Logan Steele
There are three types of muscle tissue in the human body: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscles are attached to bones by tendons and support your weight and movement. Cardiac muscles make up the heart, and smooth muscles line some of your organs. Muscle fibres can be categorised as slow-twitch (Type I) or fast-twitch (Type II), with the former producing low-power contractions over long periods, and the latter producing high-tension contractions that fatigue quickly. The proportion of these fibre types in a given muscle can be estimated through a muscle fibre composition test, which involves lifting a maximal weight and then performing as many repetitions as possible with a slightly lighter weight.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of muscle types | 3 |
| Muscle tissue types | Skeletal, cardiac, smooth |
| Muscle fiber types | Slow oxidative (SO), fast oxidative (FO), fast glycolytic (FG) |
| Muscle movement types | Voluntary, involuntary |
| Muscle fiber composition test | Requires free weights or other gym equipment, an assistant/spotter, and a standardized warm-up |
| Muscle fiber composition test procedure | Determine your one repetition maximum (1RM) on a given exercise, rest for 15 minutes, then use 80% of your measured 1RM to perform as many repetitions as possible in a single attempt |
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What You'll Learn
Muscle movement types
The human body is capable of a wide range of movements, all of which are made possible by the contraction or relaxation of muscles attached to bones. There are over 600 muscles in the human body, and they can be grouped in several ways, including by location (e.g. chest, leg, or back muscles) or by the type of movement they enable (e.g. abductors, flexors, or extensors).
Muscles can also be classified by the type of tissue they are made of. There are three types of muscle tissue: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. Skeletal muscles are attached to bones by tendons and work with bones, tendons, and ligaments to support the body and enable movement. They are voluntary muscles, meaning that they move when you think about moving a part of your body. Some skeletal muscles contract quickly and use short bursts of energy (fast-twitch muscles), while others move slowly, like back muscles that help with posture. Smooth muscle tissue lines some of the body's organs, and cardiac muscle tissue is a special type of muscle that makes up the heart.
Movements of the human body can be described using anatomical terminology. Most movements have an opposite movement, also known as an antagonistic movement. For example, flexion and extension are movements that occur in the sagittal plane and refer to increasing and decreasing the angle between two body parts. Flexion at the elbow, for instance, is decreasing the angle between the ulna and the humerus, while extension at the elbow increases the angle. Abduction and adduction are two terms used to describe movements away from or towards the midline of the body, respectively. In the case of the fingers and toes, the midline used is that of the hand or foot, not the body. Adduction of the hip, therefore, squeezes the legs together, while abduction of the shoulder raises the arms out to the sides of the body.
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Muscle fibre types
Skeletal muscle is one of the three types of vertebrate muscle tissue, the others being cardiac and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscles are part of the voluntary muscular system and are attached by tendons to bones. They work with bones, tendons, and ligaments to support your weight and move you.
There are more than 600 skeletal muscles in the human body, making up around 40% of body weight in healthy young adults. Skeletal muscle fibres can be classified based on two criteria: how fast the fibres contract relative to others, and how the fibres regenerate ATP. Using these criteria, there are three main types of skeletal muscle fibres: slow oxidative (Type I), fast oxidative (Type IIa), and fast glycolytic (Type IIx). Slow oxidative fibres contract relatively slowly and use aerobic respiration to produce ATP. Fast oxidative fibres contract faster and also use aerobic respiration to generate ATP. Fast glycolytic fibres have fast contractions and use anaerobic glycolysis to generate ATP. Most skeletal muscles in the human body contain all three types, although in varying proportions.
Slow oxidative fibres use aerobic metabolism to produce low-power contractions over long periods and are slow to fatigue. Fast oxidative fibres also use aerobic metabolism but produce higher-tension contractions than slow oxidative fibres. Fast glycolytic fibres use anaerobic metabolism to produce powerful, high-tension contractions but fatigue quickly. Fast glycolytic fibres have a large diameter and large volumes of glycogen, which is used to generate ATP quickly. Due to their reliance on anaerobic metabolism, these fibres do not possess substantial numbers of mitochondria, a limited capillary supply, or significant amounts of myoglobin, resulting in a white coloration for muscles containing large numbers of these fibres.
Healthcare providers often classify muscles based on the type of tissue they are made of, or by their location or the kind of movement they perform.
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Muscle tissue types
Muscle tissue is categorized into three distinct types: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. Each type of muscle tissue has a unique structure and a specific role. Skeletal muscle, which is the most common type, moves bones and other structures. It is responsible for the voluntary movements of the bones and is composed of long muscle fibres that have a striated appearance. These fibres are bundled together and supplied by blood vessels and motor neurons. Cardiac muscle, on the other hand, is responsible for the involuntary movement of the heart, allowing it to contract and pump blood. It is also striated and composed of contractile proteins, but its cells are shorter and broader than those in skeletal muscle. Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs throughout the body, such as the bladder, uterus, stomach, and intestines. It facilitates bodily functions by allowing the organs to expand and contract. Smooth muscle contractions are involuntary movements triggered by impulses from the autonomic nervous system.
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Muscle composition tests
There are two main types of muscle composition tests: indirect and direct. Indirect tests are simple and non-invasive, providing an estimate of the predominant muscle fibre type. One such indirect test involves performing a standardised warm-up, followed by a determination of one's maximum lifting capacity in a single repetition. After a brief rest, the individual then lifts a weight corresponding to 80% of their maximum capacity as many times as possible. The number of successful repetitions is then used to estimate the muscle fibre type. It is important to note that this test is designed for advanced weight trainers with good technique and that the results may be specific to the muscle group tested.
On the other hand, direct muscle composition tests, such as muscle biopsies, are more invasive and sophisticated. While they provide a more accurate determination of muscle fibre type, they are not commonly used due to their invasive nature.
Additionally, genetic testing services, such as 23andMe, can provide insights into muscle composition by analysing specific genetic variants related to muscle performance, such as the ACTN3 gene. Studies have found that elite power athletes often possess a particular variant of this gene, resulting in the production of alpha-actinin-3, a protein associated with fast-twitch muscle fibres. However, it is important to note that genetics is just one factor influencing athletic performance, along with training and physical fitness.
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Skeletal muscle
Research on skeletal muscle properties uses various techniques, including electrical muscle stimulation and in vitro muscle testing. Electrical muscle stimulation is used to determine force and contraction speed at different frequencies related to fiber-type composition and mix within a muscle group. Electromyography (EMG) is used to measure the electrical activity associated with muscle contraction and can provide information on the amount of force generated and muscle fatigue.
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Frequently asked questions
There are three types of muscles in the human body: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscles are attached to bones and help support your weight and move you. Cardiac muscles make up the heart and are the only muscles that are also an organ. Smooth muscles line some of your organs.
Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles, meaning you control how and when they move. They are also striated, or striped, and consist of flexible muscle fibers that range from less than half an inch to just over 3 inches in diameter.
Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, makes up the middle layers of your heart. It is also striated, but unlike skeletal muscle, it is not under your voluntary control.
Smooth muscle tissue lines some of your organs, but most organs are also made of other types of tissue. Smooth muscle is not striated.
Muscle fiber types can be broken down into two main types: slow-twitch (Type I) and fast-twitch (Type II) muscle fibers. A muscle fiber composition test can be performed to determine the predominant muscle fiber type for a given muscle group. This test involves determining your one-repetition maximum (1RM) on a given exercise and then using 80% of that weight to perform as many repetitions as possible. The number of repetitions can then be used to determine the muscle fiber type.
