Fast And Slow Twitch Muscle Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is muscle?
Muscle is a soft tissue that can contract to maintain a position in the body or produce movement.
What are muscle fibres made up of?
Muscle fibres are made up of myofibrils.
What are the two main types of protein filaments in muscle structure?
Thick filament (myosin) and thin filament (actin).
What happens to the sarcomere during muscle contraction?
The thin actin filaments move between the thick myosin filaments, shortening the length of the sarcomere.
What is a sarcomere?
A sarcomere is the basic unit needed for muscle contraction, made up of repeated units of actin and myosin filaments.
What are the characteristics of slow twitch muscle fibres?
- Slow, sustained contractions
- Many mitochondria
- Energy from aerobic respiration
- Lots of capillaries
- Does not tire easily
- Large oxygen and glucose stores
What are the characteristics of fast twitch muscle fibres?
- Rapid, intense contractions in short bursts
- Few mitochondria
- Energy from anaerobic respiration
- Few capillaries
- Tires easily
- Little stored oxygen and glucose
Fill in the blank: The properties of fast twitch muscle fibres suit _______ bursts of activity.
short
What type of muscle fibres do marathon runners benefit from?
Slow twitch muscle fibres.
Why do marathon runners benefit from slow twitch muscle fibres?
They use aerobic respiration and can work for a long time without getting tired.
True or False: Fast twitch muscle fibres are better for endurance events.
False
What type of respiration do fast twitch muscles use?
Anaerobic respiration.
What type of respiration do slow twitch muscles use?
Aerobic respiration.
Which type of muscle fibre has more capillaries?
Slow twitch muscle fibres.
