A word on "low output, high cadence"

"Low output, high cadence" is a phrase used to describe the most efficient way to function for most body systems. When tasked with doing a repetitive action, the body is able to perform a task for a longer duration if it does small steps (low output per cycle) at a quick turnover (high cadence) rather than big steps (high output) at a slow rate (low cadence). The easiest example is endurance sports (hence the title for the blog). In cycling, it is more physiologically/metabolically/aerobically efficient for the body to spin a smaller (easier) gear faster, than it is to push a bigger (harder) gear slower, even if the speed generated is the same. So, at the same speed, the person turning the smaller gear will be able to go for longer than the person churning the bigger gear. Running and swimming show a similar body fatigue difference when using easy/fast or hard/slow techniques, though the physiology of those sports is influenced by outside factors(gait biomechanics, fluid dynamics) more than cycling. It's an interesting physical phenomenon, because for the most part the total work is the same with both techniques, but eventually the big exertion of each repetition catches up with you. I've found this philosophy to be true and useful in my own training, but it's not applicable for humans exclusively. Evidence of this efficiency can be seen troughout the animal kingdom. Someone studied the croaking habits of bullfrogs and found that the frogs that did the bigger/louder croaks stopped croaking earlier in the evening than those that did smaller croaks. So, it's proven by science...