According to the book "Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention," the human body contains about 430 skeletal muscles, but only about 75 pairs account for most of your body's motion. The physical ability of the muscles to perform involves multiple aspect of functioning. Physical and neurological processes mesh to produce motion of the muscles and the bones in the human body.
Skeletal Muscular Balance
Without balance, human beings fall to the ground. Humans arrange the sections of their body against gravity to stay in upright positions and balance the body during movement. Balance requires interaction of the physical processes of the muscles, the bones, the sensory organs and neurological activity.
Skeletal Muscular Coordination
Coordination refers to the exact timing and orderly sequencing of muscle movement, the book "Therapeutic Exercise" explains. Without coordination, the muscles fail to move the body and extremities in smooth, well-organized movements. Athletes' and dancers' movements, for example, require fine-tuning of coordination to reach top professional performance.
Skeletal Muscular Mobility
Mobility involves the movement of the segments of the human body to perform functions. Mobility requires entire skeleton parts to move to a full range of motion. Each muscle group and joint has the ability to move within a certain range depending upon the body part --- the hand, for example, opens and closes the fist and the fingers by flexion and extension. Full range of motion occurs when the muscles, bones, joint, capsules, ligaments, vessels and nerves work together to move to the maximum degrees possible for a specific joint.
Skeletal Muscle Performance
Muscle performance takes into consideration strength, endurance and power. Muscle strength means the total force applied by an individual in a solitary maximum muscular contraction against an exact opposing force --- in other words, the greatest measurable force exerted to overcome resistance. The common technique to measure strength involves the use of a dynamometer via a spring-loaded gauge. Endurance refers to the capability of muscles to persist in performing activity without exhaustion. The concept of mechanical power is purported to be the product of force-time velocity. Therefore, muscular power refers to the maximum quantity of work performed in a given unit of time.
Energy and Blood Supply to the Skeletal Muscle System
Muscles require a source of energy to function and to ward off fatigue. An adequate blood supply carries oxygen and nutrients from the air and your diet to the muscles and bones of the body. The aerobic and anaerobic energy systems produce the substrates.
Skeletal Muscle Fatigue
"Therapeutic Exercise" describes muscle fatigue as the reduced response of a muscle to a recurring stimulus. Muscle fatigue may appear during strenuous exercise when a muscle continuously contracts against a load. The loss of muscle strength occurs with muscle fatigue. Muscle fatigue severely impairs the sensory ability to identify joint position, the book "Techniques in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation" adds.
References
- "Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention"; Skeletal Muscle Tissue; M. Dutton; 2008
- "Therapeutic Exercise"; Aspects of Physical Function; C. Kisner and L.A. Colby; 2007
- "Techniques in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation"; What About Muscle Fatigue; W. E. Prentice and M.L. Voight; 2001
