Two explanations for the compliant running paradox: reduced work of bouncing viscera and increased stability in uneven terrain
Open accessAbstract
Economy is a central principle for understanding animal locomotion. Yet, compared with theoretical predictions concerning economy, animals run with compliant legs that are energetically costly. Here, we address this apparent paradox, highlighting two factors that predict benefits for compliant gaits: (i) minimizing cost of work associated with bouncing viscera; and (ii) leg control for robust stability in uneven terrain. We show that consideration of the effects of bouncing viscera predicts an energetic optimum for relatively compliant legs. To compare stability in uneven terrain, we introduce the normalized maximum drop (NMD), a measure based on simple kinematics, which predicts that compliant legs allow negotiation of relatively larger terrain perturbations without failure. Our model also suggests an inherent trade-off in control of leg retraction velocity ( ω ) for stability: low ω allows higher NMD, reducing fall risk, whereas high ω minimizes peak forces with terrain drops, reducing injury risk. Optimization for one of these factors explicitly limits the other; however, compliant legs relax this trade-off, allowing greater stability by both measures. Our models suggest compromises in leg control for economy and stability that might explain why animals run with compliant legs.
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Somatic afferent stimulation contributes to this entrainment, which can be prevented by blockade of the PB nucleus.
“Somatic afferent stimulation contributes to this entrainment, which can be prevented by blockade of the PB nucleus (cf Daley and Usherwood 2010; Porterfield 1985; Potts et al. 2005).”
From Motion sickness: more than nausea and vomiting (2014) · cites this paper as Daley and Usherwood 2010
The Results and discussion section addresses leg compliance, viscera and stability in uneven terrain. Searches for somatic afferent stimulation, entrainment and PB nucleus blockade found no passage in our copy addressing the attributed claim; no page numbers were provided. (LLM, conf=0.78)
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Motion sickness: more than nausea and vomiting
Lackner, J. R. (2014) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/s00221-014-4008-8 · Cited by 314 · see citing works
“Somatic afferent stimulation contributes to this entrainment, which can be prevented by blockade of the PB nucleus (cf Daley and Usherwood 2010; Porterfield 1985; Potts et al. 2005).”
Background
- Authors
- Daley, M. A., & Usherwood, J. R.
- Affiliations
- Royal Veterinary College (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Daley, Monica A.
- Venue
- Biology Letters
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2010-03-24
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 418-421
- ISSN
- 1744-9561 (ISSN-L)
- 1744-957X
- PMC
- PMC2880072
- OpenAlex
- W2102874149
- Cited by
- 90
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 4.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Biology Letters (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RVC Research Online (Royal Veterinary College) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Robotic Locomotion and Control
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Lower Extremity Biomechanics and Pathologies
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
- Keywords
- running economy, leg compliance, fall risk, injury risk, peak force, locomotion energetics, Animal locomotion
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Biomechanical Phenomena, Energy Metabolism, Environment, Extremities, Locomotion, Models, Biological, Viscera
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