Final Exam Flashcards
motor unit:
1. comp
2. number and type of fibres
- motor neuron (split into collateral branch of each muscle fibre at perimysium, axon terminals form MMJ) and all muscle fibres (one type only) it innervates
- gross movement use MU with many fibres for high F; fine/complex movements use MU with few fibres for higher control
motor unit territory
fibres of different MU spread out over large area and overlap w/ other MU w/o mixing signals allowing for:
1. even distribution of F over large area for smooth contraction and equal F on tendon
2. delay fatigue by sharing metabolites and capillaries b/w active and inactive fibres
Type I muscle fibres:
1. names
2. morphological characters
3. oxidation ability
- slow twitch, slow/high oxidative
- smallest soma, axon diameter, number/neuron. fibre CSA
- oxidative metabolism, more mitochondria, slow ATPase, high blood supply, fatigue resistant
myosin heavy chains and fibre-type:
1. overview
2. distribution
3. changing fibre type
- each fibre type has corresponding myosin heavy chain; eg. type IIa muscle fibre has type IIa MHC
- mosaic/checkboard distribution throughout muscle
- training/disease can transform type IIa to type IIx and vice versa but cannot b/w type II and I
Type IIa muscle fibres:
1. names
2. morphological characters
3. oxidation ability
- fast twitch, low oxidative, fast oxidative-glycolytic
- med soma, size, number/neuron, and axon diameter (largest size in humans)
- fast ATP breakdown, uses both oxidative and glycolytic sys, less blood supply, mitochondria, and aerobic capacity than type I, less glycolytic ability than type IIx, more fatigable than type I
Type IIx muscle fibres:
1. overview
2. morphological characters
3. oxidation ability
- type IIb in animals, non-oxidative, fast glycolytic
- largest soma, diameter, number/neuron, and fibre size (med size in humans)
- fast ATPase, least mitochondria, blood supply, aerobic capacity, fatigueable (bc depends on carbs and make metabolic by-products that decrease ATP production)
6 functional characteristics of MU types
contraction F/strength, contraction speed/velocity, speed of activation, metabolic power, fatigue resistance/endurance, recruitment threshold
MU contraction F/strength
1. absolute F
2. specific/relative F
- more type II and larger CSA = much greater F, in N
- fast twitch MHC in type II allow for greater F/CB with more CBs attached so type II has higher F/unit CSA in N/cm^2 but since type II has similar myofilament/myofibrillar density as type I, diff is small
MU contraction speed/velocity
1. overview
2. myosin ATPase
3. CB power stroke speed
4. Ca2+ release/reuptake
- type IIx reach peak F fastest but also shorter time to complete contraction, highest Vmax, followed by type IIa and I
- myosin ATPase activity determines CBC speed, IIx myosin ATPase has high-speed CBC, increases the likelihood of CB formation bc more binding
- gliding V during power stroke higher in type II MHC
- type II has bigger SR, greater SA for rapid release and reuptake of Ca2+ for faster contraction and relaxation
MU contraction power
1. fundamental principle
2. Wingate test
- P=Fv, greater amount of type II = greater P bc higher F allows for higher V, measured during Wingate test
- pedal as fast as possible on a stationary bike at set F
MU F-V relation
1. CON
2. ECC
- diff b/w type I and II increase with V since the breakdown of ATP is faster in type II
- diff b/w type I and II decreases as V increases bc not reliant on ATP breakdown
- speed of activation in muscle fibres
- why no myelination for faster flow in muscles?
- speed of activation in neurons
- larger diameter axons have less resistance to flow for faster conduction V
- need slower flow for cohesive activation of muscle fibre for smooth contraction
- fast, myelin sheath insulates axon leaving concentrated areas of Na+ channels at nodes of Ranvier for saltatory conduction
metabolic power by fibre type
1. metabolic v mechanical power
2. type II
3. type I
4. context for fiber type specificity
- mechanical power (FV), metabolic power is activation and fuel for mech power (enzymes and substrates)
- ATP stored for contraction lasts 1-2s, E replenished via PCr by CK (lasts 10s), ATP enter glycolysis to form fuel pyruvate by glycolytic enzymes (1 min) and produce lactate (metabolic by-product)
- pyruvate enters oxidative phosphorylation which produces the most ATP at slower rate, used indefinitely, can convert fat and PRO into an oxidative phosphorylation intermediary
- more myosin ATPase activity, storage of PCr, CK activity, glycogen storage, and glycolytic enzyme activity in type II
4 factors of fatigue resistance
- increased mitochondrial size and density in type I allow more enzymes and enzyme activity, use more O2 to produce more ATP via O2 phosphorylation to resist fatigue
- more red myoglobin to store O2 and facilitate diffusion in type I fibres; type I red, type II white
- smaller fibres in type I have shorter diffusion distance, less time spent transporting O2
- Increase in MU activity increase # capillaries around fibre to support proper mitochondria func
recruitment threshold:
1. def
2. Henneman size priniciple recruitment
3. central wisdom
- % of max F at which MU is recruited, low threshold = low % max F
- MU recruited based on size of soma, larger soma has higher threshold bc req more input from CNS (voluntary activation) to gen AP
- CNS match MU recruitment with demands of task, low excitation/effort (endurance) preferentially recruit small motorneurons innervating type I, high excitation/effort (strength/speed) additionally recruit large motorneurons innervating type II fibres
- Motor unit activation
- EMG overview
- types of EMG
- number of MU activated and/or firing rate, 100% MUA all MU recruited and firing at max
- measures MU AP > more AP more MUA
- surface EMG on skin is non-invasive, able to capture big and complex motions, captures all muscles in area for less accurate signal; indwelling EMG req tungsten needle in muscle thus is invasive but able to get v. accurate EMG reading from deep muscles but needle limits motion
EMG:
1. func
2. quantification
3. processing
- collects summed response of MU AP of active MU, does not directly measure force; increase in intensity or amp of EMG wave does not equal increased F
- summation of MAP, increased number of MU recruited (active fibres), MU AP/fibre (firing rate), and size of fiber increase amp of EMG
- have to be processed into a single wave line for quantification
MUA and exercise intensity
1. brief maximal
2. submax
3. progressive incremental
- 1RM, MVC jump/throw, sprints; recruit all MU (type I/IIa/IIx) firing at max
- jogging, cycling, walking, running; can recruit all MU (type I/IIa/IIx) depending on exercise intensity but not firing at max
- VO2max, progressions during rowing, recruit in order of type I/IIa/IIx but increase firing rate before recruiting next type of MU
MUA and contraction type
1. abs v. relative force
2. contraction type
3. why is MVCON EMG greater than MVECC EMG?
- abs F (N) compared to relative F (% of max strength); EMG shows relative MU bc only measures active MU signal
- ECC has higher abs force than CON at same relative force bc passive elements that contribute to ECC, same EMG signal but ECC decrease at high V bc more efficient; for same absolute F, CON>ISO>ECC signal bc of increased active MU (relative F) in CON
- not used to/fear of maxECC and neural and GTO inhibition during voluntary contraction; during stimulation no effect bc doesn’t req neural input
MUA and rate of F dev
high firing rate, more freq MAP, more Ca2+ release, faster onset of CB, greater rate of F dev
MU firing rates
1. MU type
2. F-freq relation
3. coordinating recruitment and firing rate
- type IIx>IIa>I max firing rate bc of higher conduction rate (larger fibres have better Ca2+ uptake therefore req higher firing rate to maintain Ca2+ levels for summation, have faster twitches); refractory in ST (small diameter) higher than FT (large diameter) therefore have lower max firing rates
- higher firing rate in FT to achieve same relative force as SO bc harder to summate, thus generate higher absolute force
- recruitment is predom mechanism during low F production since small ST MU can’t fire v. high, firing rate is predom mechanism during high F production since almost all fibres have have been recruited
onion skin model
1. concept
2. research
- follows Heneman size principle, recruit small ST first with high firing rate, then recruit large FT later with lower firing rates, bc FT maintain lower firing rates, have reserve for supramaximal contraction when electrically stim (CNS)
- voluntary sustained isometric contraction in humans
after polarization model
1. concept
2. research
3. questions
- follows Heneman size principle, recruit small MU first, increase stimulation, increase MU firing rate and number of MUs, increase F; large fibres derecruited first, small last
- tested in decerebrate cats, no motor signal from brain, isolated stim (involuntary)
- cannot explain how ST able to maintain higher firing rates than FT during constant F contractions in humans
comp AHP and onion skin model
- both follow size prinicple
- AHP firing rate increases with recruitment threshold so last MU firing at max immediately after high threshold recruitment, max contraction at max firing and recruitment, jerky motion
- onion skin firing rate inversely proportional to recruitment threshold so ST exert more F at low threshold than FT at low threshold, max contraction with total recruitment but not total firing rate smooth motion and save E by leaving reserve