Muscles and Muscles Tissue Part C Flashcards
Factors of Muscle Contraction
Force of contraction depends on number of cross bridges attached, which is affected by four factors:
Number of muscle fibers stimulated
(recruitment): the more motor units recruited, the greater the force.
Relative size of fibers
the bulkier the muscle, the more tension it can develop
Muscle cells can increase in size (hypertrophy) with regular exercise
Frequency of stimulation
the higher the frequency, the greater the force.
Stimuli are added together
Degree of muscle stretch
muscle fibers with sarcomeres that are 80–120% their normal resting length generate more force
If sarcomere is less than 80%
resting length, filaments overlap too much, and force decreases.
If sarcomere is greater than 120%
of resting length, filaments do not overlap enough so force decreases
How fast a muscle contracts and how long it can stay contracted is influenced by:
Muscle fiber type
Load
Recruitment
Muscle fiber type Classified according to two characteristics
Speed of contraction.
Oxidative fibers.
Glycolytic fibers
Speed of contraction
– slow or fast fibers
According to
Speed at which
myosin ATPases split ATP
According to pattern
Pattern of electrical activity of motor neurons
Metabolic pathways
used for ATP synthesis
Oxidative fibers
use aerobic pathways
Glycolytic fibers:
use anaerobic glycolysis
skeletal muscle fibers can be classified into three types:
Slow oxidative fibers, fast oxidative fibers, or fast glycolytic fibers
Most muscles contain
contain mixture of fiber types, resulting in a range of contractile speed and fatigue resistance
All fibers in one motor unit
are the same type
Genetics dictate
individual’s percentage of each
Muscle fiber type
Different muscle types are better suited for different jobs
Slow oxidative fibers example
: low-intensity, endurance activities
Example: maintaining posture
Fast oxidative fibers and example
medium-intensity activities
Example: sprinting or walking
Fast glycolytic fibers and example
short-term intense or powerful movements
Example: hitting a baseball
Load
muscles contract fastest when no load is added
The greater the load
the shorter the duration of contraction
The greater the load
the slower the contraction
Recruitment
the more motor units contracting, the faster and more prolonged the contraction
Aerobic (Endurance) Exercise
such as jogging, swimming, biking
leads to increased
Muscle capillaries
Number of mitochondria
Myoglobin synthesis
Results in
greater endurance strength, and resistance to fatigue
May convert fast
glycolytic fibers into fast oxidative fibers.
Resistance exercise (typically anaerobic),
such as weight lifting or isometric exercises
Leads to
Muscle hypertrophy.
Due primarily to increase in fiber size.
Increased mitochondria, myofilaments, glycogen stores, and connective tissue.
Increased muscle strength and size
Disuse atrophy
(degeneration and loss of mass).
Due to immobilization or loss of neural stimulation.
Can begin almost immediately.
Disuse atrophy
Muscle strength can decline 5% per day
Paralyzed muscles
may atrophy to one-fourth initial size
Fibrous connective tissue/ Rehabilitation
replaces lost muscle tissue.
Rehabilitation is impossible at this point.
Smooth Muscle location
Found in walls of most hollow organs.