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Determinants of force rise time during isometric contraction of frog muscle fibres

Edman, K A Paul LU and Josephson, R K (2007) In Journal of Physiology 580(3). p.1007-1019
Abstract
Force-velocity (F-V) relationships were determined for single frog muscle fibres during the rise of tetanic contraction. F-V curves obtained using isotonic shortening early in a tetanic contraction were different from those obtained at equivalent times with isovelocity shortening, apparently because changing activation early in the contraction leads, in isovelocity experiments, to changing force and changing series elastic extension. F-V curves obtained with isotonic and with isovelocity shortening are similar if the shortening velocity in the isovelocity trials is corrected for series elastic extension. There is a progressive shift in the scaling of force-velocity curves along the force axis during the course of the tetanic rise,... (More)
Force-velocity (F-V) relationships were determined for single frog muscle fibres during the rise of tetanic contraction. F-V curves obtained using isotonic shortening early in a tetanic contraction were different from those obtained at equivalent times with isovelocity shortening, apparently because changing activation early in the contraction leads, in isovelocity experiments, to changing force and changing series elastic extension. F-V curves obtained with isotonic and with isovelocity shortening are similar if the shortening velocity in the isovelocity trials is corrected for series elastic extension. There is a progressive shift in the scaling of force-velocity curves along the force axis during the course of the tetanic rise, reflecting increasing fibre activation. The time taken for F-V curves to reach the steady-state position was quite variable, ranging from about 50 ms after the onset of contraction (1-3 degrees C) to well over 100 ms in different fibres. The muscle force at a fixed, moderately high shortening velocity relative to the force at this velocity during the tetanic plateau was taken as a measure of muscle activation. The reference velocity used was 60% of the maximum shortening velocity (V-max) at the tetanic plateau. The estimated value of the fractional activation at 40 ms after the onset of contraction was used as a measure of the rate of activation. The rate of rise of isometric tension in different fibres was correlated with the rate of fibre activation and with V-max during the plateau of the tetanus. Together differences in rate of activation and in V-max accounted for 60-80% of the fibre-to-fibre variability in the rate of rise of isometric tension, depending on the measure of the force rise time used. There was not a significant correlation between the rate of fibre activation and Vmax. The steady-state F-V characteristics and the rate at which these characteristics are achieved early in contraction are seemingly independent. A simulation study based on F-V properties and series compliance in frog muscle fibres indicates that if muscle activation were instantaneous, the time taken for force to rise to 50% of the plateau value would be about 60% shorter than that actually measured from living fibres. Thus about 60% of the force rise time is a consequence of the time course of activation processes and about 40% represents time taken to stretch series compliance by activated contractile material. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Physiology
volume
580
issue
3
pages
1007 - 1019
publisher
The Physiological Society
external identifiers
  • wos:000246182300025
  • scopus:34249845042
  • pmid:17303645
ISSN
1469-7793
DOI
10.1113/jphysiol.2006.119982
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f0344dd0-06cd-47b1-a14a-633ee398d215 (old id 662558)
alternative location
http://jp.physoc.org/cgi/content/abstract/580/3/1007
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:23:04
date last changed
2022-03-30 07:25:57
@article{f0344dd0-06cd-47b1-a14a-633ee398d215,
  abstract     = {{Force-velocity (F-V) relationships were determined for single frog muscle fibres during the rise of tetanic contraction. F-V curves obtained using isotonic shortening early in a tetanic contraction were different from those obtained at equivalent times with isovelocity shortening, apparently because changing activation early in the contraction leads, in isovelocity experiments, to changing force and changing series elastic extension. F-V curves obtained with isotonic and with isovelocity shortening are similar if the shortening velocity in the isovelocity trials is corrected for series elastic extension. There is a progressive shift in the scaling of force-velocity curves along the force axis during the course of the tetanic rise, reflecting increasing fibre activation. The time taken for F-V curves to reach the steady-state position was quite variable, ranging from about 50 ms after the onset of contraction (1-3 degrees C) to well over 100 ms in different fibres. The muscle force at a fixed, moderately high shortening velocity relative to the force at this velocity during the tetanic plateau was taken as a measure of muscle activation. The reference velocity used was 60% of the maximum shortening velocity (V-max) at the tetanic plateau. The estimated value of the fractional activation at 40 ms after the onset of contraction was used as a measure of the rate of activation. The rate of rise of isometric tension in different fibres was correlated with the rate of fibre activation and with V-max during the plateau of the tetanus. Together differences in rate of activation and in V-max accounted for 60-80% of the fibre-to-fibre variability in the rate of rise of isometric tension, depending on the measure of the force rise time used. There was not a significant correlation between the rate of fibre activation and Vmax. The steady-state F-V characteristics and the rate at which these characteristics are achieved early in contraction are seemingly independent. A simulation study based on F-V properties and series compliance in frog muscle fibres indicates that if muscle activation were instantaneous, the time taken for force to rise to 50% of the plateau value would be about 60% shorter than that actually measured from living fibres. Thus about 60% of the force rise time is a consequence of the time course of activation processes and about 40% represents time taken to stretch series compliance by activated contractile material.}},
  author       = {{Edman, K A Paul and Josephson, R K}},
  issn         = {{1469-7793}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{1007--1019}},
  publisher    = {{The Physiological Society}},
  series       = {{Journal of Physiology}},
  title        = {{Determinants of force rise time during isometric contraction of frog muscle fibres}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2006.119982}},
  doi          = {{10.1113/jphysiol.2006.119982}},
  volume       = {{580}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}