In vivo behavior of muscle fascicles and tendinous tissues of human gastrocnemius and soleus muscles during twitch contraction

• Published in: Journal of electromyography and kinesiology Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 587 - 595
• Main Authors: Oda, Toshiaki, Kanehisa, Hiroaki, Chino, Kentaro, Kurihara, Toshiyuki, Nagayoshi, Toshihiko, Fukunaga, Tetsuo, Kawakami, Yasuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2007
• Subjects: Adult; Ankle Joint - diagnostic imaging; Ankle Joint - physiology; Elasticity; Electric Stimulation - methods; Elongation of tendinous tissues; Force transmission; Humans; Male; Muscle Contraction - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - innervation; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Shortening velocity of muscle fascicles; Stress, Mechanical; Tendons - diagnostic imaging; Tendons - physiology; Twitch time-course characteristics; Ultrasonic images; Ultrasonography; the gastrocnemius muscle; TV; B-mode; FL; Ultrasonic images; Force transmission; fascicle length; fascicle velocity; lengthening velocity of tendinous tissues; FV; SOL; TE; M wave; Shortening velocity of muscle fascicles; the soleus muscle; GAS; Twitch time-course characteristics; the medial gastrocnemius muscle; brightness mode; MG; muscle compound action potential; elongation of tendinous tissues; Elongation of tendinous tissues
• ISSN: 1050-6411; 1873-5711
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2006.04.013

Abstract The present study investigated the differences between the human medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (SOL) muscles in length changes of muscle fascicles and tendinous tissues during twitch contraction induced by an electrical nerve stimulus. Also, the time-course characteristics of twitch torque were related with changes in the length of muscle fascicles and tendinous tissues. No significant difference was observed between MG and SOL in contraction and half relaxation times of the changes in lengths and velocities of both muscle fascicles and tendinous tissues. The time-course of changes in twitch torque was nearly identical to that of the length of muscle fascicles and tendinous tissues. It was suggested that the behavior of MG and SOL during twitch contraction is practically similar in spite of their known physiological and architectural differences, and that the time-course of twitch torque is greatly influenced by the changes in the length of muscle fascicles and tendinous tissues.