"Muscle contraction is the activation of tension-generating sites within muscle cells."
Study of the properties and mechanics of muscles and their activation.
Muscle anatomy: The study of muscle structure, including its different parts, such as muscle fibers, tendons, and attachments.
Muscle physiology: The study of the functions and mechanisms of muscles, including contraction, relaxation, and energy consumption.
Joint mechanics: The study of the movement and stability of joints, including the various types of joint motion, joint structure, and joint disorders.
Kinematics: The study of the movement of the body or limbs, including displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
Kinetics: The study of the forces that affect motion, including gravity, friction, and tension.
Biomechanical analysis: The application of mechanical principles to the study of human movement, including the use of motion capture and force plates.
Electromyography (EMG): The study of electrical impulses generated by muscles, including the use of electrodes to measure muscle activation.
Musculoskeletal modeling: The construction of mathematical models of the musculoskeletal system, including the use of computer simulations to predict movement and analyze techniques.
Stretching and mobility: The study of the benefits and techniques of stretching, including static, dynamic, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching.
Resistance training: The study of the principles and techniques of weightlifting and other forms of resistance training, including the effects of different training programs on muscle strength and size.
Injury prevention and rehabilitation: The study of strategies for preventing and treating muscle and joint injuries, including the use of exercise, stretching, and other modalities.
Biomechanics of sports: The study of how biomechanical principles apply to different sports, including analyzing techniques and training programs to optimize athletic performance.
Aging and biomechanics: The study of how aging affects the musculoskeletal system, including the effects on muscle strength, joint mobility, and movement patterns.
Biomechanics of ergonomics: The study of how biomechanical principles apply to the design of tools, equipment, and workstations, with the goal of reducing musculoskeletal injuries and improving efficiency.
Biomechanics of prosthetics and orthotics: The study of how biomechanical principles apply to the design and fitting of prosthetic limbs and orthotic devices, with the goal of maximizing function and comfort.
Isometric contraction: This is when there is no change in muscle length, but tension is being produced. This type of contraction is useful in holding an object steady, such as holding a plank position.
Concentric contraction: This is when muscle fibers shorten during contraction. For example, during a bicep curl, the bicep muscle shortens as you lift the weight.
Eccentric contraction: This is when muscle fibers lengthen during contraction. For example, during the lowering phase of a bicep curl, the bicep muscle lengthens as you lower the weight.
Isokinetic contraction: This is when the speed of movement is controlled throughout the range of motion. This type of contraction is achieved using specialized equipment, such as an isokinetic dynamometer.
Plyometric contraction: This is a rapid, explosive movement that involves a quick stretch followed by a powerful contraction. Examples include jumping, hopping or skipping.
Static stretching: This is when a muscle is elongated and held in a stretched position for a prolonged period of time, usually 30 seconds to a minute.
Dynamic stretching: This involves moving a joint through its full range of motion in a controlled manner. It's commonly used as a warm-up prior to exercise.
Active contraction: This is when a muscle contracts to create force to move a body part. For example, during a push-up, the chest muscles contract to push the body off the ground.
Passive contraction: This is when a muscle is stretched by an external force, such as a partner or a stretching device.
"In physiology, muscle contraction does not necessarily mean muscle shortening because muscle tension can be produced without changes in muscle length."
"The termination of muscle contraction is followed by muscle relaxation, which is a return of the muscle fibers to their low tension-generating state."
"Thin filaments are two strands of actin coiled around each other, and thick filaments consist of mostly elongated proteins called myosin."
"Together, these two filaments form myofibrils which are important organelles in the skeletal muscle system."
"A muscle contraction is described as isometric if the muscle tension changes but the muscle length remains the same. In contrast, a muscle contraction is isotonic if muscle tension remains the same throughout the contraction."
"If the muscle length shortens, the contraction is concentric; if the muscle length lengthens, the contraction is eccentric."
"In natural movements that underlie locomotor activity, muscle contractions are multifaceted as they are able to produce changes in length and tension in a time-varying manner."
"In vertebrates, skeletal muscle contractions are neurogenic as they require synaptic input from motor neurons."
"A single motor neuron is able to innervate multiple muscle fibers."
"The contraction produced can be explained by the sliding filament theory."
"The contraction produced can be described as a twitch, summation, or tetanus, depending on the frequency of action potentials."
"Muscle tension is at its greatest when the muscle is stretched to an intermediate length as described by the length-tension relationship."
"Unlike skeletal muscle, the contractions of smooth and cardiac muscles are myogenic."
"The contractions of smooth and cardiac muscles are myogenic, meaning that they are initiated by the smooth or heart muscle cells themselves instead of being stimulated by an outside event such as nerve stimulation."
"Although they are myogenic, the contractions of smooth and cardiac muscles can be modulated by stimuli from the autonomic nervous system."
"The mechanisms of contraction in these muscle tissues are similar to those in skeletal muscle tissues."
"Muscle tension can be produced without changes in muscle length, such as when holding something heavy in the same position."
"Myofibrils are important organelles in the skeletal muscle system."
"Muscle contraction does not necessarily mean muscle shortening because muscle tension can be produced without changes in muscle length."