Dissecting Muscle Power Output

The primary determinants of muscle force throughout a shortening-lengthening cycle, and therefore of the net work done during the cycle, are (1) the shortening or lengthening velocity of the muscle and the force-velocity relationship for the muscle, (2) muscle length and the length-tension relationship for the muscle, and (3) the pattern of stimulation and the time course of muscle activation following stimulation. In addition to these primary factors, there are what are termed secondary determinants of force and work output, which arise from interactions between the primary determinants. The secondary determinants are length-dependent changes in the kinetics of muscle activation, and shortening deactivation, the extent of which depends on the work that has been done during the preceding shortening. The primary and secondary determinants of muscle force and work are illustrated with examples drawn from studies of crustacean muscles.