Functional Implications of the Design of Skeletal Muscles

In the past 15 years, the combination of refined morphological techniques and renewed interest in morphological-functional interrelationships in mammalian skeletal muscle have resulted in dramatic advances in the identification and understanding of the critical motor control issues at the muscle, motor unit and muscle fiber levels. The 10 papers included in this publication represent a cross section of some critical structure-function issues being addressed at the whole skeletal muscle level. Special consideration is given to the influence that the architectural properties, i.e. muscle lengths, fiber lengths, fiber pinnation and physiological cross-sectional areas, and fiber type composition have on determining the functional properties of a muscle in vivo and in situ. The results presented here have important implications for the design of future studies related to skeletal muscle function and motor control. Authoritative and up-to-date, this publication is of interest to anyone interested in skeletal muscle morphology and function including specialists in muscle and fiber physiology, biomechanics and motor control of movements, exercise physiology and sports medicine, and skeletal muscle development.