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Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol (March 22, 2002). doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00689.2001
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Articles in PresS, published online ahead of print March 22, 2002
Am J Physiol Regu Physiol, 10.1152/ajpregu.00689.2001
Submitted on November 16, 2001
Accepted on March 17, 2002

Comparative Trends in Shortening Velocity and Force Production in Skeletal Muscles

Scott Medler1*

1 Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: smedler{at}lamar.colostate.edu.

Skeletal muscles are diverse in their properties, with specific contractile characteristics being matched to particular functions. In this study, published values of contractile properties for more than 130 diverse skeletal muscles were analyzed to detect common elements that account for variability in shortening velocity and force production. Body mass was found to be a significant predictor of shortening velocity in terrestrial and flying animals, with smaller animals possessing faster muscles. While previous studies of terrestrial mammals have revealed similar trends, the current study indicates that this pattern is more universal than previously appreciated. In contrast, shortening velocity in muscles used for swimming and non-locomotory functions is not significantly affected by body size. While force production is more uniform than shortening velocity, a significant correlation with shortening velocity was detected in muscles used for locomotion, with faster muscles tending to produce more force. Overall, the contractile properties of skeletal muscles are conserved among phylogenic groups, but have been significantly influenced by other factors such as body size and mode of locomotion.




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