The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of plyometric and isometric training on tendon properties during ramp and ballistic contractions and muscle stiffness under passive and active conditions. Eleven subjects completed 12 weeks (3 days/week) of a unilateral training program for the plantar flexors. They performed plyometric training on one side (PLY) and isometric training on the...

The extents to which decreased muscle size or activation are responsible for the decrease in strength commonly observed with aging remain unclear. Our purpose was to compare muscle isometric strength [maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)], cross-sectional area (CSA), specific strength (MVC/CSA), and voluntary activation in the ankle dorsiflexor muscles of 24 young (32 +/- 1 yr) and 24 elderly (7...

BACKGROUND This study investigated whether there was a worsening of the neuromuscular capacity of older adults after the seventh decade of life. METHODS Fifteen healthy community-dwelling old (< 70 years of age) and 15 older adults (> or = 70 years of age) were assessed for maximal isometric strength (MVC) and force production characteristics, a one-repetition maximum (1-RM) performance, elec...

Postnatal transitions in myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform expression were found to be associated with changes in both isometric and isotonic contractile properties of rat diaphragm muscle (Diam). Expression of MHCneo predominated in neonatal Diam fibers but was usually coexpressed with MHCslow or MHC2A isoforms. Expression of MHCneo disappeared by day 28. Expression of MHC2X and MHC2B emerged a...

When an active muscle is stretched, the resulting posteccentric steady-state force is known to be greater than the isometric force at the corresponding muscle length. The aim of our research was to clarify if residual force enhancement (RFE) is relevant for voluntary human muscle action in everyday like scenarios. Therefore 13 healthy subjects participated in our study and had to perform bilate...

Strength is a fundamental quality necessary in achieving optimal physical function and is defined as the ability to produce more force.(Siff M; Stone MH et al., 1993). Thus the display of strength has characteristics which include a magnitude, rate and direction. The force production can be measured by isotonic, isometric or isokinetic methods. The isotonic techniques require lifting a particul...

This paper describes a revision of the Hill-type muscle model so that it will describe the chemo-mechanical energy conversion process (energetic) and the internal-element stiffness variation (viscoelastic) during a skeletal muscle isometric force twitch contraction. The derivation of this energetic-viscoelastic model is described by a first-order linear ordinary differential equation with const...

Recent dynamical models, based on the seminal work of V. Hill, allow to predict muscular response functional electrostimulation (FES), in isometric and non-isometric cases. The physical controls are modeled as Dirac pulses lead a sampled-data control system, sampling corresponding times stimulation, where output is force response. Such dynamics suitable compute optimized aiming produce constant...

The relationships between smooth muscle calcium and isometric tension generation to spontaneous lymphatic pump activity and its modulation by stretch equivalent from 0 to approximately 6 cmH2O were investigated. Excised preparations of the rat thoracic duct were mounted on a wire myograph and loaded with the calcium-sensitive fluorochrome indo-1. Calcium-dependent fluorescence and isometric for...

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in pressor response and cardiovagal modulation during isometric handgrip exercise (IHG) between children and adults. Beat-to-beat heart rate (HR) and blood pressure were measured in 23 prepubertal children and 23 adults at baseline and during IHG. Cardiovagal modulation was quantified by analysis of HR variability. Mean arterial pressure resp...