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It’s good to keep on your toes. Metaphorically, that is. Not when you’re actually out for a stroll. Because a new study suggests that it takes nearly twice as much energy to walk on your toes than it does to land on your heel.
如果你想健身，踮着脚尖走其实更好。当然，理论上来看确实是这样，我并没有建议你散步锻炼身体的时候这样做。一项新的调查表明，踮着脚尖走，比正常情况耗费两倍的体能。
Humans are among a small handful of animals that tend to strut heel-to-toe. Chimps and other apes do it, as do bears. But most critters bounce on the balls of their feet—think cats and dogs—while others trot on their toes, like horses and deer.
从脚趾到脚跟全面接触地面行走的动物并不多，人类就是其中一种。当然，熊，黑猩猩，以及其他灵长类动物亦如此。但是许多家畜都是靠着前掌行走的，像猫狗就是如此。而马和鹿则是靠自己的蹄子。
To find out whether our gait gives us any advantages, scientists asked 27 volunteers to walk on a treadmill all three ways: heel-first, ball-of-the-foot first, or up on tippy toes. The participants also wore face masks that enabled the researchers to measure their oxygen consumption. The results: the subjects walking on the balls of their feet, in addition to looking ridiculous, expended 50 percent more energy. The ones prancing on their toes needed 83 percent more energy. The study is in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
为了探寻我们人类步伐的优势，科学家邀请27位志愿者用三种不同方式骑单车：全脚掌、前脚掌和脚趾。参与者同时佩戴测量呼吸耗氧量的面罩。结果是：用前脚掌骑车的人除了姿势很囧，还要多消耗五成的能力。用脚趾的多消耗83%。这是来自《实验生物学》杂志的研究。
The bottom line: landing on our heels provides more leverage and limits energy losses to the ground. And does not look like a tribute to classic Monty Python.
原理如下：全脚掌着地提供平衡，同时节约消耗在陆地上的能力。样子也不难看，不会被人当做给蒙提·派森（一个小丑团体）的粉丝。
