CollinKostrounMrs.

Lafferty

MuscleLabReport

Amuscleisabundleofmanycellscalledfibers.Youcanthinkofmusclefibersaslong
cylinders,andcomparedtoothercellsinyourbody,musclefibersareprettybig.Amuscle
fibercontainsmanymyofibrils,whicharecylindersofmuscleproteins.Theseproteinsallowa
musclecelltocontract.Myofibrilscontaintwotypesoffilamentsthatrunalongthelongaxisof
thefiber.Therearethickandthinfilaments.Eachthickfilamentissurroundedbysixthin
filaments.Thereisamembranesystemcalledthesarcoplasmicreticulum,whichstoresand
releasesthecalciumionsthattriggermusclecontraction.

Figure1.ImageofSkeletalMuscleStructure
http://www.thinglink.com/scene/612697287084212224

Amusclefibergeneratestensionwhenproperlystimulatedbythenervoussystemorby
electricalimpulses.Thisprocessiscalledmusclecontraction.Whileundertension,the
musclemaylengthen,shorten,orremainthesamelength.Whenreferringtothemuscular
systemcontractionmeansmusclefibersgeneratingtensionwhichmayormaynotbeintense
enoughtoproduceshortening.Manyprocesshavetohappenforthemuscletocontract.Sin
ActinandMyosinfilamentscantcontractwiththeabsenceofcalcium(Alberts2008).
WithoutCalciumpresentthemusclecantproperlycontract.

Relaxed

Contracted

Figure2&3PicturesofRelaxedandSmoothMuscle

LengthBefore

LengthAfter

Initial
Contraction

Degreeof
Contraction

Trial1

20mm

14mm

6mm

30%

Trial2

15mm

12mm

3mm

20%

Trial3

22mm

15mm

7mm

32%

Trial4

18mm

11mm

7mm

39%

Trial5

13mm

8mm

5mm

38%

Figure4.LengthofRabbitMyofibersLab

Diameterbefore Diameterafter
ATP
ATP

FinalChange

Percentage
Change

Trial1

4mm

8mm

4mm

100%

Trial2

7mm

14mm

7mm

100%

Trial3

3mm

7mm

4mm

133%

Trial4

4mm

6mm

2mm

50%

Trial5

2mm

6mm

4mm

200%

Figure5.DiameterofRabbitMyofibersLab

Figure6.RabbitMusclebeforeATPFigure7.RabbitMuscleafterATP
100xZoomPhotoByRachel&Pedro100xZoom

Whiledoingthelabweobservedvariationsinthedata.Thevariationswerecausebymany
differentfactors.First,wesawvariationsinthemeasurementbecausesomepeoplewere
usingtherulersontheipads,andotherswereusingtherulersontheipads,andotherswere
usingthemicroscopestage.Secondly,therewerevariationsinthedatabecauseweallhad
differentlengthsofmymyofibers,andthenumberofmyofibersinthebundleeachpersonwas
lookingatvaried.Anotherfactorthatcausedvariationswasthetemperatureofthelightonthe
microscope.Lastly,theamountofATPsolutioneachpersondroppedonthemyofibers,and
theamountoftimetheyletpassbeforemeasuringagaincausedvariationinthedata.

Slowtwitchfibers,arethebodysprimarymethodforlessexplosivemovements.Theydonot
contractforcefullyandrequirelessenergytofire,whichmakesthemwellsuitedtolong
distancerunning.Moreimportantlytheyhouseourmainsupplyofoxygenboostingpower
plantsmitochondria,myoglobinandcapillaries.Fasttwitchmusclefibersarethemusclefibers
primarilyresponsibleforfast,explosivemovementslikesprinting.However,theylackthe
enduranceboostingabilityofslowtwitchfibersandcanonlybeusedforshortperiodsoftime.

ContinuousGrip
Timeinterval

Maximumforce(N)

Maximumforce(N)

010

149.2

2030

213.3

64.1

4050

100.1

113.2

6070

69.3

68.1

8090

133.3

64

Figure7.DatacollectedfromContinuousGripLab

RepetitiveGrip
Timeinterval

Maximumforce(N)

Maximumforce(N)

010

348.2

2030

304.8

43.4

4050

220.6

84.2

6070

236.9

16.3

8090

287.1

50.2

Figure8.DatacollectedfromRepetitiveGripLab

CharacteristicsofMuscle
FiberTypes

SlowOxidative

Fast
OxidativeGlycolytic

Fast
Glycolytic

Fiberdiameter

Smallest

Intermediate

Largest

Force

Lowest

Intermediate

Greatest

MyosinATPase

Slowest

Slowest

Fastest

ContractionVelocity

Slow

Slow

Fast

MethodsofATP
generation

Aerobic
Respiration

AerobicRespiration

Glycolysis

GlycogenStores

Low

Intermediate

High

Capillaries

Many

Many

Few

MyoglobinContent

Low

Low/High

High

Color

RedBrown

RedPink

White

Figure9.DatafromthreedifferentMuscleFiberTypes

MyquestionisWhatarethedifferencesbetweenmaleathletesandfemaleathletes?Iam
usingthisquestionbecauseitseemstomeaftertalkingtoallmypeersthateveryoneknows
particularinfoonmalesandfemales,buttheydontknowwhy.BelowinmytablesIwill

comparethecontinuousgrip/forcebetweenmaleandfemaleathletes.MalesandFemales
havedifferentstructuresanddifferentmusclefibersinmanyways.

ContinuousGripTrials
Trials

MaleAthletes

FemaleAthletes

328.7

168.1

262.9

179.8

229

99

390.7

156

213

81

183.3

99.8

210

79.9

133

118.7

229

70.3

10

239.5

156

Average

241.91

120.86

Figure10.WhatistheaverageMaleAthletescontinuousgrip?WhatistheaverageFemale
Athletescontinuousgrip?

Afterlookingthroughtenmaletrialsandtenfemaletrialsmystudiesshowthatmaleathletes
onaveragehavehighercontinuousgripsthanfemales.Onaveragemalescontinuousgripis
241.91andfemalesare120.86.Thisisamajordifferencebecausemalesgenerallyhavea
highercapacityforanaerobicmetabolismandgenerateahighermaximumpoweroutputthan
femalemuscles.Maleshavedifferentmusclefiberstructureandmetabolismintheremuscles
inwomen.Evolutionhasmademalesdominantandstrongbecauseoftheirroles.


Resources

http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/287/6/E1125