Open AccessMechanics and Fatigability of the Rat Soleus Muscle During Early Reloading
Author(s) -
Kisoo Lee,
Youn Sun Lee,
Moonyong Lee,
Masamichi Yamashita,
Inho Choi
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
yonsei medical journal/yonsei medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.702
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1976-2437
pISSN - 0513-5796
DOI - 10.3349/ymj.2004.45.4.690
Subject(s) - myofibril , sarcopenia , muscle fatigue , muscle mass , soleus muscle , medicine , spaceflight , muscle contraction , hindlimb , anatomy , skeletal muscle , physical medicine and rehabilitation , electromyography , engineering , aerospace engineering
In order to elucidate muscle functional changes by acute reloading, contractile and fatigue properties of the rat soleus muscle were investigated at three weeks of hindlimb suspension and the following 1 hr, 5 hr, 1 d, and 2 weeks of reloading. Compared to age-matched controls, three weeks of unloading caused significant changes in myofibrillar alignments, muscle mass relative to body mass (-43%), normalized tension (-35%), shortening velocity (+143%), and response times. Further significant changes were not observed during early reloading, because the transitional reverse process was gradual rather than abrupt. Although most of the muscle properties returned to the control level after two weeks of reloading, full recovery of the tissue would require more than the two-week period. Delayed recovery due to factors such as myofibrillar arrangement and fatigue resistance was apparent, which should be considered for rehabilitation after a long-term spaceflight or bed-rest.