Ergometry and Calorimetry

Ergometry
• Study of physical work activity, including that carried out by specific
muscles or muscle groups.
• Stationary bicycles, treadmills or rowing machine.
Muscle Contraction
• Muscle fibers generating tension with the help of motor neurons
• Voluntary muscle contraction- controlled by CNS.
• Involuntary muscle- non conscious brain activity.
Classification of Voluntary Muscular
Contraction
• Isometric contraction- muscle remains the same length.
• Concentric contraction- the muscles shorten as it contracts.
• Eccentric contraction- the muscle fibers lengthen as they contract.
• Isotonic contraction- the muscle remains constant despite a change in
muscle length.
• Isovelocity contraction(Isokinetic)- the muscle contraction velocity
remains constant, while force is allowed to vary.
3 General Types of Muscle Tissue
• Skeletal Muscle- responsible for movement
• Cardiam Muscle- responsible for pumping blood
• Smooth Muscle- responsible for the sustained contractions in the
blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, and other areas in the body.
Force Summation
• Describes the addition of individual twitch contractions to increase
the intensity of overall muscle contraction.
• Can be done in two ways
1. Multiple Fiber Summation- increasing the number and size of
contractile units simultaneously.
2. Frequency Summation- increasing the frequency at which action
potentials are sent to muscle fibers.
• Human body contains 400 voluntary skeletal muscle which constitute
40% to 50 % of the total body weight.
3 major functions of skeletal muscle
• Force production for locomotion and breathing.
• Force production for postural support.
• Heat production during clod stress.