram. Since energy is a scalar quantity, the interpretation of the dynamics of the system becomes even simpler.
Take the example of a skater on a parabolic ramp. The potential energy at different points along the ramp will be proportional to the height of the ramp, which varies quadratically with the horizontal position on the ramp. As the skater moves down the ramp from the highest position,...
5.0K
Energy Diagrams - II01:10

Energy Diagrams - II

Energy diagrams are important to understand the dynamics of a system. The topology of an energy diagram helps illustrate the equilibrium points of the system.
The point in the energy diagram at which the system’s potential energy is the lowest is known as the local minima. The system tends to stay in this position indefinitely unless acted upon by a net force. The slope of the potential energy diagram at the local minima is zero, indicating that zero net force is acting on the system. The...
4.6K
Kinetic Energy - II00:56

Kinetic Energy - II

The kinetic energy of a particle is one-half of the product of the particle’s mass and the square of its speed. Note that just as Newton’s second law can be expressed as either the rate of change of momentum or mass multiplied by the rate of change of velocity, so too can the kinetic energy of a particle be expressed in terms of its mass and momentum, instead of its mass and velocity. 
6.1K
Mechanical Efficiency of Real Machines01:14

Mechanical Efficiency of Real Machines

The mechanical efficiency of a machine is a fundamental concept that describes how effectively a machine can convert input work into output work. According to this concept, the efficiency of a machine is equal to the ratio of the output work to the input work. An ideal machine, meaning a machine that has no energy losses, has an efficiency of one. This implies that the input work and the output work are equal.
However, in reality, no machine can be truly ideal, and all of them experience some...
709