The effect of iron-deficiency anemia on myocardial mechanics and energetics was studied in 10 anesthetized bealge puppies. Nine littermates served as controls. Left ventricular/body weight ratio was increased 14.2% (P less than 0.05) and cardiac index 36.5% (P less than 0.02) in the anemic puppies. Heart rate, mean systolic pressure, myocardial lactate extraction coefficient, and lactic dehydrogenase isozymes were similar in both groups. Contractile state measured in vivo (pressure-velocity curves) and in isolated muscles (isotonic force-velocity curves) was virtually identical in the littermate groups. Despite markedly increased coronary blood flow in the anemia animals, oxygen consumption per unit weight of myocardium was the same in both groups. Contractile element efficiency averaged 18.3% in 10 adult mongrel dogs studied in a similar fashion and was 27.1% and 39.8% in the normal puppies and anemic puppies, respectively. The oxygen cost of internal or force-generating work was similar among the three groups of dogs. It is concluded that the volume load produced by iron-deficiency anemia was associated with a normal contractile state, normal unit myocardial oxygen consumption, no evidence of chronic anaerobiosis, and a high contractile element efficiency, perhaps as a consequence of increased diastolic fiber stretch.