Sport Science Muscles and bones

Types of Muscles

There are three main types of muscles: Skeletal, Cardiac, and Smooth.

Skeletal Muscle

Voluntary muscle attached to bones, striated, responsible for moving the skeleton.

Cardiac Muscle

Involuntary striated muscle found in the heart.

Smooth Muscle

Involuntary muscle located in the walls of hollow organs and blood vessels, not striated.

Functions of Muscle

1. Movement, 2. Moving substances through the body, 3. Stabilizing body positions, 4. Generating body heat.

Contractility

The ability of muscle tissue to contract and generate force when stimulated by a nerve.

Extensibility

The ability of muscle tissue to be stretched beyond its normal resting length.

Elasticity

The ability of muscle tissue to return to its original resting length after being stretched.

Neuromuscular Function

Involves the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system in muscle contraction and relaxation.

Motor Neurons

Nerve cells responsible for transmitting signals from the CNS to muscles, causing contraction.

Type I Muscle Fibers

Slow-twitch fibers that are aerobic, fatigue-resistant, and maintain contractions for a long time.

Type IIa Muscle Fibers

Fast-twitch fibers that are anaerobic, resistant to fatigue, and capable of generating more force.

Type IIx Muscle Fibers

Fastest-twitch fibers that are anaerobic and generate the largest forces but fatigue quickly.

Hypertrophy

Increase in the size or mass of muscle tissue, can be transient or chronic.

Atrophy

Loss of muscle size or mass due to disuse or immobilization.

Sliding Filament Theory

Explains muscle contraction through the interaction of actin and myosin filaments.

Isokinetic Exercise

Type of resistance training with a constant rate of speed and maximal muscle contraction.

Isometric Exercise

Muscle contraction without motion, such as holding a plank.

Isotonic Exercise

Muscle contraction with motion, can be concentric (shortening) or eccentric (lengthening).

Agonist Muscle

The primary muscle responsible for a specific movement.

Antagonist Muscle

Muscle that opposes the action of the agonist.

Connective Tissue Functions

Bind, support, strengthen tissues, protect organs, permit movement, store energy, immune responses.

Types of Joints

Classified based on structure and function; includes fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial joints.

Synovial Joint Structure

Articular cartilage, synovial membrane, bursa, and menisci provide cushioning and stability.

Cross-Bridge Cycle

The cyclical process of myosin heads binding to actin filaments, leading to muscle contraction.