In terms of mechanism, the insertion of alkenes into M–H bond and into M–C bonds are described similarly. Both involve four-membered transition states that place the less substituted carbon on the metal.
The reverse of olefin insertion into a metal-hydrogen bond is β-hydride elimination. The Principle of Microscopic Reversibility requires that the mechanism of β-hydride elimination follow the same pathway as the insertion of alkenes into metal hydride bonds. The first requirement for β-hydride elimination is the presence of a hydrogen at a position that is β with respect to the metal. β-elimination requires a vacant coordination position on the metal that will accommodate the hydrogen that is abstracted.