The Neuromuscular System Flashcards
Autonomic nervous system
Regulates the function of our internal organs such as the heart and controls some of our skeletal muscles. Works involuntarily
Neuromuscular system
Nervous system and muscles work together to allow movement. Changes take place before during and after exercise. Prepare body for exercise and allow for the changing demands of different intensities
sympathetic nervous system
Prepares the body for exercise
Parasympathetic nervous system
Relaxes the body and slows down many high energy functions
Slow oxidative twitch fibres
endurance athlete
Slower contraction speed.
Better adapted to slow intensity exercise.
Produce most of their energy aerobically.
Use oxygen more efficiently.
characteristics of slow twitch
Slow contraction speed.
Small motor neuron size.
Slow motor neuron conduction capacity.
Low force produced.
Low fatigability.
High mitochondrial density.
High myoglobin content.
High capillary density.
Very high aerobic capacity.
Low anaerobic capacity.
fast Twitch fibres
faster contraction speed.
Generate greater force of contraction.
Fatigue quicker.
Is for short intense bursts of effort. Produce energy anaerobically
Fast oxidative glycolytic twitch fibres iia
More resistant to fatigue.
Used for 1500 m where a longer burst of energy is needed
characteristics of fast oxidative glycolytic iia
Fast contraction speed.
Large motoneuron size.
Fast motor neuron conduction capacity.
High force produced.
Medium fatigability,
medium mitochondrial density.
Medium myoglobin content.
Medium capillary density.
Medium aerobic capacity.
High anaerobic capacity.
Fast glycolytic twitch fibres iib
Fatigue quicker.
Used for highly explosive events (100 m) where quick short bursts of energy are needed
Characteristics of fast glycolytic iib
Fast contraction speed.
Large motoneuron size.
Fast motor neuron conduction capacity.
High force produced.
High fatigability.
Low mitochondrial density.
Low myoglobin content.
Low capillaries density.
Low aerobic capacity.
Very high anaerobic capacity
aerobic
low to medium intensity. Oxygen demand of muscles is met
Anaerobic
High intensity. Demand of oxygen by muscles is so high that it cannot be met
hypertrophy
muscle becomes bigger and stronger
motor unit
a motor neurone and its muscle fibres
slow or fast twitch muscle fibres are recruited depending on size of contraction needed
Small muscles will have made units that only have a few fibres per motor neuron.
Large muscles will have motor units with a motor neuron feeding hundreds of fibres
motor neurones
nerve cells which transmit the brains instructions as electrical impulses to the muscles
Transmits the nerve impulses to the muscle fibre
each motor neuron has branches that end in the neuromuscular junction
muscle fribres
Work with the nervous system so that a contraction can occur
Neuromuscular junction
Where the motor neuron and the muscle fibre meet
All or none law
When the motor neuron stimulates muscle fibres, either all of them contract or none of them
wave Summation
The greater the frequency of stimuli, the greater the tension developed in the muscle.
Repeated activation of a motor neuron stimulating a muscle fibre results in a greater force of contraction. Calcium (needed for contractions) is released and builds up in the muscles
causes a tetanic contraction
spatial summation
impulses received at the same time at different places on the neurone
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)
flexibility training for increasing range of motion
muscle Spindles/ stretch receptors
Information about how fast and far a muscle is being stretched.
Prevents overstretching and reduces risk of injury
type of proprioceptor
between skeletal muscle fibres
golgi tendon organs
Levels of tension in muscle and send signals to the brain so the antagonist muscle relaxes and lengthens (known as autogenic inhibition.)
Between muscle fibre and tendon
