People with higher body mass use more energy when walking because their bodies must perform more mechanical work to move.
Strongly supported
Multiple high-quality studies back this claim.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional.
People with higher body mass use more energy when walking because their bodies must perform more mechanical work to move.
See the technical phrasing
Body mass is positively correlated with energy expenditure during walking as a result of increased mechanical work required.
Heavier people use more energy to walk because their legs must push harder to move their body weight, and this extra effort makes their muscles burn more fuel. The ankle and knee joints do most of this work, and because muscles are inefficient at turning fuel into movement, more work means more energy is wasted as heat and used up.
What the research says
Supports
3 studies
Study: Mechanics and energetics of load carriage during human walking
This study provides evidence supporting the claim.
Study: Excess Body Weight and Gait Influence Energy Cost of Walking in Older Adults
This study provides evidence supporting the claim.
Study: The interaction between muscle pathophysiology, body mass, walking speed and ankle foot orthosis stiffness on walking energy cost: a predictive simulation study
This study provides evidence supporting the claim.
Contradicts
0 studies
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 3 supporting studies