Elastic Structures and Muscular Fatigue

Abstract

Muscle weakness can be defined as the inability to keep a certain task over time; neuromuscular and metabolic mechanisms involved in muscle contraction are directly associated with this physical process. This bibliographical study seeks to describe the changes in contractile and elastic elements involved in muscle contraction and its relation to performance in locomotion. The contractile structures are those that develop active force with metabolic energy expenditure - a mechanism of cross-bridges, the elastic ones are those that offer mechanical resistance to stretching at no energy cost - passive force - and keep energy to a new elastic contraction. Therefore muscle weakness is associated with the function of contractile and elastic structures.