title: Motor units within the normal rat medial gastrocnemius.
abstract: The contractile properties, fatiguability and axonal conduction velocity were determined for 118 motor units in the medial gastrocnemius of eighteen rats. Fast-twitch and slow-twitch units could be categorized on the basis of the 'sag' test. For the purposes of statistical comparison the fast-twitch units were classified on the basis of their fatiguability as fast-fatiguable (FF), fast intermediate (FI) and fast fatigue-resistant (FR). As such, FR units tended to have a longer isometric twitch time course than other fast-twitch units. On the basis of peak tetanic force FF units were largest (mean 341 +/- 120 mN) followed by FI (145 +/- 85 mN), FR (87.3 +/- 38) and slow units (40.4 +/- 11.0 mN). There were no differences in motor axonal conduction velocity. Although units were categorized, it is clear that for all characteristics investigated the fast-twitch units exist as a continuum. Some of the largest FF units (peak force 350-500 mN) failed to maintain force with high-frequency stimulation (300 Hz) and this was associated with a failure of the EMG signal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Einsiedel
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Luff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005269:Femur; D007717:Knee; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors