Why humans choose running over walking
Thursday, January 5, 2012 - 17:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Other than Olympic race walkers, people generally find it more comfortable to run than walk when they start moving at around two meters per second – about 4.5 miles per hour. Biomedical engineers have discovered why: At two meters per second, running makes better use of an important calf muscle than walking, and therefore is a much more efficient use of the muscle's – and the body's – energy.