Concepts and Applications of Exercise Science

12/05/2015
Muscular System

Macrostructure and Microstructure

Proximal closer to the trunk
Distal farther from the trunk
Superior closer to the head
Inferior closer to the feet
Origin of a muscle - defined by its proximal attachment
Insertion of a muscle - defined by its distal attachment
Muscle Breakdown (Components)
Tendon Muscle Belly Perimysium Fasciculus Endomysium
Sarcolemma Sarcoplasm Myofibril Myofilaments
Actin(thin) and Myosin(thick)
Perimysium connective tissue surrounding the muscle fiber
bundles
Fasciculus a group of muscle fibers
Endomysium connective tissue surrounding each muscle fiber
Sarcolemma membrane between muscle fiber and endomysium
Sarcoplasm the cytoplasm of the muscle fiber
Myofibril contain the apparatus that contracts the muscle cells
Myofilaments
o Sliding-Filament Theory of Muscular Contraction
States that the Actin at each end of the sarcomere slide
inward on myosin filaments, pulling the Z-lines toward
the center of the sarcomere and thus shortening the
muscle fiber
H-zone and I-band shrink when the actin
filaments slide over the myosin
Resting Phase
Little calcium is present so cross bridges are not
bound to Actin
Excitation-Contraction Coupling Phase
Release of calcium ions binds to troponin and
causes a shift in tropomyosin
Myosin cross bridge attaches to actin allowing
flexion to occur
amount of force produced is directly related
to amount of cross bridges bound to actin
at that instant in time
Contraction Phase
 Energy for CB flexion comes from breakdown of
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to ADP (adenosine
diphosphate) from the catalyst enzyme ATPase
(myosin adenosine triphosphate)
***Calcium and ATP are necessary for
myosin cross-bridge cycling with actin
filaments***
Recharge Phase
This occurs as long as calcium is available in the
myofibril and ATP to separate the myosin and
actin
Relaxation Phase
When stimulation of the motor nerve stops and
myosin and actin filaments are in their unbound
state
o Actin(thin) two strands in a double helix
o Myosin(thick)
Cross bridges - parts of myosin that protrude away
from the body of the fiber
Pull on the Actin to contract muscle
o A-Band - alignment of myosin fibers
o I-band alignment of actin fibers
o Z-line middle of the i-band
o H-zone center of sarcomere where only myosin fibers exist

Neuromuscular System

Activation of Muscles
When a motor neuron fires an impulse, all of the fibers that it
serves are simultaneously activate and develop force
*Less muscle fibers = more precise movements*
All or None Principle every fiber that is touched by a neuron is
activated, a stronger impulse cannot produce a stronger contraction
o Like firing a gun
Once a significant amount of pressure is applied to a
trigger, the gun fires squeezing the trigger harder
will not cause the bullet to go faster
Twitch the brief contraction of a muscle fiber
Tetanus when two twitches are delivered at such a high
frequency they begin to merge and eventually fuse
Muscle Fiber Types
Slow-twitch - force an relax slowly; long twitch develop time
 o Type I
Usually fatigue resistant
High aerobic energy supply
Fast-twitch develop force and relax quickly; short twitch time
o
fatigable with low aerobic power
rapid force development
o Type IIa
Greater capacity for aerobic metabolism
More capillaries
Greater resistance to fatigue than b
o Type IIb(x) -
Motor Neuron Recruitment
If motor neuron is recruited once, does not produce great force
If frequency is increased and twitches overlap, force increases
greatly
Different motor neurons called upon in different activities
o Jog slow twitch
o Power clean fast twitch
Preloading
Activation of muscle fibers before weighted resistance in range of
motion occurs
Proprioception
Proprioceptors - specialized sensory receptors located in joints,
muscles, and tendons
o Sensitive to pressure and tension
Relay muscle dynamic info to the conscious and
subconscious of CNS
o Muscle Spindles proprioceptors that consist several
modified muscle fibers enclosed in sheath of connective tissue
Provide info such as muscle length and rate of change
in length
Muscle lengthens = spindle stretched
Activates sensory neurons to spinal cord where it
connects with motor neurons
Spindles indicate degree of muscle activation to
overcome a resistance
o Golgi Tendon Organs proprioceptors located in tendons
attached end to end with muscle fibers
Activated when the tendon attached to active muscle is
stretched
 tension increased = discharge of GTO increases
Cardiovascular System
Heart
o Right Side pumps blood through the lungs
o Left Side pumps blood through the rest of the body
o Each side has an atrium and ventricle
Atria deliver blood to the ventricle which delivers to
the rest of the body
Systole ventricular contraction
Diastole ventricular relaxation
o Tricuspid and Bicuspid valves prevent blood from moving
backwards back into the atrium and ventircle
o Aortic and Pulmonary Valves prevent backflow from the
aorta and pulmonary arteries
Conduction system
o Sinoatrial node (SA) intrinsic pacemaker where rhythmic
electrical impulses are initiated
o Atrioventricular node (AV) where impulse is slightly
delayed before entering the ventricle
o Atrioventricular bundle (AV) conducts impulse to the
ventricles
Purkinje fibers conduct impulses to all parts of the
ventricle
Blood Vessels
o Arteries transport blood away from the heart
Strong muscular walls
Arterioles are small branches from artery that enter
capillaries
o Capillaries exchange oxygen, nutrients, and other
substances from the blood to various tissues of the body
Thin and permeable walls
o Veins transport blood towards the heart
Blood collected in venules from capillaries and
transported back to heart
Thin muscular walls
Blood transports oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and
removes carbon dioxide
o Hemoglobin iron-protein molecule carried by red blood
cells responsible for transporting oxygen in blood
RBC helps with removal of carbon dioxide from the
body
Respiratory System
 Trachea top of respiratory system that branches into left and
right bronchi which lead air into the lungs
Diffusion process by which gas/liquid moves from area of high
concentration to area of low concentration
o Occurs in the alveoli with transfer of oxygen and carbon
dioxide
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) allows the transfer of energy from
exergonic to endergonic reactions
Exergonic reactions energy releasing reactions
Endergonic reactions require energy and include anabolic
processes and contraction of muscle
Metabolism the total cycle of anabolic and catabolic reactions
Breakdown of ATP (hydrolysis)
o ATP + H2O <- ATPase-> ADP + P +H + energy

Energy Systems
Phosphagen System
o Provides ATP for short-term, high intensity activities
Resistance training, sprints
o Reaction of ATP and creatine phosphate
ADP + CP <-Creatine Kinase-> ATP + Creatine
CP provides a phosphate group to replenish ADP
into ATP
Type-II muscles have higher concentrations of CP
o Law of Mass Action
Concentration of reactants or products in solution will
drive the direction of the reactions
Glycolysis
o The breakdown of carbohydrates to resynthesize ATP
Could be stored glycogen in muscle or glucose delivered
to blood
o Replenishment rate not as rapid as Phosphagen
o Pyruvate - the end result of glycolysis
1. Can be converted to lactate
Anaerobic Glycolysis (fast)
Aerobic Glycolysis (slow)
Cori Cycle
Muscle lactate blood lactate liver
lactate converted to glucose in liver
blood glucose muscle glycogen
Glucose + 2P + ADP 2 Lactate + 2ATP
+H2O
 2. Can be shuttled into the mitochondria
if enough oxygen is present
o Phosphorylation - process of adding an inorganic
phosphate to another molecule (ADP + P ATP)
Oxidative resynthesis through electron transport
chain
Substrate-level direct resynthesis of ATP

Oxidative System
o Primary source of ATP at rest or low intensity activities
Uses mostly carbohydrates and fats as substrates
Krebs Cycle
Series of reactions that continues the
oxidation of the substrate (pyruvate) begun
in glycolysis and produces two ATP