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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles

Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles

Published on: November 1, 2012

Skeletal muscle fatigue: cellular mechanisms.

D G Allen¹, G D Lamb, H Westerblad

¹School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. davida@physiol.usyd.edu.au

Physiological Reviews

|January 16, 2008

Summary

Muscle fatigue, a decline in performance from intense exercise, involves complex mechanisms beyond lactate accumulation. Ionic changes, impaired calcium release, and reactive oxygen species are key factors influencing muscle function.

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Area of Science:

Exercise Physiology
Muscle Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Muscle fatigue is a complex physiological response to strenuous activity.
Traditional explanations involving lactate and hydrogen ions may be less significant in mammals.
Understanding fatigue mechanisms is crucial for athletic performance and disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the multifaceted mechanisms underlying muscle fatigue.
To evaluate alternative explanations for performance decline beyond traditional theories.
To bridge the gap between isolated tissue studies and fatigue in intact organisms.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on muscle fatigue mechanisms.
Analysis of changes in action potentials, ion concentrations, and metabolites during fatigue.
Examination of the roles of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release and reactive oxygen species.

Main Results:

Intracellular lactate and hydrogen ion accumulation has limited impact on mammalian muscle function.
Ionic shifts affecting action potentials contribute to fatigue.
Dysfunctional sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release and reactive oxygen species are significant factors.

Conclusions:

Muscle fatigue involves a range of mechanisms, including ionic disturbances and impaired calcium handling.
Identifying specific fatigue contributors under various conditions remains a challenge.
Translating findings from animal models to human physiology and disease is essential.