Copyright @ 2009 by the American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. Forward Dynamics Simulations Provide Insight Into Muscle Mechanical Work During Human Locomotion

computer simulations can provide critical insight into muscle mechanical work output during locomotion. Simulations provide both a consistent mechanical solution that can be interrogated at multiple levels (muscle fiber, musculotendon, net joint moment, and whole-body work) and an ideal framework to identify limitations with different estimates of muscle work and the resulting implications for metabolic cost and efficiency. Key Words: muscle power, energy, metabolic cost, efficiency, mechanic