Journal of Applied Physiology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


J Appl Physiol 93: 2089-2094, 2002. First published August 23, 2002; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00604.2002
8750-7587/02 $5.00
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Free
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
93/6/2089    most recent
00604.2002v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (10)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Maganaris, C. N.
Right arrow Articles by Sargeant, A. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Maganaris, C. N.
Right arrow Articles by Sargeant, A. J.
Vol. 93, Issue 6, 2089-2094, December 2002

Repeated contractions alter the geometry of human skeletal muscle

Constantinos N. Maganaris1, Vasilios Baltzopoulos1, and Anthony J. Sargeant1,2

1 Centre for Biophysical and Clinical Research into Human Movement, Manchester Metropolitan University, Alsager ST7 2HL, United Kingdom; and 2 Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Human Movement Sciences, Vrije University, 10B1 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of repeated contractions on the geometry of human skeletal muscle. Six men performed two sets (sets A and B) of 10 repeated isometric plantarflexion contractions at 80% of the moment generated during plantarflexion maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), with a rest interval of 15 min between sets. By use of ultrasound, the geometry of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle was measured in the contractions of set A and the displacement of the MG tendon origin in the myotendinous junction was measured in the contractions of set B. In the transition from the 1st to the 10th contractions, the fascicular length at 80% of MVC decreased from 34 ± 4 (means ± SD) to 30 ± 3 mm (P < 0.001), the pennation angle increased from 35 ± 3 to 42 ± 3° (P < 0.001), the myotendinous junction displacement increased from 5 ± 3 to 10 ± 3 mm (P < 0.001), and the average fascicular curvature remained constant (P > 0.05) at ~4.3 m-1. No changes (P > 0.05) were found in fascicular length, pennation angle, and myotendinous junction displacement after the fifth contraction. Electrogoniometry showed that the ankle rotated by ~6.5° during contraction, but no differences (P > 0.05) were obtained between contractions. The present results show that repeated contractions induce tendon creep, which substantially affects the geometry of the in-series contracting muscles, thus altering their potential for force and joint moment generation.

ultrasound; in vivo; fascicular length; pennation angle; curvature


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
S. P. Magnusson, M. V. Narici, C. N. Maganaris, and M. Kjaer
Human tendon behaviour and adaptation, in vivo
J. Physiol., January 1, 2008; 586(1): 71 - 81.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
T. Muraoka, T. Muramatsu, T. Fukunaga, and H. Kanehisa
Elastic properties of human Achilles tendon are correlated to muscle strength
J Appl Physiol, August 1, 2005; 99(2): 665 - 669.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Visit Other APS Journals Online