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A recent paper called 'Genetic Influences in Sport and Physical Performance'[1] states: "Muscle fibre type determination is complex. Whilst initial composition is likely to be strongly influenced by genetic factors, training has significant effects on fibre shifts." They also go onto say that: "However, the role of genetic variation in determining ...

I speak only for the U.S. regulations: the calorie labels on wrappers refer to the energy released when burned. Sometimes these are inaccurate. Many dieticians recommend calculating the calories based on weights of protein, carbohydrates and fats in the serving: 4 kcal in each gram of protein and carbohydrate and 9 kcal in each gram of fat in your food. ...

Good question that got me waist-deep in PubMed. It appears that the directionality of myosin motors is due to the angle at which the actin-binding catalytic domain is attached to the neck region. This review by Vale and Milligan, 2000, sums up the "unzippering" of the neck region that contributes the force for the movement (a video from the review adapted ...

Well, if we look in very basic detail at how muscle contraction works within a myofibril of the sarcomere: N.b. this isn't on a loop and only plays through seven times The red lines represent actin filaments whilst the blue lines represent myosin filaments. During muscle contraction the filaments move over each other: As shown in the above ...

The pressure that you apply when you push during a bowel movement derives from an increase in the pressure of the abdomino-pelvic cavity. You generate this pressure by closing the glottis (the opening to the lungs) and contracting the anteriolateral abdominal muscles (i.e., the external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominus). This reduces ...

It seems that you are asking about activity significantly above basal metabolic rate. If aerobic conditions are maintained (and with appropriate training), muscles can operate more or less continuously for very long durations, days to weeks. In non-humans: Godwits have been recorded flying over 7000 miles (>11000 km) without stopping for 9 days Arctic ...

I would argue that the orbiculares do have antagonists. To some extent, levator palpebrae superiorus antagonizes orbicularis oculi, and zygomaticus major/minor as well as risorius antagonize orbicularis oris. I can think of three muscle that don't have obvious antagonists: Stapedius Tensor tympani Articularis genu 1 and 2 essentially perform the same ...

If you dissect striated muscle out of most-any organism, the actual contractile apparatus works over a wide range of temperatures. So that's at the single-muscle-fiber scale. The muscle itself continues to work at all (thawed) temperatures below body temperature -- the problem comes with its regulation. The shivering response -- a centrally controlled ...

This seems complicated, but I found a reference that might answer these questions (if its right). Sports physiology common wisdom is that human muscles regularly work in the range of 37C to 40C which is basically body temperature. Since the muscles generate quite a bit of heath when they function, they are usually not functioning in colder temperatures ...

This is well-explained at the Wikipedia page on skeletal striated muscle. There are two principal ways to categorize muscle fibers: the type of myosin (fast or slow) present, and the degree of oxidative phosphorylation that the fiber undergoes. Skeletal muscle can thus be broken down into two broad categories: Type I and Type II. Type I fibers ...

The situation you are describing where muscles are situated on opposites sides of a joint and produce opposing movements is called "antagonism." Most joints are set up where one or more muscles on either sides will produce such movements (e.g., flexors vs. extensors). Here's a question about muscles without antagonists. When you contract all the muscles ...

The quick and simple answer: Cramps of a hypokalemic origin are much more common than those of a hyponatremic origin because the Na-K pump is more effective at moving potassium in comparison to sodium. At the onset of a muscle contraction, the presence of calcium triggers the opening of the Na-K channels in the membrane. Potassium is a calcium inhibitor, so ...

1) It depends on each country and your minister. In Finland, the thing is done so that it says the energy stored in food, which will be released if burned. 2) It is the energy pushed to the bike when the bike does not take into account your pulse. If the bike is smart one, it takes into account your pulse rate, then it tries to estimate the amount of energy ...

There are a few studies around related to this. One particular study(1) suggests that: Neural drive is decreased following eccentric exercise leading to a reduction in muscle force. Alcohol may further reduce the already depressed neural drive. Alcohol also has been shown to affect the innate immune system by altering the activity of a number of ...