Quantifying the benefits of inefficient walking: Monty Python inspired laboratory based experimental study

Abstract

Objective To compare the rate of energy expenditure of low efficiency walking with high efficiency walking. Design Laboratory based experimental study. Setting United States. Participants 13 healthy adults (six women, seven men) with no known gait disorder, mean (±standard deviation) age 34.2±16.1 years, height 174.2±12.6 cm, weight 78.2±22.5 kg, and body mass index 25.6±6.0. Intervention Participants performed three, five minute walking trials around an indoor 30 m course. The first trial consisted of walking at a freely chosen walking speed in the participant’s usual style. The next two trials consisted of low efficiency walks in which participants were asked to duplicate the walks of Mr Teabag and Mr Putey (acted by John Cleese and Michael Palin, respectively) in the legendary Monty Python Ministry of Silly Walks (MoSW) skit that first aired in 1970. Distance covered during the five minute walks was used to calculate average speed. Ventilation and gas exchange were collected throughout to determine oxygen uptake (V̇O 2 ; mL O 2 /kg/min) and energy expenditure (EE; kcal/kg/min; 1 kcal=4.18 kJ), reported as mean±standard deviation. Main outcome measures V̇O 2 and EE. Results V̇O 2 and EE were about 2.5 times higher (P<0.001) during the Teabag walk compared with participants’ usual walk (27.9±4.8 v 11.3±1.9 mL O 2 /kg/min; 0.14±0.03 v 0.06±0.01 kcal/kg/min), but were not different during the Putey walk (12.3±1.8 mL/kg/min; 0.06±0.01 kcal/kg/min). Each minute of Teabag walking increased EE over participants’ usual walking by an average of 8.0 kcal (range 5.5-12.0) in men and by 5.2 kcal (range 3.9-6.2) in women, and qualified as vigorous intensity physical activity (>6 resting metabolic equivalents). Conclusions For adults with no known gait disorder who average approximately 5000 steps/day, exchanging about 22%-34% of their daily steps with higher energy, low efficiency walking in Teabag style—requiring around 12-19 min—could increase daily EE by 100 kcal. Adults could achieve 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity per week by walking inefficiently for about 11 min/day. Had an initiative to promote inefficient movement been adopted in the early 1970s, we might now be living among a healthier society. Efforts to promote higher energy—and perhaps more joyful—walking should ensure inclusivity and inefficiency for all.

Measuring human energy expenditure: public health application to counter inactivity

“…Automated indirect calorimetry systems consist of a flow meter to measure ventilation, gas analysers to measure concentrations of CO 2 and O 2 in both inspired and expired air, and computer software that calculates ventilation (V̇E), oxygen uptake (V̇O 2 ), and carbon dioxide production (V̇CO 2 ) 1. V̇E, V̇O 2 , and V̇CO 2 are usually expressed with a dot above the V to denote the time derivative of measurement (typically per min; ie, L/min for V̇E, and either L/min or mL/kg/min for V̇O 2 and V̇CO 2 ),2 and they are expressed this way in our main article 3. All require participants to wear a facemask or mouthpiece (with nose clip) to ensure that total ventilation is measured and samples of expired air can be directed to the gas analysers that are secured to a shoulder harness worn by the participant (fig 1).…”

“…In our linked paper in The BMJ (doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-072833), we used a portable metabolic measurement system (Carefusion, San Diego, CA) to quantify the metabolic rate of walking in one’s usual style compared with two styles of inefficient walking depicted in the Monty Python sketch The Ministry of Silly Walks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNeeovY4qNU). 3…”

Crumbs of comfort in this time of despair

“…8 Since humans have evolved to move in streamlined, energy conserving ways, a counterintuitive method to improve cardiovascular fitness-and perhaps release more endorphins-is to maximise the inefficiency of movement (doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-072833). 9 Tapping into our competitive side by doing an online typing speed test might give a similar buzz (doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-072784). 10 Another comforter is the daily ritual of solving a puzzle, such as a cryptic crossword (doi:10.1136/bmj.o2971).…”