Sport Books Publisher1 Muscle Teamwork Agonist (prime mover): - the muscle or group of muscles producing a desired effect Antagonist: - the muscle or group of muscles opposing the action Synergist: - the muscles surrounding the joint being moved Fixators: - the muscle or group of muscles that steady joints closer to the body axis so that the desired action can occur

Sport Books Publisher2 Bending or straightening of elbow requires the coordinated interplay of the biceps and triceps muscles

Sport Books Publisher3 Contractile Machinery: Sarcomeres Contractile units Organized in series ( attached end to end) Two types of protein myofilaments: - Actin: thin filament - Myosin: thick filament Each myosin is surrounded by six actin filaments Projecting from each myosin are tiny contractile myosin bridges Longitudinal section of myofibril (a) At rest

Sport Books Publisher4 High microscope magnification of sarcomeres within a myofibril

Sport Books Publisher5 Contractile Machinery: Crossbridge formation and movement Cross bridge formation: - a signal comes from the motor nerve activating the fibre - the heads of the myosin filaments temporarily attach themselves to the actin filaments Cross bridge movement: - similar to the stroking of the oars and movement of rowing shell - movement of myosin filaments in relation to actin filaments - shortening of the sarcomere - shortening of each sarcomere is additive b) Contraction Longitudinal section of myofibril

Sport Books Publisher6 Contractile Machinery: Optimal Crossbridge formation Sarcomeres should be optimal distance apart For muscle contraction: optimal distance is ( mm) At this distance an optimal number of cross bridges is formed If the sarcomeres are stretched farther apart than optimal distance: - fewer cross bridges can form  less force produced If the sarcomeres are too close together: - cross bridges interfere with one another as they form  less force produced Longitudinal section of myofibril c) Powerful stretching d) Powerful contraction

Sport Books Publisher7 Contractile Machinery: Optimal muscle length and optimal joint angle The distance between sarcomeres is dependent on the stretch of the muscle and the position of the joint Maximal muscle force occurs at optimal muscle length (lo) Maximal muscle force occurs at optimal joint angle Optimal joint angle occurs at optimal muscle length

Sport Books Publisher8 Muscle tension during elbow flexion at constant speed

Sport Books Publisher9 Contractile Machinery: Tendons, origin, insertion In order for muscles to contract, they must be attached to the bones to create movement Tendons: strong fibrous tissues at the ends of each muscle that attach muscle to bone Origin: the end of the muscle attached to the bone that does not move Insertion: the point of attachment of the muscle on the bone that moves