I, Chihuahua

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A short item in Monday’s Los Angeles Times says long-legged creatures expend less energy than short-legged ones on walks and jogs. A researcher used a very limited sample of dogs, pygmy goats and humans, outfitting each on treadmills with masks to record various measurements, stride for stride. Chihuahua pitted against German shepherd and thin 6-foot human against a full-figured 5-footer. (They weighed the same so one has to be on the thin side and one heavy, right?)

The conclusion: tall people don’t need to run nearly as hard as short people to maintain the same pace. Like this is news. On the plus side (pun intended), the shorter folks burn more calories because they’re working harder at it.

[Photo courtesy of Pavilionpony.com]

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