These suckers are fast.
Vampire bats hit the treadmill in a unique study in which scientists looked at how vampire bats metabolize the blood they suck, according to newly published research.
the study, Published in Biology Lettersinvestigated the unique running abilities of vampire bats, based on the hypothesis that the creepy crawlers exhibit remarkable metabolic abilities.
Vampire bats use their thumbs, wrists, and legs to run at speeds of more than 3 feet per second to stalk prey such as horses, pigs, goats, capybaras, cows, and other mammals.
“Running is a great way to quietly approach prey without being noticed,” said Julia Rossi, lead author of the study. According to the Independent.
Mitochondrial traps capture their prey, make small incisions with their sharp teeth, and suck out the blood that escapes.
Researchers fed 24 bats concentrated bovine blood and placed them on a small respirometry treadmill set at speeds up to 1 mile per hour to measure the nocturnal mammal's use of blood proteins. did.
Scientists discovered that plasma thieves rapidly and extensively used amino acids derived from the blood they ingested to facilitate swift walking.
“What's even more surprising is that they are able to maintain this extremely high exercise rate for long periods of time simply by burning protein stored in their muscles, something we can only dream of.” said co-author Ken Welch of the University of Toronto, The Independent reported.
It burns almost exclusively amino acids for energy. Price Sewell/T Scarborough University
All mammals, including humans, can burn amino acids to obtain cellular energy, but carbohydrates and lipids are the main sources of non-egg layers. Research shows that amino acids contribute 5 to 10 percent of the average human's energy production.
Researchers suspect that bats may use amino acids to power their flight.
