Stretch-induced enhancement of mechanical work production in frog single fibers and human muscle

The relations between the velocity of prestretch and the mechanical energy liberated during the subsequent isovelocity release were studied in contractions of frog single fibers and human muscles. During isometric contractions of frog single fibers, a ramp stretch of varied velocity (amplitude, 0.02 fiber length; velocity, 0.08-1.0 fiber length/s) followed by a release (amplitude, 0.02 fiber length; velocity, 1.0 fiber length/s) was given, and the amount of work liberated during the release was measured. For human muscles, elbow flexions were performed with a prestretch of varied velocity (range, 40°; velocity, 30180°/s) followed by an isokinetic shortening (velocity, 99°/s). In both frog single fibers and human muscles, the work production increased with both the velocity of stretch and the peak of force attained before the release up to a certain level; thereafter it declined with the further increases of these variables. In human muscles, the enhancement of work production was not associated with a significant increase in integrated electromyogram. This suggests that changes in intrinsic mechanical properties of muscle fibers play an important role in the stretch- induced enhancement of work production.