Revealed, this is the reason cheetahs can run so fast

JAKARTA – The reason why Cheetahs are able to run so fast is finally answered. This was after scientists from Imperial, Harvard University, the University of Queensland and Sunshine Coas University conducted joint research.

In their research, the scientists developed a model that shows how the animals’ muscles move when on land, then assessed the limits of how fast they could run. It was revealed that the Cheetah’s anatomy was designed to be able to run fast.

“The fastest animals are not large elephants or small ants, but medium-sized ones, such as cheetahs. Why does running speed not conform to regular patterns that govern most aspects of animal anatomy and performance?” said Dr David Labonte, from the Department of Biotechnology at Imperial College London, quoted from Newsweek, Friday (15/3/2024).

Dr David Labonte discovered that there is not just one limit to how fast an animal can run, but there are two limits, namely how fast and how far their muscles can contract. And, maximum running speed is determined by which limit they first meet, which is itself determined by the animal’s overall size.

The first limit, called the kinetic energy capacity limit, refers to how small smaller animals have their muscles restrained by how quickly they contract. While the second limit, called the work capacity limit, refers to how much larger animals can withstand based on how far their muscles contract.

“The key to our model is understanding that maximum running speed is limited by how quickly the muscle contracts, as well as how much the muscle can shorten during contraction,” said Professor Christofer Clemente, from the University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of Queensland.

“Animals the size of cheetahs are in a physical sweet spot of around 50kg, where these two limits coincide. Therefore, these animals are the fastest, reaching speeds of up to 65 miles per hour.”

When testing the accuracy of the model, the scientists found that it correctly predicted maximum running speed in a variety of animals ranging from large mammals, birds and lizards. This model not only answers the question of how certain animals can run faster than others, but also explains how muscles evolved.

It also provides clues as to why there are such large differences between certain groups of animals. For example, why large reptiles such as crocodiles are slower than large mammals. Another co-author, Taylor Dick, from the University of Queensland, said this could be explained by the fact that the leg muscles are a smaller percentage of the reptile’s body.