A device and corresponding method for converting the contractile work of skeletal muscles into transportable energy. The device may comprise a converter having a mobile end adapted to be connected to a skeletal muscle, a relatively stationary end opposite the mobile end; one or more energy processing units operatively connected to the mobile and stationary ends of the converter, with each energy processing unit adapted to convert tensile forces generated by contraction of the skeletal muscle into transportable energy; and one or more energy conduits such as electrical wires associated with the relatively stationary end of the converter for delivering the transportable energy to power-consuming devices implanted in a body. The device may further comprise a relatively stationary end that is operatively connected to a body structure that is stationary relative to the skeletal muscle.