| pubmed-article:15052626 | pubmed:abstractText | Maximal voluntary contraction changes the mechanical properties of skeletal muscle. Using ultrasound, we investigated whether these changes are reflected by changes in muscle architecture in the vastus lateralis muscle of 8 healthy volunteers. The mean pennation angle during the time interval from 3 to 6 min after maximal voluntary contraction (late postcontraction state) was 14.4 +/- 1.11 degrees (mean +/- SEM) and differed significantly from the precontraction state (16.2 +/- 1.39 degrees ), but the pennation angle in the early postcontraction state did not change statistically from the precontraction angle. Thus, postcontraction changes of the muscle-tendon interface appeared for 6 min after a maximal contraction, which may be important for biomechanical optimization of force transmission in vivo. | lld:pubmed |
