Biophysical Journal 10: 539-555 (1970)
© 1970 the Biophysical Society

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A Physical Model for Muscular Behavior

ABSTRACT

A model for muscular behavior has been developed by a generalization of the laws governing the viscoelastic behavior of polymeric materials. The model simulates events thought to take place during stretch, loading, and stimulation of muscle, whether smooth or striated. The equations of motion were solved with an analogue computer for several types of perturbation, and stress, strain, and strainrate curves were generated. Model parameters were selected by fitting experimental stress-relaxation data. The resulting equations predicted the frequency dependence of dynamic modulus and phase angle within experimental error. With appropriate boundary conditions and suitable values for model parameters, the computed results also closely resembled experimental curves of contraction velocity vs. time, isometric tension development vs. time, force-velocity curves, and temperature-tension relationships. These results call attention to the relationship between the behavior of various kinds of muscle and open the way for quantifying muscular behavior in general.