Chemical & Thermal Changes

during Muscle contraction

 Chemical Changes

Energy required – chemical reactions

In the muscle

Energy requirement

Walk along mechanism- splitting of ATP by myosin ATPase

Pumping of calcium ions back into SR after contraction

Pumping of Na and K ions – ionic environment .

ATP – main source of energy

Three pathways supply ATP

1. Transfer of high energy phosphate from creatinine

phosphate to ADP

2. Oxidative Phosphorylation

3. Glycolysis
Creatinine Phosphate

First energy source tapped during contraction

Contains high energy phosphate group

𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 + 𝑨𝑫𝑷 ⇔ 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆 + 𝑨𝑻𝑷

 Oxidative Phosphorylation

In mitochondria - sufficient O2 is present

Pathway fuelled by glucose / fatty acid

Provides 32 ATP from one glucose

Slower

Light -moderate exercise

 Glycolysis

When oxygen delivery / oxidative phosphorylation fails to meet

the demand.

Glucose – 2 pyruvic acid +2 ATP

Pyruvic acid – oxidative phosphorylation - ATP

Can produce ATP in absence of Oxygen

Rapidity.
Based on differences in ATP splitting and synthesis

Muscle fibre classification

Fast and slow twitch muscle fibres

Speed of contraction

Type of enzymatic machinery involved

Oxidative or glycolytic
 FAST AND SLOW TWICH MUSCLE FIBRES

 Slow fibres (Type 1, Red Muscle)
 Small fibres
 Innervated by small nerve
fibres
 Extensive blood supply – extra
oxygen
 More mitochondria- oxidative
metabolism
 Fast Fibres/ Type II/ White Muscle
fibres)
 Large Fibres – greater strength of
Contraction
 Extensive SR – rapid calcium release
 Large amount of glycolytic enzymes
 Less extensive blood supply

 Large amounts of Myoglobin-  Fewer mitochondria

gives red colour

 Heat Production in Muscle – Thermal changes

Heat production

Thermocouple/ thermopile

Heat production during

contraction and relaxation
Resting Heat: metabolic activities at rest.

Initial Heat :
The heat produced in excess of resting heat during
contraction.
Initial Heat
made of
1. Heat of activation

2. Heat of shortening

3. Heat of relaxation
Heat of activation:
Occurs when muscle passes from resting to an active
state.
Happens before the mechanical process.
Heat of shortening:
Heat liberated during muscle shortening
Proportional to shortening
Heat of relaxation:

The corresponds to work done during

contraction/shortening - degraded into heat

Delayed or recovery heat
Due to metabolic process that restore the muscle to
precontractile state.

Several minutes after mechanical process is over

More under aerobic conditions than anaerobic condition

Isotonic contraction

25-30% – mechanical work

Rest released as heat

45% heat is – initial heat

65% is heat during contraction

35% during relaxation

55% - recovery heat

Types of Muscle
contractions
Isotonic and isometric contraction

Isotonic contraction – tone remains constant.

Isometric contraction

Length remians constant.

 Isotonic Isometric

Shortening Yes No

Increase in No Yes
Tension
Amount of heat Greater Less
generated
Workdone Yes No

Example Lifting a bucket from the Pushing against a

ground wall
Walking Standing in a place
 Strength Duration Curve/ Chronaxie -Rheobase

Was used in assessing nerve injuries prior to the use of

EMG/NCV testing.

The curve shows the relationship between stimulus

strength and stimulus duration in activating the
nerve/muscle
STRENGTH DURATION CURVE
Rheobase: is minimum intensity of current necessary to

excite a nerve/ muscle when applied for a sufficient duration

Chronaxie- shortest duration of time required for a

current of twice the intensity of the rheobase current to

produce tissue excitation

Index of tissue excitability
Shorter the chronaxie greater the excitability
Longer in cold blooded animals
Longer in paralysed muscle