Does anyone know how efficient human muscle tissue is as a means of converting stored energy into mechanical work? More precisely, how much stored energy (in terms of ATP, fatty acids or glycogen -- say, expressed in calories) must a muscle burn in order to perform one foot-pound of mechanical work? Of course this will depend on a lot of things (age, conditioning, fatigue level,etc.), but just a range or ballpark estimate would be useful.
(I am trying to estimate the energy expenditure of various activities using this approach.)
Dang! The next time people joke about my being quick to calculate relay splits, I should point them to your post. :D
I'm trying to remember back to high school biology. I think reptile muscle is a lot more efficient for work output, because they are cold blooded. Our system is designed to put out a lot of heat, to keep the body temperature up.
Dang! The next time people joke about my being quick to calculate relay splits, I should point them to your post. :D
I'm trying to remember back to high school biology. I think reptile muscle is a lot more efficient for work output, because they are cold blooded. Our system is designed to put out a lot of heat, to keep the body temperature up.
