THE MUSCULAR

SYSTEM
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TYPES OF MUSCLE
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SMOOTH MUSCLE
Smooth muscle, for example, the digestive
system:

• Controlled by the autonomic nervous system.

• Smooth, spindle-shaped.

• Involuntary – not under conscious control.

• Found in the digestive system, the blood vessels

and urinary and reproductive systems.

• Used in all processes that maintain the body’s

internal environment.

• Example: The muscles of the digestive tract contract

to move food through the body (peristalsis).
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CARDIAC MUSCLE
Cardiac muscle (myocardium), only
example is the heart.

• Found in the heart (the chamber walls).

• Striated (striped or streaked).

• Main function is to pump blood around the

body.

• Works continuously.

• Involuntary – not under conscious control.

• Contraction of the heart is controlled by the

sinoatrial node (SAN).
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SKELETAL MUSCLE
Skeletal muscle, for example, the hamstrings
or triceps.

• Attaches to bones across joints via tendons.

• Striated (striped or streaked).

• Controlled by the somatic nervous system.

• Works under conscious or voluntary control.

• Contracts and pulls on the bones to produce

movement and locomotion.

• Resists the force of gravity to hold the body

upright.
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CHARACTERISTICS
Characteristics of muscle tissue:

Contractility: Ability to shorten.

Extensibility: Ability to stretch and lengthen.

Elasticity: Ability to return to its original size

and shape.

Excitability: Ability to respond to stimuli from

the nervous system.
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THE MUSCLES
The simplest example of how a muscle facilitates movement
is to think of a basic hinge joint like the elbow or knee.

The biceps brachii muscle on the front of the upper arm

crosses the elbow (attaches below the elbow). Therefore,
when the biceps contract and shorten (concentric contraction
- discussed in a later slide), the tendon pulls on the forearm
bone it attaches to and pulls it towards the upper arm (the
insertion is being brought towards the origin) i.e., Your elbow
bends (performing a biceps curl).

When a muscle contracts and shortens the opposing muscle

lengthens, and this is referred to as reciprocal inhibition. We
refer to the major muscle performing the action as the
agonist or prime mover and the opposing muscle as the
antagonist.

We can also refer to other muscles that assist the actions as

synergists and ones that stabilize the action as fixators.
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TENDONS
Tendons:

• Connect muscle to bone.

• Emerge from the muscle’s connective tissue

and insert onto bone via the periosteum.

• Have a shiny, white appearance.

• Have a poor blood supply.

• Are formed mainly from collagen with some

elastin.

➢ Collagen increases toughness and strength.

Fibres are resistant to stretch.
➢ Elastin increases elasticity and stretch. Fibres
allow stretch and return to original shape.
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STRUCTURE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE

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STRUCTURE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE

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STRUCTURE OF A MYOFIBRIL
A myofibril has sections called sarcomeres.

The sarcomere is the contractile unit of a

muscle, and within the sarcomere, we find
actin and myosin which are proteins found in Muscle Fibre
every type of muscle tissue.

• Actin is the thin filament (blue/green

[Sarcomere]
colour).
• Myosin is the thick filament (red). Myofibril

Actin and myosin filaments work together to

generate muscle contractions and in turn,
movement.

Myosin converts chemical energy from ATP Actin & Myosin

and turns it into mechanical energy, which is
used to pull the actin filaments along, causing
muscle contractions.
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SARCOMERE
The sarcomeres give skeletal and cardiac muscle their striated
appearance. The myofibrils of smooth muscle cells are not
arranged into sarcomeres.

The Z disk (or Z line) defines the boundaries of a muscle

sarcomere. Two adjacent Z disks along the myofibril mark the
boundaries of a single sarcomere.

The I band is a light line on each side of the Z line – the region
of the sarcomere where thin (actin) filaments are not
overlapped by thick (myosin) filaments.

The H zone is in the center of the A band where there is no

overlap between the thick and the thin filaments. Therefore, in
the H zone, the filaments consist only of the thick filament. The
H zone becomes smaller as the muscle contracts and the
sarcomere shortens – M line is dark line in center of H zone.

The A band is the region of a striated muscle sarcomere that

contains myosin thick filaments.
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SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY

• ATP primes the myosin head.
Cocking
Phase
• Calcium ions are released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Binding • Troponin and tropomyosin move away from the actin binding sites.
Phase • Myosin binds to actin.

• ATP becomes ADP, energy is released to make the myosin

Power heads nod and rotate .
Stroke • Sarcomere shortens/contracts as actin is drawn over myosin.

• ATP binds to myosin heads, releasing them from the actin

Re-Setting binding site.
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SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBRES

There are 3 types of muscle fibres, Type 1 (slow), Type
2a (intermediate), and Type 2b (fast). However, muscle
fibres are often described as slow or fast.

The type 2a fibres are classed as fast-twitch fibres but

are also known as intermediate fibres because they
contain many blood capillaries, myoglobin, and
mitochondria.

Myoglobin is an iron-containing protein in muscles that

receives oxygen from the red blood cells and transports
it to muscle cells’ mitochondria.

Mitochondria are rod-shaped organelles that are

considered the power generators of the cell, converting
oxygen and nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
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MUSCLE FIBRES - CONTINUED

These attributes mean type 2a muscle fibres can respire
aerobically, making them relatively resistant to fatigue. However,
they can also hydrolyze (breakdown) ATP quickly, using both
aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, allowing them to contract
much faster than type 1 fibres.

Genetics dictates the ratios of the fast and slow-twitch fibres we

have. Hence certain individuals are suited to specific sports.
Suppose an athlete partakes in predominately endurance-based
training. In that case, their muscle fibres will make adaptations to
support this, and the same applies to athletes who participate in
predominant strength and power-based training.

However, to what extent this can happen is not fully understood.

For example, slow-twitch fibres do not merely turn into fast-twitch
fibres. Still, intermediate fibres will develop their resistance to
fatigue or their ability to contract fast and hard depending on the
training being practiced – SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to
Imposed Demands).
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MUSCLE FIBRE TYPES

The table below shows the characteristics of each muscle fibre type.

Type 1 Type 2a Type 2b

Characteristic
Slow Fast Oxidative Fast Glycolytic

Colour Red Red White

Muscle Fibre Size Small Large Large
Force Production Low High Very High
Contractile Speed Slow Fast Very Fast
Resistance to Fatigue High Medium Low
Capillaries High Medium Low
Mitochondria High Medium Low
Myoglobin High Medium Low
ATPase Low Medium High
Oxidative Capacity High Medium Low
Glycolytic Capacity Low High High
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ORIGINS & INSERTIONS

• Origin: The origin is attached to a fixed bone Origin
that usually doesn’t move during contraction. It
is often described as the proximal attachment,
meaning it is closer to the centre or midline of
the body – muscles may have more than one
origin, for example the biceps have 2 and the
triceps have 3.

• Insertion: The insertion is the attachment to a

bone that usually moves during contraction. It is
often described as the distal attachment,
meaning further from the centre or midline of
the body. Insertion
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MUSCLE ROLES
• Prime Movers / Agonists: These are the
muscles that perform the desired action. For
example, the biceps brachii during a biceps
curl.

• Antagonists: These are the muscles that

oppose the agonist. For example, the triceps
brachii during a biceps curl.

• Synergists: These are the muscles that

assist the agonist. For example, the
brachioradialis.

• Fixators: These are the muscles that

stabilize the body during the movement. For
example, the deltoid during a biceps curl.
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TYPES OF CONTRACTIONS
There are 2 types of muscle contraction:

• Isotonic: Where there IS a change in muscle length.

• Isometric: Where there is NO change in muscle
length.

Isotonic contractions can be split down into 2

categories:

• Concentric: Where the muscle shortens.

• Eccentric: Where the muscle lengthens.

The eccentric phase is much stronger than the

concentric phase – you might be able to lower a weight
with control during a squat, but are unable to come back
up.

The eccentric phase is also responsible for most of the

delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) we experience
days after training.
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LEVER SYSTEMS
When muscles cross joints, they create lever systems.

Terminology:
• Fulcrum: The point at which a lever is placed to get
purchase, or on which it turns or is supported.
• Effort: The muscles contracting to produce force.
• Load: The weight that needs to be moved.

The 3 Lever Types:

• 1st Class Lever: Like a seesaw or a pair of scissors.
The fulcrum is in the middle with the effort and load
at opposite ends.
• 2nd Class Lever: Like a wheelbarrow. The fulcrum is
at one end, the load is in the middle and the effort is
at the other end.
• 3rd Class Lever: Like a pair of tweezers. This is the
most common type of lever in the body and is where
the effort is between the fulcrum and the load.
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DELAYED ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS):

• Pain/discomfort and stiffness felt in the muscles several hours or days after
exercise - the soreness is felt most strongly 24-72 hours after exercise.

• Eccentric contractions are known to cause greater DOMS.

• The key to preventing DOMS is progressive training and good training

frequency – DOMS increases when there is a spike in volume/intensity or a
sudden change in the type of stressors included in the session.

• DOMS should not be chased – muscle soreness is NOT an accurate indicator

of a “good session.”

Coming from a prolonged rest period to even moderate training is essentially a

spike in stress, and it is not uncommon for an athlete to suffer with notable
DOMS even after a short period of inactivity. However, DOMS can have a
negative impact on the training plan and therefore, should be limited – build
resilience progressively.
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