Dominic Stone
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong, while underactive muscles are lengthened, inhibited, and weak. However, these assumptions may be misleading. Overactivity in muscles can be caused by stress, overuse, poor posture, injury, or repetitive movements. This can lead to muscle imbalances, which can cause pain and poor performance. Overactive muscles can be identified through various functional movement screens, such as the FMS battery of movement tests or an overhead squat assessment. Once identified, a plan can be created to rebalance the body by lengthening the overactive muscles and strengthening the underactive ones.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A state of having disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action |
| Causes | Poor posture, stress, repetitive movement, overuse, injury |
| Symptoms | Cramp, myalgia, stiffness, postural deviations, movement dysfunctions, range of motion issues |
| Treatment | Lengthen (stretch and foam roll) the overactive muscles, engage (workout) the underactive muscles |
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What You'll Learn
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong
The National Academy of Sports Medicine defines an overactive muscle as "a state of having disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action." This means that the muscle is working harder than its opposing muscle, or antagonist. For example, if a person's knees cave in during a squat assessment, the adductors, which are responsible for pulling the legs together, are suspected to be overactive.
To correct overactive muscles, it is recommended to lengthen them through stretching and foam rolling, while also engaging and strengthening the underactive muscles. This helps to restore proper length-tension relationships and improve muscle balance and function. Overactive muscles can also be the result of certain medications, metabolic disorders, vitamin deficiencies, excessive caffeine intake, or neurogenic disorders.
It is important to note that the terms "overactive" and "underactive" do not always correlate with "strong" and "weak." A shortened muscle may feel functionally weak, and a lengthened muscle may become overactive and dominant over another muscle. Therefore, it is essential to assess the specific muscles and create a plan to re-balance the body.
Overactive muscles can be identified through various functional movement screens, such as the FMS battery of movement tests or an overhead squat assessment. By understanding the causes and corrections for overactive muscles, individuals can improve their posture, movement patterns, and overall physical performance.
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Overactive vs underactive muscles: muscle imbalances
Overactive and underactive muscles are usually reflections of muscle imbalances and posture. Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong, or hypertonic, with chronic increased tone. Underactive muscles are lengthened, inhibited, and weak, or hypotonic, with chronic decreased tone. However, these assumptions can be misleading. For example, a lengthened muscle can be overactive and dominant over another muscle.
Muscle imbalances can be due to poor posture, stress, repetitive movement, or injury. Once this occurs, the body will continue to move along the path of least resistance, or relative flexibility. This pattern can lead to altered reciprocal inhibition, synergistic dominance, and eventual injury. Efficient human movement and function require a balance of muscle length and muscle strength around a joint. If muscles are not balanced, then the associated joint is directly affected. For example, a muscle imbalance at the shoulder involving a “tight” pectoralis minor will pull or shift the shoulder forward into a rounding position.
The first step to identifying muscular imbalances is to perform a static posture assessment. This involves paying attention to the five kinetic chain checkpoints: feet/ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and head. Once imbalances are identified, overactive muscles should be lengthened, and underactive muscles strengthened to restore proper length-tension relationships. This can be done through self-myofascial release (SMR) using a foam roller or other tools to break up any tension and adhesions in the fascia. Stretching techniques can then be used to help lengthen the shortened muscle. Isolated exercises can be performed to target and strengthen specific weakened and elongated muscles.
It is important to note that muscle imbalances can be complex, and a comprehensive assessment is necessary. This should begin with a static postural analysis to understand a client's daily habits and identify any improper movement patterns.
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Causes of muscle imbalances
An overactive muscle is often a result of muscle imbalances, where some muscles become dominant and overly tight, while their opposing muscle groups are weak and lengthened. This imbalance can lead to a muscle being overactive as it attempts to compensate for the weakness in the opposing muscle group. Here are the causes of muscle imbalances that can lead to overactive muscles:
Poor Posture: One of the most common causes of muscle imbalances is poor posture. When the body is held in an unnatural position for prolonged periods, certain muscles become shortened and tight, while others lengthen and become weak. For example, individuals who sit for long hours often exhibit tight hip flexors and weak glutes, leading to a muscle imbalance in the pelvic region.
Repetitive Movements: Engaging in repetitive movements or activities can also cause muscle imbalances. Athletes or individuals who perform the same movement patterns daily may develop overactive muscles in the areas they repeatedly use, while the opposing muscle groups become underactive. For instance, cyclists may experience tight quadriceps and weak hamstrings due to the constant pedaling motion.
Inadequate Recovery: Inadequate recovery time between workouts or physical activities can lead to muscle imbalances. When muscles are not given sufficient time to rest and repair, they can become overactive as they attempt to compensate for the fatigue in other muscle groups. This is particularly common in individuals who engage in intense or frequent training without proper rest days.
Biomechanical Issues: Biomechanical issues, such as leg length discrepancies, flat feet, or structural abnormalities, can also contribute to muscle imbalances. These issues can alter the natural alignment of the body, placing additional stress on certain muscles, leading to overactivity and tightness. For example, individuals with flat feet may experience increased activation and tightness in their calf muscles.
Previous Injuries: Previous injuries can also result in muscle imbalances. During the healing process, the body may favor certain muscles, leading to compensation patterns that persist even after the injury has healed. Scar tissue formation and altered movement patterns post-injury can further contribute to muscle imbalances and overactivity in certain muscle groups.
Neural Adaptations: Neural adaptations can also play a role in muscle imbalances. Over time, the nervous system may become more efficient at activating certain muscles, leading to their dominance and overactivity. This is particularly common in skilled athletes or individuals who have practiced specific movement patterns for a long time, leading to neural adaptations that favor certain muscle groups over others.
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Length-tension relationship
The length-tension relationship is a concept that describes the connection between the resting length of a muscle and the tension or force it can generate at that length. This relationship is influenced by the arrangement of contractile proteins actin and myosin within the muscle. When these proteins are optimally aligned, they produce the greatest amount of force. Alterations in muscle length can disrupt this alignment, reducing the muscle's ability to generate force.
The length-tension relationship is characterised by three phases: the ascending limb, the plateau region, and the descending limb. During the ascending limb, force increases as muscle length increases, reaching a maximum force at the optimal length. At this point, further increases in length result in a plateau or stabilization of force, known as the plateau region. As muscle length continues to increase beyond the optimal length, force begins to decrease, marking the descending limb of the curve.
The length-tension relationship is not a linear one, and the specific shape of the curve can vary depending on various factors, including muscle type and architecture. For example, cardiac muscle exhibits a unique length-tension relationship, with active tension reaching zero at about 75% of its optimal length. On the other hand, skeletal muscle can maintain near-maximum tension even at lengths greater than optimal.
Understanding the length-tension relationship is crucial in the context of muscle imbalances and injuries. When a muscle is overactive, it is typically shortened and exhibits increased tone, which can inhibit the antagonist muscle. Conversely, an underactive muscle is lengthened and exhibits decreased tone, resulting in relatively weaker contractions. By recognising these imbalances, targeted interventions such as stretching or strengthening exercises can be implemented to restore proper length-tension relationships and improve overall muscle function.
The length-tension relationship also has implications for movement and joint stability. A muscle operating within its optimal length-tension range can produce the necessary force to support joint actions effectively. However, if a muscle is too short or too long, its ability to generate force is compromised, potentially leading to altered movement patterns and joint instability. Therefore, maintaining optimal muscle length through appropriate exercises and postural awareness is essential for preserving muscle function and overall joint health.
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Signs and symptoms of overactive muscles
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong (also called hypertonic). They are a result of disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action. This means that the muscle is shortened and has too much overlap of actin and myosin filaments, reducing its ability to produce optimal force.
Overactive muscles can be a symptom of an underlying myopathy. Myopathies can be indicated by a number of 'red flags', including marked muscle stiffness, myotonia, muscle weakness, muscle hypertrophy, and myoglobinuria.
The most common signs and symptoms of overactive muscles include:
- Cramp
- Myalgia
- Stiffness
These symptoms are often caused by:
- Side-effects of medication
- Metabolic disorders
- Vitamin deficiency
- Excessive caffeine intake
- Neurogenic disorders
Additionally, muscle imbalances can be caused by poor posture, stress, repetitive movement, or injury. These imbalances can lead to altered reciprocal inhibition, synergistic dominance, and eventual injury.
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Frequently asked questions
An overactive muscle is a muscle that's working harder than its opposing muscle. This can be caused by stress, overuse, poor posture, injury, or repetitive movements.
There are various signs and symptoms of overactive muscles, including muscle imbalances, postural deviations, movement dysfunctions, and range of motion issues.
You can identify an overactive muscle through functional movement screens, such as the FMS battery of movement tests or an overhead squat assessment.
Overactive muscles can lead to muscle imbalances, causing pain and decreased performance. They can also result in altered reciprocal inhibition, synergistic dominance, and eventual injury.
To fix an overactive muscle, you need to lengthen it through stretching and foam rolling, while also engaging and strengthening the underactive muscles to restore proper length-tension relationships.
