The effect of muscle fatigue on the behavior of single muscle fibre

Abstract

The aim of this study is to integrate the effect of muscle fatigue into skeletal muscle fibre model. The base of the skeletal muscle model previously developed in our laboratory is the sliding cross-bridge theory of contraction. The calcium activation, which is the base stone for the contraction, is integrated. The muscle fatigue is often described as a decline in the muscle ability to generate force. It is the result of the sustained contraction of long duration. Generally, muscle fatigue is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, which is influenced by a variety of physiological and psychological factors. Its underlying mechanisms are not still well understood. Therefore there are still discussions about what is the major cause of fatigue. The calcium handling within the active muscle cell can be considered as a one of possible causes of fatigue. This idea was utilized during solving of the muscle fatigue problem in this study.