Changes in tendon compliance and muscle energetics of in vivo human skeletal muscle

人体内骨骼肌肌腱顺应性和肌肉能量学的变化

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04817
• 负责人: Fletcher, Jared
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: Mount Royal University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=717423
• 关键词: Changes; tendon; compliance; muscle; energetics

The study of animal locomotion has fascinated scientists for centuries. Locomotion involves repetitive muscle contractions and stretching-shortening cycles of tendons. It has generally been accepted by scientists for generations that the primary role of tendons during locomotion is the storage and release of elastic energy. This storage and return of energy has been thought to keep the energy cost of locomotion low, across a range of species, including humans. During locomotion, the tendons are stretched, storing elastic energy; a portion of this energy can be returned, thus contributing to a low energy cost. Previously, it has been suggested the storage and return of elastic energy by tendons provide a significant portion of the energy for locomotion; however, the muscle energy cost required to store this elastic energy has, until recently, been completely ignored. Furthermore, changes in tendon properties with exercise, disuse, injury and its relation to metabolic cost has not been explored. Elucidating a greater understanding of muscle-tendon function, and accompanying energy cost during locomotion has important scientific implications for human motion, mobility, functional tolerance and athletic performance. Here, I propose to study the interaction between muscle energy cost and the energy returned from elastic tendons in vivo. I further propose a new paradigm in the role of tendons in keeping metabolic energy low: tendons, in-series with contracting muscles serve to reduce muscle energy cost by reducing the magnitude and velocity of muscle shortening. The proposed experiments will provide a greater understanding of the impact of in vivo muscle shortening on the metabolic energy cost of locomotion and the role of tendons in doing so. As such, my proposed research program aims to offer new insights into the energetics and mechanics of human locomotion.

几个世纪以来，对动物运动的研究一直吸引着科学家。运动包括重复的肌肉收缩和肌腱的伸展-缩短周期。几代人以来，科学家们普遍认为，肌腱在运动过程中的主要作用是储存和释放弹性能量。这种能量的储存和返回被认为在包括人类在内的一系列物种中将运动的能量成本保持在较低水平。在运动过程中，肌腱被拉伸，储存弹性能量；这些能量的一部分可以被返回，从而有助于降低能量成本。以前，有人认为肌腱储存和返回的弹性能量为运动提供了很大一部分能量；然而，直到最近，储存这种弹性能量所需的肌肉能量成本一直被完全忽视。此外，肌腱特性随运动、停用、损伤的变化及其与代谢成本的关系尚未被探讨。 更好地了解肌腱功能和运动过程中伴随的能量消耗，对于人类运动、运动能力、功能耐力和运动成绩具有重要的科学意义。在此，我建议在活体内研究肌肉能量成本与弹性肌腱返回的能量之间的相互作用。我进一步提出了肌腱在保持低代谢能量中的作用的新范式：肌腱与收缩肌肉串联，通过减少肌肉缩短的幅度和速度来降低肌肉能量成本。 拟议中的实验将更好地理解体内肌肉缩短对运动代谢能量成本的影响，以及肌腱在这一过程中的作用。因此，我提出的研究计划旨在为人类运动的能量学和力学提供新的见解。