Saturday, February 13, 2010

Why Humans Walk 'Flat-Footed'

Cats and dogs trot around on their toes, as do many other mammals. So why do humans and other great apes walk flat-footed? It is surprisingly energy efficient, a new study suggests.

It takes 53 percent more energy for humans to walk on the balls of their feet, and 83 percent more energy to toe-walk.

However, the energy savings don't apply to running. There's no difference, energy-wise, between landing on our heels and landing on the balls of our feet when we run, the scientists say.

Read the rest of this article...

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