Type of Muscle Contraction

Makbruri
Magister Biomedik FK UI
Overview
1. Define Muscle Contraction
2. Type of Muscle Contraction
3. Example of Muscle Contraction type
4. Comparison of Muscle Contraction type
5. Applied Muscle Contraction
Muscle Contraction
When tension is developed in a muscle as a result
of a stimulus, it is known as a contraction.

Muscle contraction can be used to cause, control,

or prevent joint movement, muscle contractions
can be used to initiate or accelerate the
movement of a body segment, to slow down or
decelerate the movement of a body segment, or
to prevent movement of a body segment by
external forces.
Type of Muscle Contraction
There are Three Basic of Muscle
Contraction:
1. Isometric Contraction
2. Isotonic Contraction
3. Isokinetic Contraction
Isometric Contraction
An Isometric contraction occurs when a
muscle contracts, producing force without
changing the length of muscle
Isometric : Same Length, Static
The Muscle contracted, but no joint motion
occurred
May be used to stabilize a body segment to
prevent it from being moved by external
forces or may be developed in muscle to
maintain the joint angle in a relatively static
or stable position.
Isometric Contraction
Isometric Contraction is likely to occur under two
direction
1. Muscle that are antagonistic to each other
contract with equal strength, thus balancing or
counteracting each other. The part affected is
held tensely in place without moving. Tensing
the biceps to show off its bulge is an example of
this.
2. A Muscle is held in either partial or maximal
contraction against another force, such as the
pull of gravity or an external mechanical or
muscular force. Example of this are holding a
book with outstreched arm, a tug-of-war
between two equally matched opponents.
Example Isometric Contraction
1. Get in a sitting position
2. Place your right hand under your thigh
and place your left hand on your right
biceps
3. Pull up with your right hand, in other
word attemp to flex your right elbow
4. Note that there was no real motion at the
elbow joint but you did fell that muscle
contract
Isotonic Contraction
Isotonic Contraction : Occurs when a muscle
contracts and the muscle length and joint angle
changes
The term isotonic originates same tension or
tone
Can be subdivided :
1. Concentric Contraction
2. Eccentric Contraction
Example of Isotonic Contraction

Hold a weight in your hand while

flexing your elbow to bring the weight
up toward your sholder
You will fell the Biceps muscle
contract, but this time there is joint
motion
Concentric Contraction
Occurs when there is joint movement, the
muscle shorten, and the muscle
attachment (Origo and Insertio) move
toward each other
It is Sometimes refered to as shortening
contraction
Ex : Picking up the weight, as, described
earlier = contraction of the biceps muscle
Concentric Contraction
Muscle attachments move closer
together
Movement is usually occuring against
gravity ( a raising motion)
It is An Acceleration Activity, accelerate
the movement of body segment from
lower speed to a higher speed.
Described as Positive Contraction, the
force developed by the muscle is greater
than that of resistance.
Concentric contraction
Eccentric Contraction
Occurs when there is joint motion but the
muscle appears to lengthen; that is the
muscle attachments separate

Eccentric contraction are sometimes

reffered to as lengthening contraction.
This is somewhat misleading, because
altough the muscle is lengthening at gross
level, it is shortening microscopically
Eccentric Contraction
What the muscle is actually doing is
returning to its normal resting position
from a shortened position
Can produce much greater forces than a
concentric contraction
Muscle attachments move father appart
Movement usually occurs with gravity
(aloweringmotion)
Eccentric Contraction
The contraction is used with a
deceleration activity
In Most instances in which muscle
contract eccentrically, the muscle are
acting as a brake, or resistive force,
against the moving force of gravity or
external forces
Described as negative contraction, the
force developed by the muscle is less
than that of resistance
Eccentric Contraction
If You continue to palpate the biceps muscle
while setting the weight back down on the table,
you will feell that biceps muscle (not the triceps
muscle) continues to contract (Eccentric
Contraction), even though the joint motion is
elbow extension
Sitting on a chair and extending the knee is a
concentric contraction of the quadriceps muscle,
whereas flexing the knee and returning it to the
starting position is an eccentric contraction of
the quadriceps muscle.
Types of Muscle Contraction
Comparison of Concentric and Eccentric
Contractions
Isotonic Contraction Isometric Contraction

Tension is constant Tension the muscle Rises

markedly
Length is decreased or lengthened Length of the muscle is constant

External work is done No work is done

Long duration Short duration

less energy used/muscle More energy used/muscle

contraction contraction

Contraction occurs when the legs Contraction occurs during

are moved in walking standing to maintain posture
against gravity
Isokinetic Contraction
Can be done only
with special
equipment
The Cybex
Orthotron was
the first machine
to produce such
contraction
Resistance to the
part varies, but
the velocity, or
speed, stays the
same
Isokinetic Contraction
Consider the example of a person with a 5 Pound
weight attached to the leg.
While the person straightens and flexes the knee
(Isotonic Contraction), the amount of resistance
stays the same.
That 5 pound weight remained 5 Pounds througout
the range. Because of other factor, such as the angle
pull, it is easier to move the leg in the middle and at
the end of the range than at the beginning
In other words, the speed at which the person is
able to move the leg varies through out the range
Isokinetic Contraction
In an Isokinetic contraction, the speed is preset
and will stay the same no matter how hard a
person pushes.

However, the resistance will vary. If the person,

pushes harder, the machine will give more
resistance, and if the person does not push as
hard, there will be less resistance
Isokinetic Contraction With
Cybex Machine
..\Videos\Cybex Isokinetic Machine - Elite Physical Medicine -
Andrew McCrea.mp4
Comparison of Isometric, Concentric, and
Eccentric Muscle
Isometric, concentric, and eccentric muscle action are not used
in isolation but rather in combination
Isometric actions are used to stabilize a body part
Eccentric and Concentric muscle actions are used sequentiallly
to maximize energy storage and muscle performance.
These three muscle actions are very different in terms of their
energy cost and force output
The Eccentric Muscle actions can developed the same force
output as the other two types of muscle actions with fewer
muscle fibers activated.
Eccentric Actions is more efficient and can produce the same
force output with less oxygen consumption than the others.
Oxygen uptake vs Workload
Comparison of Isometric, Concentric, and
Eccentric Muscle
The eccentic muscle action is capable of greater force output
using fewer motor units than isometric or concentric actions,
occurs at the level of the sarcomere, where the force
increases beyond the maximum isometric force if the myobril
is streched and stimulated

Concentric muscle actions generate the lowest force output of

the three types. Force is related to the number of cross-
bridged former in the myofibril, In, isometric muscle action,
the number of bridges attached remains constant, As the
muscle shortens, the number of attached bridges is reduced
with increased velocity. This reduces the level of force output
generated by tension in muscle fibers.
Comparison of Isometric, Concentric, and
Eccentric Muscle
Muscle actions is present when the actions
are producing vertical movements.
The force output in both concentric and
eccentric actions is influenced by torques
created by gravity.
The gravitational force creates torque that
controls the lowering of the limb or body.
Comparison
The total Force Output in a lowering action is the
result of both muscular torques and gravitational
torques, the force of gravity inhibits the
movement of a limb upward and before any
movement can occur, the Concentric Muscle
action must developed a force output that is
greater than the force of gravity acting on the
limb or body
The total force output in a raising action is
predominantly muscle force. Concentric
more demanding than eccentric or isometric
EMG ACTIVITY Concentric VS
Eccentric
Torque Eccentric VS Isometric
VS Concentric
Applied Muscle Contraction
This Information is useful when considering exercise
program for unconditioned individuals or rehabilition
programs.
Even the individual with the least amount of strength
may be able to perform a controlled lowering of a body
part or a small weight but may not be able to hold or
raise weight
A program stars with eccentric exercises and then leads
into isometric followed by concentric exercise may prove
to beneficial in the progresssion of strength in
rehabilitation of body part
Applied Muscle Contraction
Thus, aperson unabale to do a push up, should
start at the exytended position and lower into
the push-up, then receiving assistance on the
push up until enouh strength is developed for
the concentric portion off the skill
Consider control the speed and magnitued of
the load, because muscle injury and soreness
can more readily with eccentric muscle action in
high load and high speed conditions
 Reference
1. Lippert SL, Clinical Kinesiology and Anatomy. Fifth ed.USA:
F.A.Davis Company.2011 p.45-48
2. Hamilton N, Weimar W, Luttgens K. Kinesiology cientific Basis of
Human Motion. International Ed. USA: McGrawHill.2012 p.50-
52
3. Floyd.R.T. Manual of Structural Kinesiology. Eighteen Ed.USA:
McGrawHill.2012 p.41-43
4. Hamill J, Knutzen M, Biomechanical basis of human movement.
Third Edition, Massachusetts. Lipincott Wiliams&Wilkins.2009
TERIMA KASIH