Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Metabolic Rate

Metabolic Rate

The human body is a powerhouse of energy, with every cell performing numerous functions that require energy. This energy production and consumption is measured by the metabolic rate, which quantifies the total heat generated by all the body's chemical reactions and mechanical work. This measurement helps to determine the rate of kilocalorie (kcal) consumption needed to fuel all ongoing activities.
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) measures the energy expended at rest.
Several factors influence...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Unified comparison of spinal locomotion control architectures in neuromechanical simulations.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Predictive Neuromechanical Simulation Explains Gait Biomechanics in Obesity.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Leveraging anteroposterior force oscillations to assist walking.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Gait stability in peripheral artery disease: a phase-dependent analysis using gait tube methodology.

Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences·2026

Same author

Simulating Muscle-Level Energetic Cost When Humans Walk With a Passive Biarticular Thigh Exosuit.

IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society·2026

Same author

A Robotic Assistance With Specialized Timing Improves Motor Performance: Implications for Movement Training.

IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

Perturbation-based estimation of within-stride cycle metabolic cost.

Alex C Dzewaltowski¹, Prokopios Antonellis^2,3, Arash Mohammadzadeh Gonabadi^2,4

¹Department of Biomechanics and Center for Research in Human Movement Variability, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA. adzewaltowski@unomaha.edu.

Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation

|August 1, 2024

Summary

Understanding the metabolic cost of human movement is crucial. This study introduces a new method to measure the within-stride cost of walking, revealing key insights into movement phases for better assistive device design.

More Related Videos

Determining the Contribution of the Energy Systems During Exercise

Determining the Contribution of the Energy Systems During Exercise

Published on: March 20, 2012

A Rapidly Incremented Tethered-Swimming Maximal Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Assessment of Swimmers

A Rapidly Incremented Tethered-Swimming Maximal Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Assessment of Swimmers

Published on: January 28, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

Determining the Contribution of the Energy Systems During Exercise

Determining the Contribution of the Energy Systems During Exercise

Published on: March 20, 2012

A Rapidly Incremented Tethered-Swimming Maximal Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Assessment of Swimmers

A Rapidly Incremented Tethered-Swimming Maximal Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Assessment of Swimmers

Published on: January 28, 2020

Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Human Movement Analysis
Metabolic Physiology

Background:

Metabolic cost is a critical factor in human movement.
Current methods for measuring metabolic cost provide only average values per movement cycle.
This limits the understanding of energy expenditure during specific phases of locomotion, such as walking.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a novel method for estimating the within-stride metabolic cost of walking.
To differentiate the energy expenditure across different phases of the walking cycle.
To identify the most metabolically costly phases during walking.

Main Methods:

Utilized measurements from varying force perturbations during walking.
Developed a novel method to estimate the metabolic cost within individual strides.
Compared the accuracy of this perturbation-based method against previous model-based estimations.

Main Results:

The perturbation-based method demonstrated higher consistency in reproducing time series data (r = 0.55 and 0.80) compared to prior models (r = 0.29).
Revealed that the metabolic cost of the push-off phase is significantly lower (10%) than predicted by positive mechanical work (~70%).
Identified specific phases of the walking cycle that contribute most to overall metabolic cost.

Conclusions:

The developed perturbation-based method accurately estimates within-stride metabolic cost during walking.
This approach provides a more granular understanding of energy expenditure during locomotion.
Findings offer new targets for optimizing assistive devices and informing rehabilitation strategies for walking.