Neuromuscular Function

& Fatigue
SPS180 : Introduction to Exercise
Physiology

Prepared by :
Nur Anis Marha Binti Barir (2019295672)
Mardhiah Binti Jaafar (2019283822)
Khalisah Ba'riah Binti Kassim (2019282914)
Amalin Aqilah Binti Azli (2019244776)
SR1133D1

Prepared for :
Sir Radin Rafeeuddin
Muscles Contraction
How Muscle Contracts?

The Neuromuscular Junction The Excitation-Contraction Coupling

The process of muscle contraction begins at In skeletal muscle, the release of calcium to
the site where a motor neuron’s terminal begin allowing cross-bridge formation and
meets the muscle fiber—called the contraction is coupled to excitation signaling
neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of action potentials from a motor neuron
Every skeletal muscle fiber in every skeletal Begins with signaling from the nervous
muscle is innervated by a motor neuron at a system at the neuromuscular junction and
NMJ ends with calcium release for muscle
contraction
Neuromuscular Function
The nervous system works via electrical impulses (action potentials), it signals
the muscle to contract by sending action potentials to the muscle via motor
neuron (motor unit)

A motor unit consists of the motor neuron and the grouping of muscle fibers
innervated by the neuron. The number of muscle fibers within a motor unit varies,
and is a function of the muscle’s ability for accurate and refined motion.
Precision is inversely proportional to the size of the motor unit
All or None Response
If an axon is stimulated above its
threshold it will trigger an impulse
down its length
The strength of the response is not
dependent upon the stimulus
An axon cannot send a mild or
strong response. It either responds
or does not
Role of Neurotransmitters in stimulating
muscle contraction

1. A Muscle Contraction Is Triggered When an Action

Potential Travels Along the Nerves to the Muscles
1. Muscle contraction begins when the nervous system generates a signal
2. The signal, an impulse called an action potential, travels through a type of
nerve cell called a motor neuron
3. The neuromuscular junction is the name of the place where the motor neuron
reaches a muscle cell
4. Skeletal muscle tissue is composed of cells called muscle fibers. When the
nervous system signal reaches the neuromuscular junction, a chemical
message is released by the motor neuron
5. The chemical message, a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, binds to
receptors on the outside of the muscle fiber
6. That starts a chemical reaction within the muscle
2. Acetylcholine Is Released and Binds to Receptors on
the Muscle Membrane
1. A multistep molecular process within the muscle fiber begins when acetylcholine
binds to receptors on the muscle fiber membrane
2. The proteins inside muscle fibers are organized into long chains that can interact with
each other, reorganizing to shorten and relax
3. When acetylcholine reaches receptors on the membranes of muscle fibers,
membrane channels open and the process that contracts a relaxed muscle fibers
begins
4. Open channels allow an influx of sodium ions into the cytoplasm of the muscle fiber.
The sodium influx also sends a message within the muscle fiber to trigger the release
of stored calcium ions
5. The calcium ions diffuse into the muscle fiber
6. The relationship between the chains of proteins within the muscle cells changes,
leading to the contraction
3. Muscle Fibers Relax When the Nervous System
Signal Is No Longer Present
1. When the stimulation of the motor neuron providing the impulse to the muscle
fibers stops, the chemical reaction that causes the rearrangement of the muscle
fibers' proteins is stopped
2. This reverses the chemical processes in the muscle fibers and the muscle
relaxes
Skeletal Muscle Fiber
Components of Actin
Function of Troponin in muscle
contraction
Troponin slides past myosin causing muscle
shortening
Troponin forms the cross-bridges between
actin and myosin
Troponin moves tropomyosin from actin so
that the actin can bind to myosin
Function of Tropomyosin in muscle
contraction
Tropomyosin blocks myosin binding sites on
actin molecules
Preventing cross-bridge formation, which
prevents contraction in a muscle without
nervous input
Sliding Filament Theory
Steps of Muscle Contraction
1. A nerve impulse arrives at the neuromuscular junction
2. In the presence of high concentrations of Ca+, the Ca+ binds to Troponin, changing its
shape and so moving Tropomyosin from the active site of the Actin
3. The breakdown of ATP releases energy which enables the Myosin to pull the Actin
filaments inwards and so shortening the muscle
4. The Myosin detaches from the Actin and the cross-bridge is broken when an ATP
molecule binds to the Myosin head
5. This process of muscular contraction can last for as long as there are adequate ATP and
Ca+ stores
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZevEd0qeW4
 Stretched Muscle

I – bands and the H – zone

is elongated due to
reduced overlapping of the
myosin and actin filaments
 Partially Contracted Muscle

Partially contracted muscle

where there is more
overlapping of the myosin
and actin with lots of
potential for cross bridges to
form. The I – bands and H –
zone is shortened
 Fully Contracted Muscle

Fully contracted muscle with

lots of overlap between the
actin and myosin. There will
be low force production
from the muscle
 Motor Unit
The motor unit is the functional unit of muscle The number of muscle fibers within each unit
contraction and includes the motor nerve fiber and can vary within a particular muscle, which
the muscle fibers it innervates impacts precision and force generation
Motor Pool : A collection of motor units Differential activation of single or multiple
Motor Unit : A grouping of a motor neuron and the motor units within a motor pool can therefore
muscle fibers innervated by it control precision and force of movement
More precise muscles → smaller motor units
(e.g. 10–15 muscle fibers per neuron in eye)
Less precise muscles → larger motor units
(e.g. ≤ 2000 muscle fibers per neuron in bicep)
 Accuracy vs Precision
Accuracy: the closeness of a measured value to a standard or known value
Precision: the closeness of two or more measurements to each other
 Slow & Fast Twitch
Fibers
Slow Oxidative Fibers
Type I fibers
Have aerobic respiration pathway for metabolizing glucose
Relatively small→ weakest contractions
↑ blood vessels, ↑ myoglobin → red color a.k.a “slow red muscle fibers”
↑ mitochondria supports aerobic respiration
Generate lots of ATP, use little ↓ glycogen storage
Sustain muscle ability for long time
Fast Oxidative Fibers
Type IIa fibers
Have aerobic respiration pathway for metabolizing glucose
Larger than slow fibers → stronger contractions
↑ blood vessels, ↑ myoglobin → red color a.k.a. “fast red muscle fibers”
↑ mitochondria supports aerobic respiration
Generate lots of ATP, use more ↑ glycogen storage
Fatigue quickly
Fast Glycolytic Fibers
Type IIx fibers
Have anaerobic respiration pathway for metabolizing glucose
Largest fibers → stronger contractions
↓ blood vessels, ↓myoglobin → white color a.k.a “white muscle fibers”
↓ mitochondria
Generate little ATP, use lots ↑ glycogen storage
Fatigue fastest
Slow Twitch (Type I) Fast Twitch (Type II)
Small muscle fibers Large muscle fibers
Low, slow force Greater and quicker force
Fatigues slower than fast-twitch, type II Fatigues faster than slow-twitch type I
Long-term contractions Two types: Type IIx and Type IIa
Supports fatigue resistance for aerobic Type IIx produces the most force but
activities, stabilization and postural control inefficient (fatigues very fast)
Type IIa is a mix of type I and type IIx
muscle fibers (fatigues slower than Type IIx)
Short-term contractions
Supports power activities
Generation of Force
Factors Determining Force Contraction
1. Size of muscle fibers
Larger muscle fibers → ↑ filaments → ↑ cross-bridges → stronger contraction
2. Number of active muscle fibers
↑ Muscle fibers → stronger contraction
3. Frequency of stimulation (force-frequency relationship)
↑ Frequency of stimulation → ↑ calcium ions flow from sarcoplasmic reticulum into sarcoplasm → ↑ bind to troponin
regulatory proteins on actin filaments → ↑ myosin binding → stronger contraction
4. Length of sarcomere
Length-tension relationship
Longer sarcomere → stronger contraction directly proportional
5. Velocity of muscle shortening
AKA force-velocity relationship
Slower contraction → stronger contraction
Tetanus
When the frequency of muscle contraction is
such that the maximal force is tension is
generated without any relaxation of the muscle
Repeated twitch contractions, where the previous
twitch has not relaxed completely are called a
summation. If the frequency of these
contractions increases to the point where
maximum tension is generated and no relaxation
is observed then the contraction is termed a
tetanus
Summation
The occurrence of additional twitch
contractions before the previous twitch has
completely relaxed
This addition is termed summation. Within a
muscle summation can occur across motor
units to recruit more muscle fibers, and also
within motor units by increasing the frequency
of contraction
Twitch
The period of contraction and relaxation
of a muscle after a single stimulation
The time between stimulation and
contraction is termed the latent period.
After contraction the muscle relaxes
back to a resting level of tension.
Together these three periods form a
single muscle twitch
 Motor unit recruitment depends on :
1. FORCE
When the load increase, type lla recruited with the

Order of Motor help of the type l fibers

Low speed = more fibers create
Recruitment 2. SIZE
Recruitment started from the type l which is
smaller , continue progressing to the longer type
lla then finally to the largest type llx
Types of Muscle
Contraction
Types of muscle contraction 2.ISOMETRIC
1.ISOTONIC -It’s a static contraction
-Maintain constant tension in the muscle as the -Does not change or move in length
muscle changes length 3.ISOKINETIC
Concentric -Movement that has constant speed regardless the
-Muscle shortens during the contraction force applied
Eccentric -Muscle contracts and shortens at a constant speed
-Muscle contracts with lengthening -Requires special equipment
ISOKINETIC
Muscular Adaptations

An interesting thing about skeletal muscle is its adaptability. If a

muscle is stressed (within tolerable limits), it adapts and improves
its function
For example, weight lifters exercise their arms and shoulders, so
their muscles become into a state of hypertrophy and improve their
strength
Anaerobic Muscular Adaptations
 Examples
https://youtu.be/l12UsxZ2pRE

Plyometric Training
Weightlifting
Aerobic Muscular Adaptations
 Examples
https://youtu.be/TMhC3qCDisc

Fartlek Run Cycling

Muscular Fatigue
Defined as an inability to sustain a predictable
maximal force during voluntary contraction

Can be breakdown by two main components:

1.Central (Neural)
- Process that occur within the CNS
(brain and spinal cord)
2.Peripheral (Muscular)
- Neural factors
- Mechanical factors
- Energetics of contraction
Central Fatigue
Central fatigue associated with changes in the synaptic
concentration of neurotransmitters within the central
nervous system (CNS including the brain and spinal
cord) which affects exercise performance and muscle
function

Central Fatigue can alter the state of fatigue:

-By facilitating motor unit recruitment
Increasing motivation
Physical or mental divension
 Peripheral Fatigue
Neural Factors Mechanical Factors
1.Neuromuscular junction Reduction in for per cross bridge.
- Not a site for fatigue Reduction of force generated at a given
2.Sarcolemma and transverse tubules Ca++ concentration
- Ability of muscle membrane to conduct an action H+ interference with Ca++ binding to
potential troponin
Inability of Na+/K+ pump to maintain action Inhibition of Ca++ release from SR
potential amplitude and frequency (can be Lack of Air to dissociate the cross-bridge
improved by training) from actin
- An action potential block in the T-tubules
Reduction in Ca+2 release from sarcoplasmic
reticulum
Muscle Fiber Type Recruitment

Muscle Fiber Recruitment

Fiber type recruitment is based on
the intensity of the exercise
The proportion of muscle fiber types
differs within individual muscles
Most muscles have both fiber types
Ultra Short-Term Performance

- Dependent of recruitment of Type II

muscle fibers
Generate great forces that are
needed
- Motivation, skill and arousal
- Primary energy source
Anaerobic (Phosphocreatine) Factors Affecting Fatigue in Ultra Short-Term Performance
Short-Term Performance

In short-term performances lasting 10

to 180 seconds, there is a shift from
70% of the energy supplied
anaerobically at 10 seconds to 60%
being supplied aerobically at 180
seconds
Anaerobic glycolysis provides a
substantial portion of the energy,
resulting in elevated lactate levels
Factors Affecting Fatigue in Short-Term Performance
Moderate Length Performance
Factors Affecting Fatigue in Moderate Length
Performance
In moderate-length performances lasting three to
twenty minutes, aerobic metabolism provides 60% to
90% of the ATP, respectively
These activities require energy expenditure near VO2
max, with type II fibers being recruited
Any factor interfering with oxygen delivery such as :
- Altitude
- Anemia
Would decrease performance, since it is also
dependent on aerobic energy production
High levels of lactate accompany these types of
activities
Intermediate Length Performance

Intermediate-length activities
lasting 21 to 60 minutes are
usually conducted at less than
90% VO2 max, and are
predominantly aerobic
Given the length of the activity,
environmental factors such as
heat, humidity, and the state of
hydration play a role in outcome
Factors Affecting Fatigue in Intermediate Length Performance
Long-Term Performance

These are aerobic performances

which involve little anaerobic energy
production
The longer the performance
becomes, there are greater chances
that environmental factors will play
a role in the outcome

Factors Affecting Fatigue in Long-Term Performance

Thank You