Describe the function of the muscular system The muscular system is the system of the body that facilitates

and generates movement by contracting and relaxing different muscles to create a huge variety of different movements

Fibre types Muscle fibres are red in colour and look like small tubes packed together to make a larger tube.

Muscle fibres can be put into three categories Type 1a these fibres contract slowly and have high endurance to keep contracting for long periods of time Type2a these fibres are a mixture of the type 1a and type2b fibres in that they can produce powerful contractions and have more endurance than type2b fibres Type2b these fibres contract with high speed and power but have low endurance and so can only provide short bursts of movement Antagonistic movement An antagonist muscle is a muscle that moves in opposition to the agonist and is vital to allow movement back to the original position

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Synergists A synergist is a muscle that provides support and stability to the body mainly to keep the spine straight Concentric contractions Concentric contractions are muscle contractions that generate force by shortening Isometric Isometric contractions are muscle contractions that generate force without any change in muscle length Eccentric Eccentric muscle contractions are muscle contractions that generate force by lengthening

Explain the function of the muscular system and muscle fibres Muscle fibres Type 1a these fibres are effective at using oxygen to generate atp for continuous contractions over a longer period of time, because they do not generate as much power as type 2 fibres they are less prone to fatigue and are what enable athletes like marathon runners to keep running for hours. Type 2a these fibres use anaerobic and aerobic respiration to create energy and share many properties of type 1a and type 2b fibres in that they can create powerful short bursts of power and speed but can also last for long periods of time before becoming fatigued. Type 2b these fibres use anaerobic respiration to produce energy and are able to produce powerful bursts of strength and speed as they have the highest contraction speed but they can only last for a short while before become fatigued.

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Antagonistic movement Antagonistic movement is made up of two muscles, one will be the antagonist which will work against the contraction of the other which will be the agonist, a good example of how this works is a bicep curl in which the agonist is the bicep and the antagonist is the tricep.

Synergists Synergists ensure that the body is stable and ensure the prime mover is supported, for example during a bicep curl the main synergist would be the brachiordialis and would be providing support to the prime mover the bicep while it is active. Concentric Concentric muscle contractions shorten in length to generate force, these contractions are used to perform movements like a bicep curl as the bicep muscle contracts and shortens to pull the forearm towards the body. Eccentric eccentric muscle contraction increases tension on a muscle as it lengthens. Eccentric contractions occur when a muscle opposes a stronger force which causes the muscle to lengthen as it contracts.

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Isometric Isometric contractions generate force but do not change length and do not generate any movements at joints, an example of an isomtric contraction is holding an object in your hand, this is because the isometric contractions are working against the weight of the object to keep it in the same position.

Analyse and evaluate the function of the muscular system and fibre types Fibres Type1a type 1a fibres fire slowly generating less strength and speed when compared with type 2 fibres but are much less prone to fatigue and are able to fire continuously for hours without becoming fatigued, these fibres are essential to athletes like marathon runners as they require a slow but consistent contractions that will be able to last so they can keep running for long distances. Type2a Type 2a fibres are a mixture of both type 1a and type 2b fibres in that they have similar characteristics to them, for example compared to type 1a they can provide long lasting sustainable contractions but can provide much more strength and speed than type 1 a fibres, when compared to type 2b fibres they can produce powerful contractions but are much less prone to fatigue. These fibres are usefull for athletes who need to be able to compete for a long time whilst being able to produce short bursts of power when needed, for example a footballer will be moving for most of a game but will still need to be able to use the type 2b fibres to sprint when they need to. Type2b type 2b fibres fire quickly generating much more strength and speed than type 1a and type 2a fibres however type 2b fibres are far inferior to them when fatigue is considered as the speed and strength generated is only sustainable for a matter of seconds whilst the other fibre types can keep contracting for minutes or even hours without becoming fatigued, because of the power these fibres can generate they are helpful to athletes such as sprinters who need a short burst of speed to race and do

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not have to worry about the negatives of these fibres as the races are usually short distance and so the fibres will be able to fire at full capability for most of the race.

Antagonistic movement Antagonistic movement is when two muscles work together to generate a movement this is called an antagonistic pair, for example when one muscle contracts the other relaxes to accommodate the others contraction, and when one shortens the other does the opposite and lengthens, if one muscle in the partnership is too strong for the other too handle then the muscle may tear and become damaged, the agonist usually contracts and shortens whilst the antagonist nearly always relaxes and lengthens. The muscles of the body have to be in pairs to ensure that there is a reverse action, for example if a forearm is lifted upwards by the bicep there has to be an opposite muscle in order to get the arm back to its original position Concentric Concentric contractions shorten in length to generate force, the contraction and shortening causes the pulling on the tendons and bones and then causes the angle of the joint for example the elbow, to change. Concentric contractions work alongside eccentric to complete movements, for example a shoulder press, when lifting the weight up the action is concentric and when it is being brought down again the movement is eccentric. Eccentric Eccentric contraction is the generating of force by the lengthening of the muscle, Eccentric contractions occur when a muscle opposes a stronger force which causes the muscle to lengthen as it contracts, for example During an eccentric contraction of the bicep the elbow starts the movement bent and then straightens as the forearm moves away from the body. heavy loading of eccentric muscles can lead to greater damage when compared to concentric muscles but muscles are stronger during eccentric contraction than when in concentric contractions

Alex west