Energy conservation by elastic storage in kangaroos

Abstract Kangaroos are able to increase their hopping speed without raising the total level of energy expenditure, and one means of energy conservation which may help them achieve this is elastic storage in muscles and tendons. During each hop muscles and their tendons are stretched; by taking up most of the stretch, the tendons allow muscle and tendon together to behave as a simple spring. During recoil most of the energy put in by stretch is released and provides the animal with some of the lift for the next hop.

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