Skeletal Muscle:

Structure & Function

SPS211/FSRUiTM

Skeletal Muscle: Structure & Function

The human body contain over 400 skeletal muscles, which constitute 40-50% of the total body weight. 3 functions:
Force generation for locomotion & breathing Force generation for postural support Heat production during periods of cold stress

Skeletal muscles are attached to bones through a connective tissue called tendon One end of the muscle is attached to the bone that does not move (origin), while the opposite end in fixed to a bone (insertion) that is move during muscular contraction. Muscles that decrease joint angle are call flexors, while muscle that increase joint angle are called extensors
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Structure of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle is composed of several kind of tissues, include muscle cells, nerve, blood and various type of connective tissue Individual muscle are separate from each other and in position by a connective tissue call Fascia There are 3 separate layer:
Epimysium (outer layer) Perimysium (middle layer) Endomysium (inner layer)

The cell membrane surrounding the muscle cell is called the Sarcolemma. Beneath the sarcolemma lies the Sarcoplasm (cytoplasm) which contain myofibrils.
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Structure of Skeletal Muscle

In general, myofibrils composed of two type of protein filaments:
Myosin (thick filament) Actin (thin filament)

Both play an important role in the regulation of contractile process. Myofibrils can further subdivided into individual segment called sarcomeres. Sarcomere are divided from each other by a thin sheet of structural protein called a Z line Myosin filaments are located primarily in the dark portion of sarcomere (A band), while actin filament occur in the light portion (I band). In the center of the sarcomere there is a portion of the myosin filament with no overlap of actin, called H zone. SPS211/FSRUiTM

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Structure of Skeletal Muscle

Within a sarcoplasm, there is a membranous channel called sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) SR storage site for calcium Another set of membranous channel is transverse tubules (t tubules)

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Muscular Contraction
The process of muscular contraction is best explained by the sliding filament model of contraction

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Sliding Filament Model

Relaxed Muscle Contracting muscle Actin & myosin filaments in relaxed muscle and contracted muscle are the same length During contraction, actin at each end of the sarcomeres slide past the myosin toward each other. Z disk are closer & sarcomeres shorten. As the actin slide over the myosin, the H zone and the I band narrow. The A nab do not narrow In a fully contracted muscle the end of the actin overlap and the H zone disappears
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Contracting muscle Fully contracted muscle

Fiber Types
Muscle fibers can be classified into 2 categories:
Type I - Slow twitch (ST) (slow oxidative)
4

Type II - Fast twitch (FT)

Type IIa (fast oxidative glycolytic) Type IIb or IIx (fast glycolytic)
Max Short velocity

0 Type I Type IIa Type IIb/IIx

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Characteristics of Fiber Types

Fast Fibers Characteristic Number of mitochondria Resistance to fatigue Predominant energy system ATPase activity Vmax (speed of shortening) Efficiency Specific tension Type IIb / IIx Low Low Anaerobic Highest Highest Low Type IIa High/Mod High/Mod Combination High Intermediate Moderate Slow Fibers Type 1 High High Aerobic Low Low High Moderate

SPS211/FSRUiTM High High

Fiber Type & Performance

Sports
Distance runner
Track Sprinters

% Slow Fibers (Type 1)

70-80
25-30

% Fast Fibers (Type Ila & Ilb)

20-30
70-75

Non athletes

47-53
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47-53

Alteration of Muscle Fiber Type by Exercise Training

In the past, researchers have concluded that endurance training does not result in the conversion of FT to ST fiber. By contrast, recent investigations using improved technique have shown that rigorous exercise training results in alteration of muscle fiber types. Long duration exercise training (90 min/day; 10 week) is capable of promoting a Type II to Type I fiber However, the resistance training induced changes in fiber type are often small & do not result in complete conversion to Type IIb to Type I fiber
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Age Related Changes in Skeletal Muscle

Aging associated with a loss of muscle mass (atrophy)
25 to 50 years 10% loss 50 to 80 years additional 40% loss Aging results in loss of FT fibers (esp. Type IIb)

Loss of muscle in lower limb is more pronounced in older adults However, regular exercise (PRT) can improve muscular endurance and strength but cannot completely eliminate the age related loss in muscle mass

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Muscle Actions
3 type of actions:
Concentric
Shortening of muscle Dynamic action

Static
Muscle generating force but it length remains static (unchanged) Isometric action

Eccentric
Lengthening of muscle Dynamic action
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Generation of Force
Depends on:
The number of motor units activated
More motor unit more force

The type of motor units activated

FT generate more force

The size of the muscle

Larger muscle generate more force

The muscle initial length when activated

Increasing or decreasing the muscle length beyond 20% reduce force production However, in general, the amount of power generated by a muscle group increases as a function of movement velocity.

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Generation of Force
Depends on:
The angle of the joint
E.g., biceps brachii best joint angle is 1000 to lift 100lb force

The muscles speed of action (force-velocity/ powervelocity)

During concentric actions, maximal force decreases at higher speed. Fast eccentric actions allow max application of force Higher % FT velocity or speed is greater However, in general, the amount of power generated by a muscle group increases as a function of movement velocity.

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Receptors in Muscle
Chemoreceptor
Send info to CNS in response to changes in muscle pH, [potassium], changes in O2 & CO2 tensions.

Golgi Tendon Organs

Provide CNS with feedback concerning the tension developed by the muscle Serve as safety devices that help prevent excessive force during muscle contraction

Muscle Spindles
Provide sensory information concerning relative muscle length Length Detector
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