BUOYANCY, LOCOMOTION, AND MOVEMENT IN FISHES | Functional Properties of Skeletal Muscle: Work Loops

Abstract

New insights into functional properties of skeletal muscle, including how muscles are used to power swimming in fishes, have been gained by studying their ability to produce work. The work-loop technique allows measurement of mechanical performance of muscle, relevant to its role in producing movement and simulating its function in swimming fish. The technique has been used to help understand the significance of muscle-recruitment patterns in swimming fish, how muscles contribute to different types and speeds of movement, effects of temperature on muscle function and how fish cope with those effects, and how different muscle-fiber types contribute to the needs of swimming.