Biomimetic model of skeletal muscle isometric contraction: II. A phenomenological model of the skeletal muscle excitation–contraction coupling process

Abstract

This paper describes a new macroscopic, phenomenological model of the skeletal muscle excitation–contraction coupling process, as represented by four principal and consecutive compartments (biophysical, biochemical, and biomechanical phases) characteristic of isometric excitation–contraction coupling in mammalian skeletal muscle, and coupled by a system of simultaneous, first-order linear ordinary differential equations. The model is based upon biological compartmental transport kinetics and irreversible thermodynamic energy transformation, and represents a distinct improvement over other biomimetic models. The model was derived using physiological parameter data published in the literature, and validated using MATLAB R 12 TM .