ArticleIntegrative and comparative biology2018
Structural Determinants of Muscle Gearing During Dynamic Contractions.
Article in Integrative and comparative biology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Interplay of Muscle Architecture, Morphology, and Quality in Influencing Human Sprint Cycling Performance: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine - open · 2024Pooled it
- Foam rolling and stretching do not provide superior acute flexibility and stiffness improvements compared to any other warm-up intervention: A systematic review with meta-analysis.Journal of sport and health science · 2024Pooled it
- Mechanisms underlying performance impairments following prolonged static stretching without a comprehensive warm-up.European journal of applied physiology · 2021Pooled it
- Functional Differences in Muscle Architecture Across the Pelvis and Hind Limb of Primates.American journal of biological anthropology · 2026Article
- Gearing in the human medial gastrocnemius: effects of contraction conditions, tissue stiffness, and echo intensity.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Training and Detraining Effects of Eccentric Exercise and Static Stretching on Hamstring Aponeurosis Dimensions.Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports · 2026Article
- Starting length and temperature dependence of eccentric muscle force-velocity behaviour.The Journal of experimental biology · 2026Article
- Mechanical control: parallel pathways for modulating movement.The Journal of experimental biology · 2026Review
- Effects of Hot Water Immersion at Different Temperatures during a Transition Period on Vertical Jump Performance.Journal of human kinetics · 2026Article
- A modelling perspective on torque-frequency trade-offs in multifunctional lever systems driven by antagonist muscle pairs.The Journal of experimental biology · 2026Article
- Neuromuscular mechanisms for the fast decline in rate of force development with muscle disuse - a narrative review.The Journal of physiology · 2026Review
- Neuromechanical basis of region-specific differences and their implications for sport performance and injury prevention: a narrative review.European journal of applied physiology · 2025Review
- Passive thigh heating improves peak force production in younger adults and early isokinetic force production in younger and older adults.Experimental physiology · 2025Article
- Mechanical asymmetries in gastrocnemius stiffness: shear-wave elastography insights into the biomechanics and injury susceptibility of calf muscle strain injuries.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Feats of supercontractile strength: functional convergence of supercontracting muscle properties among hyoid musculature in chameleons.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2025Article
- Decoupling of muscle-tendon unit and fascicle velocity contributes to the in vivo stretch-shortening cycle effect in the male human triceps surae muscle.Physiological reports · 2024Article
- Impact of contraction intensity and ankle joint angle on calf muscle fascicle length and pennation angle during isometric and dynamic contractions.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Optimal Gearing of Musculoskeletal Systems.Integrative and comparative biology · 2024Article
- Estimation of joint torque in dynamic activities using wearable A-mode ultrasound.Nature communications · 2024Article
- Determination of muscle shape deformations of the tibialis anterior during dynamic contractions using 3D ultrasound.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
In skeletal muscle, interactions between contractile and connective tissue elements at multiple scales result in emergent properties that determine mechanical performance. One of these phenomena is architectural gearing, which is quantified as the ratio of muscle velocity to muscle fiber velocity. Many pennate muscles operate with a gear ratio greater than one because muscles shorten through a combination of muscle fiber shortening and fiber rotation. Within a muscle, gearing is variable across contractions. During low force contractions, muscles operate at high gear while muscles operate at low gear during high force contractions. This variable gearing has a significant impact on muscle performance as muscle architectural changes favor muscle speed during fast contractions and muscle force during slow, high force contractions. We hypothesize that gearing in any given contraction is determined by the dynamic interaction of fiber-generated forces, fluid force transmission, and the elastic behavior of intramuscular connective tissues. Because muscle is isovolumetric, muscle fibers must bulge radially when they shorten. Radial bulging and fiber-generated forces off-axis from the muscle line of action exert forces that load connective tissues that ensheath fibers, fascicles, and the whole muscle. The way in which fluid pressures and fiber forces interact to load connective tissues in three-dimensions remains poorly understood because of the complex and multiscale nature of these interactions. Here we review evidence for variable gearing in pennate muscles, present a conceptual model that describes the fundamental interactions that determine gearing, and discuss where gaps remain in our understanding of the determinants and consequences of muscle shape change and variable gearing.
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