简介:Itiswellacknowledgedthatmusclesthatareelongatedwhileactivated(i.e.,eccentricmuscleaction)arestrongerandrequirelessenergy(perunitofforce)thanmusclesthatareshortening(i.e.,concentriccontraction)orthatremainataconstantlength(i.e.,isometriccontraction).Althoughthecross-bridgetheoryofmusclecontractionprovidesagoodexplanationfortheincreaseinforceinactivemusclelengthening,itdoesnotexplaintheresidualincreaseinforcefollowingactivelengthening(residualforceenhancement),orexceptwithadditionalassumptions,thereducedmetabolicrequirementofmuscleduringandfollowingactivestretch.Asidefromthecross-bridgetheory,2otherprimaryexplanationsforthemechanicalpropertiesofactivelystretchedmuscleshaveemerged:(1)theso-calledsarcomerelengthnonuniformitytheoryand(2)theengagementofapassivestructuralelementtheory.Inthisarticle,thesetheoriesarediscussed,anditisshownthatthelastofthese—theengagementofapassivestructuralelementineccentricmuscleaction—offersasimpleandcompleteexplanationformanyhithertounexplainedobservationsinactivelylengtheningmuscle.Althoughbynomeansfullyproven,thetheoryhasgreatappealforitssimplicityandbeauty,andevenifovertimeitisshowntobewrong,itneverthelessformsausefulframeworkfordirecthypothesistesting.