Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

4.0K
When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
4.0K
Muscle Stimulation Frequency01:22

Muscle Stimulation Frequency

4.8K
The contraction strength of muscles is regulated by motor neurons, which modulate the frequency of action potentials dispatched to the motor units based on the body's requirements. This process of varying the muscle stimulation frequency allows muscles to contract with a force that is precisely tailored to the needs of the moment, whether lifting a feather or a heavy box.
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...
4.8K
Motor Units01:13

Motor Units

8.7K
The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
8.7K
Motor Units00:46

Motor Units

62.1K
A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.
62.1K
Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction01:25

Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction

5.9K
Skeletal muscle fibers have the unique ability to switch between rest and contraction states, using different sources of ATP for energy. The contraction cycle and Ca2+ transport back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum for relaxation require significant ATP. However, the ATP reserves in muscle fibers are limited and can only sustain contractions for a few seconds. Additional ATP production becomes necessary for prolonged contractions. As a result, muscle fibers generate ATP through various sources,...
5.9K
Exercise and Muscle Performance01:27

Exercise and Muscle Performance

2.8K
Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
2.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Physical Activity and Exergame Interest Among Adolescents with Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder: Potential to Shift Toward Active Play.

Physical & occupational therapy in pediatrics·2026
Same author

Phase-specific postural adjustments in children and adults during a challenging balance task.

Frontiers in integrative neuroscience·2026
Same author

Interventions for children with developmental coordination disorder: A scoping review.

Developmental medicine and child neurology·2026
Same author

Obstacle crossing when dual-tasking in children with and without developmental coordination disorder.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

External focus benefits depend on action-effect contingencies formed during motor skill training.

Psychology of sport and exercise·2026
Same author

Providing choice boosts immediate force production in adolescents with ADHD.

Human movement science·2026
Same journal

Dissociating variability from error-based processes in observational learning.

Human movement science·2026
Same journal

Associations between movement behaviors, sleep, and screen time exposure in middle childhood using multivariable modelling.

Human movement science·2026
Same journal

The interaction of biomechanical demands and the speed-accuracy trade-off for the control of multi-directional, three-dimensional targeted reaching movements.

Human movement science·2026
Same journal

Think positive, perform better: The detrimental effect of technical motor imagery before action.

Human movement science·2026
Same journal

Shoulder-elbow coordination in the transverse plane during badminton forehand drive depending on training status using vector coding analysis.

Human movement science·2026
Same journal

Delayed reaction time and altered spatial activation of Fibularis longus in chronic ankle instability: A high-density surface electromyography study.

Human movement science·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 23, 2026

Measurement of Maximum Isometric Force Generated by Permeabilized Skeletal Muscle Fibers
11:30

Measurement of Maximum Isometric Force Generated by Permeabilized Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Published on: June 16, 2015

26.4K

Autonomy facilitates repeated maximum force productions.

Takehiro Iwatsuki1, Reza Abdollahipour2, Rudolf Psotta2

  • 1University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States.

Human Movement Science
|September 3, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Providing choices enhances motor performance. Giving participants control over their hand order in a maximum force task allowed them to maintain peak output, unlike the control group.

Keywords:
ChoiceHand-grip dynamometerSelf-control

More Related Videos

Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles
14:02

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

Published on: November 1, 2012

24.9K
Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI
14:55

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

14.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 23, 2026

Measurement of Maximum Isometric Force Generated by Permeabilized Skeletal Muscle Fibers
11:30

Measurement of Maximum Isometric Force Generated by Permeabilized Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Published on: June 16, 2015

26.4K
Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles
14:02

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

Published on: November 1, 2012

24.9K
Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI
14:55

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

14.3K

Area of Science:

  • Motor control and learning
  • Human movement science

Background:

  • Performer autonomy, or self-control, is known to improve motor learning and performance.
  • Autonomy is a key factor in the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning, influencing expectancies and goal-action coupling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if autonomy support, through providing choices, enhances the ability to maintain maximum force levels.
  • To examine the effect of choice on movement efficiency during repeated maximum force production.

Main Methods:

  • Participants repeatedly produced maximum forces with a hand dynamometer.
  • Participants were assigned to either a choice group (selecting hand order) or a yoked control group.
  • Maximum forces were measured across multiple trials for both dominant and non-dominant hands.

Main Results:

  • The control group showed significant decreases in maximum force across trials.
  • Participants in the choice group maintained maximum force levels from the initial trial throughout the experiment.
  • Autonomy support led to more efficient movement in maintaining force output.

Conclusions:

  • Performer autonomy promotes movement efficiency.
  • Autonomy facilitates the coupling of goals and actions, leading to sustained performance.
  • Choice enhances the ability to maintain maximum force output during motor tasks.