The gluteus maximus and sartorius muscles are the largest and longest muscle in the human body. The structure of human muscles The strongest muscle in the human body
Buttocks are a sign of a high position on the steps of the evolutionary ladder: of all existing species primates, only man is endowed with a rounded, invariably protruding booty. Although the butt was formed in ancient times (the gluteal muscles arose about 3-4 million years ago, when a person got up from all fours and began to walk on two legs), nevertheless, this is one of the youngest parts of the body. Since then, mankind has not acquired anything else in its structure (with the exception of brains).
The ass is "made" by the muscles and the fatty layers located between them. Each buttock contains 12 muscles and 20 ligaments. This "envelopment" and gives the buttocks a convex shape. In addition, the gluteus maximus (gluteus maximus), gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus (gluteus minimus) muscles that move the hip are among the largest muscles in the human body. Thanks to their well-coordinated work, we can walk and, most importantly, maintain balance.
The size of the buttocks depends on the structure of the muscles determined by the genes: someone gets more of the so-called red fibers (like red meat in chicken), someone - white (similar to white meat). White fibers are prone to obesity, so people who have a lot of them in the butt have a large and not so elastic ass. "Red-bottoms", on the contrary, are always lean. Unfortunately, with age, cells lose their ability to retain water molecules, as a result, the muscles shrink and the soft spot turns into an unappetizing "dried fruit".
There has always been an increased interest in "beautifully reared" creatures. Polls show that for a man who chooses a woman for himself, it is of no small importance what looks like what is below her back. Obviously, elastic, developed buttocks create, firstly, aesthetic harmony, and, in addition, testify to the health and, therefore, the high ability of such a woman to reproduce the genus. Therefore, the "there is something to hold onto" that is present in the folklore of many peoples is nothing more than a high male assessment of female bodily virtues. It should be thought that these criteria have been preserved in the male subconscious since the time of the primitive communal system. Confirmation of this can be seen in archaeological finds: almost all images of women created by primitive artists and sculptors are extremely curvaceous.
In 1804, naturalists Peron and Lesser arrived in South Africa to study the local Hottentot tribes in the area of the Cape of Good Hope. In their diaries, they described a feature that local women had - fantastic buttock hypertrophy - up to two meters in girth. This anomaly is known today among specialists as steatopygia, or "Hottentot buttocks". But ... the brighter this feature was expressed, the more popular such a woman was among the men there. In the forests of southwestern Africa, in the tribes of the Bushmen, women with giant buttocks have also been preserved.
However, not only men, but also women are interested in beautiful buttocks. According to the same polls, when choosing a sexual partner, a girl's area of interest includes two " specifications»: strong buttocks and high growth. It is believed (and there is a significant amount of truth in this) that a man with elastic buttocks is tireless in sex.
As you know, on Holy Evening in Rus' it was customary to guess about the betrothed. Fortune-telling was different - with the help of a shoe, a mirror, a candle and ... priests. How? And it's very simple. Unmarried ladies, late in the evening on Holy Evening, made their way to the bathhouse and, one by one, 
exposing their behinds in a small window, saying: "Come rich husband, hit the priest with a shaggy paw!"
(hairy hand - a symbol of prosperity). We don’t know whether a random passer-by hit strong woman’s backsides or not, but after such a ritual, its participants actively discussed the force of the blow and, based on it, made a conclusion about the relationship with their future husband.
In some Russian villages, a girl about to get married was tested for “backside strength” in a very original way: a walnut was placed on a stool, and if the girl, sitting on it, cracked the shell, then it was time. I wonder if modern girls would pass such an exam?
Many peoples have a number of signs and superstitions regarding the place where the back loses its decent name. For example, in ancient Egypt, they strictly ensured that unmarried girls did not sit on raw stones with their bare booty: it was believed that this could offend the priest, and then the girl would not be able to get married.
Many modern actors still believe that if the text falls, you definitely need to sit on it. 
It is perhaps difficult to find a place on the human body more suitable for physical punishment than the buttocks. Whipping with rods or a belt on a soft spot has long been the most common form of instilling rules of behavior in a civilized society into offspring. The reason for choosing the buttocks as a place that receives blows are the following factors: 1 - an erroneous idea of low value and 
humiliation of the priests; 2 - the correct idea of the high sensitivity of the fifth point (there are many nerve receptors on the buttocks); 3 - a correct idea of the priests' ability to endure moderate physical impact without adverse health effects.
The first nudes female buttocks flashed on the silver screen in 1915 in the movie "Daughter of the Gods". They belonged to the Australian 
film actress and athlete Annette Kellerman.
Actor Yevgeny Leonov was the first in the history of Soviet cinema to bare his buttocks in the film Striped Flight (1961).
The most expensive buttocks of the famous singer Kylie Minogue. Her petite ass is insured for as much as $4.7 billion. Jennifer Lopez is a little behind her - only 1 billion euros. 
Currently, judging by the results of special contests and surveys conducted among users of the worldwide Internet, the championship in the beauty of the buttocks is held by: Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Beyonce, Angelina Jolie, Brigitte Bardot - among women; Brad Pitt, Jason Lewis, David Beckham, Jude Law - among men.
No one ever doubted that the female ass actively attracts attention, but until recently, for some reason, it never occurred to anyone to use it as an advertisement.
One of the cosmetic companies in Seoul decided to correct this unfortunate omission and, with the help of body art specialists, posted information about one of their slimming products on the buttocks of pretty girls. A non-standard and bold way of promoting a product causes a crowd of so many passers-by that it is simply impossible to pass by half-naked beauties in clothes “under jeans” painted on the body. Attracted as walking advertisements, model girls don't mind being photographed. It is not known whether the cosmetics company will add buyers, but the fact that its name has been “on the lips” for quite a long time among thousands of Seoul residents is for sure.
Richmond-based American artist Steve Mermer calls himself a "berry painter" - he creates his paintings with a soft spot! He paints on the ass and uses it as a stamp. Still lifes come out especially vividly. On average, Steve's work sells for $700 per painting.
The famous actor David Duchovny also draws pictures with the help of his buttocks, although he donates the money from their sale to the animal welfare fund. The actor's wife, Tia Leoni, helps him apply paint to the working body, after which David sits down on the canvas, on which the drawing is printed. And so several times. One of his paintings was sold at an auction in Los Angeles for three and a half thousand dollars.
11% of all broken photocopiers in the US and Europe fail because people sit on them to see if they can make a photocopy of their buttocks.
The skin on the buttocks is extremely sensitive to temperature and can detect temperature changes as small as 0.1 degrees.
The lines of skin folds and the shape of the buttocks, like fingerprints, are purely individual. Based on this, according to some experts, according to the peculiarities of the structure of the fifth point, as well as the lines on the hand, much can be said about the character of their owner.
Perhaps the most famous specialist in this field is Daniel Smith from Yorkshire. He calls his method pygomancy (from the Greek pygos - ass, mantle - divination). According to Daniel Smith, if the left buttock is larger than the right, then all the difficulties in a person's life are behind. If the right one is larger, its owner has yet to pass a harsh life test. If the butt is fuller from below, it means that everything is fine with a person’s career and business. Fat accumulations gravitating to the sides of the priests give out an exemplary family man or an exemplary housewife, as well as people for whom life is inconceivable without love and carnal pleasures. In the event that on male ass a lot of hair grows, which means that this representative of the stronger sex has something to hide from his loved ones.
December 31, 2013
Big gluteal muscle
Many people are very often interested in the details of the structure of their own body, which is why they sometimes ask the most ornate questions. One of them sounds something like this: "What are the largest human muscles"?
Answering this question is not particularly difficult, since the largest in size and outlined boundaries is the gluteus maximus muscle, located, respectively, in the buttocks. But what is known about this integral component muscular system? That's just on this topic and it is worth talking a little more.
The structure of the gluteal muscle
First of all, it is worth noting that characteristic muscle has a large-fiber structure, while overlapping the rest of the muscles of this group, dominating in size. In addition, it is extremely flat, and its thickness hardly reaches three centimeters, but in some cases even less.
It originates directly from the back of the outer surface of the ilium, and runs through almost the entire elastic buttock, performing a vital function.
So no one has even the slightest doubt that it is she who leads the large muscles of a person, being an indispensable component of the entire muscular system. You do not need to be a great physician to correctly guess the answer to this global question for some.
Mobility and muscle assignment
Now it is worth saying a few words about its mobility and intended purpose. If this muscle predominates in a stationary state in the pelvic region, then it, as a rule, strains the hip and, thereby, ensures the standing position of each person.
If the characteristic element of muscle mass is damaged, then, alas, the affected side cannot stand straight, as before. Occupying a stable position from below, it exerts direct pressure on the pelvic region, thereby supporting it and the torso above the femoral head.
Simply put, a person can easily stand on one leg, while not swaying or falling. Accordingly, damage to the gluteus maximus muscle can disrupt the patient's habitual life and mobility.
But to bend over, the following elements help the gluteus maximus muscle: biceps thighs, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and adductor magnus. So any violation of these components requires immediate consultation with a specialist and timely intensive care.
Large thigh muscle
So it is quite logical to conclude that big muscle the hips are a kind of fixator that allows a person to stand straight, sit and even lie down, that is, it allows the leg to be stable and mobile at the same time.
That is why it is so important to regularly train such large muscles in order to preserve their original functions and intended purpose for as long as possible. In addition, such training is especially relevant after various injuries.
There are many other muscles in the body, each with its own unique purpose. There are not only the largest, but also the strongest muscles. So it is useful to know more about the characteristics of your body. In order to be able to recognize the pathology in a timely manner in the event of certain diseases.
The biggest muscles are just as important as the strongest muscles. Moreover, it is worth clarifying that it is important to train all groups of muscle mass regularly, even for the purpose of reliable prevention.
The question seems simple and specific, but it is not.
In other words, many muscles can be considered as the strongest in our body.
Difficulties, strengths
The strength of each muscle depends on three factors that intersect with each other:
- IN force of physiological: muscle size, thickness, response to exercise, and so on.
- Neurological significance: how strong is the brain signal that leads to muscle contraction
- By mechanical strength: the angle at which the force can be applied, muscle mass, the length of the lever and the features inherent in the joints.
This means that muscles never work alone, and you can't compare the strength of muscles that work individually.
At the same time, those forces exerted by the muscles act on different functions and can be measured in different ways: there are muscles that can exercise absolute strength, and others that have greater strength, dynamics (repetitive movements), for others, strength elastic (faster), and for others, resistance force (resist load).
With these clarifications, there are a number of muscles that can be considered strong.
Chewing muscles
In simple and everyday conditions, when we refer to the strongest muscle human body, we are referring to one that can exert more force on an external object, such as lifting a weight.
In this sense, the strongest muscle is the masseter, the muscle of the jaw that we use for chewing. It can exert force up to 90 kg.
The muscle itself is nothing special, but exerts a lot of power by having a very short lever arm.
Quadriceps femoris
On the other hand, we take into account the force exerted by the muscle itself, without regard to an external object. The strongest muscles are those with the largest cross-sectional area. This is because the tension exerted by an individual muscle fiber does not vary across muscles.
The strongest muscle according to this measurement is the femoral quadriceps, located in front of the thigh, which supports our weight and works when we walk, run or sit.
External muscles of the eye
The external muscles of the eye are the strongest in relation to the function they perform, which is mainly due to the movement of the small and light eyeball.
It is often said that these muscles are "100 times stronger than they should be" although there are eye movements (such as saccades) that require high speed (dynamic strength) and these muscles also remain active at night during REM sleep. .
Heart
is a muscle that performs the strongest physical work throughout a person’s life and does it continuously. However, the force acting is only 1 to 5 watts (the quadriceps can generate up to 100 watts of force, but only for a few minutes).
Language
This is the most common myth that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body, but this is not true.
The tongue is not a muscle, but an organ made up of eight different muscles.
The myth comes from the fact that, in essence, language always works. It not only aids in the process of chewing food, but also fulfills its function in speech, with movements and positions that help form different sounds, provide bacteria filters, and stay active at night.
Many people have heard that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body. However, this statement is not actually true.
The tongue is not the strongest muscle, because it is not a single muscle, but a whole structure consisting of eight separate fibers. As for its unique characteristics, they are due to the nature of the interaction of the fibers, as well as the strength of their weave.
Features of human language
Due to its unique structure and developmental features, the tongue has increased flexibility and endurance. Only this organ of the human body can bend in any direction, wrap itself in a tube, quickly change position.
With the help of the tongue we eat and talk, and he almost never gets tired. However, all this does not mean that it is the strongest muscle in the body.
According to experts studying this issue, a person simply does not fully use many of his muscles. But the tongue works with maximum load, which is why many people think that it is the strongest muscle in the body.
However, since the muscles that form it are not attached to the bone, they do not grow. It's just that as a person grows older, the structure of these muscles becomes denser, and they are more tightly intertwined.
How to measure muscle strength
But if the tongue is not the strongest muscle in the human body, which one does it belong to? high rank? Scientists argue that the unequivocal answer depends on the chosen method of measurement.
For example, if you use the brute force method, then the gluteal muscles and quadriceps muscles located in front of the thigh will deserve special attention. They work with the maximum load in the daily life of a person. Moreover, the bones to which these muscles are attached act as levers.
However, practice shows that very often, speaking of strength, we mean endurance. This is where language really comes into play. Although it is a mistake to consider it the strongest muscle in the body - this is a whole system. In addition, the human heart is an extremely hardy muscle. After all, it works without interruption throughout life.
Is it necessary to develop and strengthen the tongue if it is not the strongest muscle in a person? Modern scientists claim that for some people it is very useful. This practice helps patients who have recently had a stroke, as well as those who are familiar with swallowing problems firsthand.
In addition, strengthening the language is necessary for people suffering from speech pathologies and those who want to improve their diction. Therefore, if you really want to, you can make sure that the tongue is the strongest muscle.
To improve the efficiency of the language, it is recommended to train according to a special program. In addition, a very simple exercise will help you. You need to fill your mouth with small smooth pebbles and read aloud.
The pebbles will become a kind of "weight" for your tongue, and therefore the exercise will help strengthen it and improve diction. Moreover, it can be performed at any time and in any circumstances - it will take only a few minutes.
If you are still wondering why the tongue is the strongest muscle, remember that this is not the right question. Examine your entire body and find out which is the strongest muscle in the human body specifically in your case.
The anatomy of human muscles, their structure and development, perhaps, can be called the most relevant topic that causes the maximum public interest in bodybuilding. Needless to say, it is the structure, work and function of muscles that is the topic that a personal trainer should pay attention to. Special attention. As in the presentation of other topics, we will begin the introduction to the course with a detailed study of the anatomy of the muscles, their structure, classification, work and function.
Doing healthy lifestyle life, proper nutrition and systematic physical activity contribute to the development of muscles and reduce the level of fat in the body. The structure and work of human muscles will be understood only with a consistent study of the human skeleton first and only then the muscles. And now, when we know from the article that it, among other things, performs the function of a frame for attaching muscles, it is time to study what main muscle groups form the human body, where they are located, how they look and what functions they perform.
Above you can see what the human muscle structure looks like in the photo (3D model). First consider the musculature of the body of a man with the terms applied to bodybuilding, then the musculature of the body of a woman. Looking ahead, it is worth noting that the structure of muscles in men and women has no fundamental differences, the muscles of the body are almost completely similar.
Human muscle anatomy
Muscles called the organs of the body, which forms an elastic tissue, and the activity of which is regulated by nerve impulses. The functions of muscles are, among other things, the movement and movement in space of parts of the human body. Their full functioning directly affects the physiological activity of many processes in the body. The work of muscles is regulated by the nervous system. It contributes to their interaction with the brain and spinal cord, and also participates in the process of converting chemical energy into mechanical energy. The human body forms about 640 muscles (different methods for counting differentiated muscle groups determine their number from 639 to 850). Below is the structure of human muscles (diagram) using the example of a male and female body.
The structure of the muscles of a man, front view: 1 - trapezoid; 2 - front serratus muscle; 3 - external oblique muscles of the abdomen; 4 - rectus abdominis; 5 - tailor muscle; 6 - comb muscle; 7 - long adductor muscle of the thigh; 8 - thin muscle; 9 - tensioner of the wide fascia; 10 - big pectoral muscle; 11 - small pectoral muscle; 12 - front head of the shoulder; 13 - middle head of the shoulder; 14 - brachialis; 15 - pronator; 16 - long head of the biceps; 17 - short head of the biceps; 18 - long palmar muscle; 19 - extensor muscle of the wrist; 20 - long adductor muscle of the wrist; 21 - long flexor; 22 - radial flexor of the wrist; 23 - brachioradialis muscle; 24 - lateral thigh muscle; 25 - medial thigh muscle; 26 - rectus femoris; 27 - long peroneal muscle; 28 - long extensor of the fingers; 29 - front tibialis muscle; 30 - soleus muscle; 31- calf muscle
The structure of the muscles of a man, rear view: 1 - back head of the shoulder; 2 - a small round muscle; 3 - large round muscle; 4 - infraspinatus muscle; 5 - rhomboid muscle; 6 - extensor muscle of the wrist; 7 - brachioradialis muscle; 8 - elbow flexor of the wrist; 9 - trapezius muscle; 10 - straight spinous muscle; 11 – latissimus dorsi; 12 - thoracolumbar fascia; 13 - biceps of the thigh; 14 - a large adductor muscle of the thigh; 15 - semitendinosus muscle; 16 - thin muscle; 17 - semimembranous muscle; 18 - calf muscle; 19 - soleus muscle; 20 - long peroneal muscle; 21 - abductor muscle of the big toe; 22 - long head of the triceps; 23 - lateral head of the triceps; 24 - medial head of the triceps; 25 - external oblique muscles of the abdomen; 26 - gluteus medius; 27 - gluteus maximus
The structure of the muscles of a woman, front view: 1 - scapular hyoid muscle; 2 - sternohyoid muscle; 3 - sternocleidomastoid muscle; 4 - trapezius muscle; 5 - pectoralis minor muscle (not visible); 6 - pectoralis major muscle; 7 - dentate muscle; 8 - rectus abdominis; 9 - external oblique muscle of the abdomen; 10 - comb muscle; 11 - tailor muscle; 12 - long adductor muscle of the thigh; 13 - tensioner of the wide fascia; 14 - thin muscle of the thigh; 15 - rectus femoris; 16 - intermediate broad muscle of the thigh (not visible); 17 - lateral wide muscle of the thigh; 18 - wide medial muscle of the thigh; 19 - calf muscle; 20 - anterior tibial muscle; 21 - long extensor of the toes; 22 - long tibial muscle; 23 - soleus muscle; 24 - front bundle of deltas; 25 - middle beam of deltas; 26- shoulder muscle brachialis; 27 - a long bunch of biceps; 28 - a short bundle of biceps; 29 - brachioradialis muscle; thirty - radial extensor wrists; 31 - round pronator; 32 - radial flexor of the wrist; 33 - long palmar muscle; 34 - elbow flexor of the wrist
The structure of the muscles of a woman, rear view: 1 - rear bundle of deltas; 2 - a long bundle of triceps; 3 - lateral bundle of triceps; 4 - medial bundle of triceps; 5 - ulnar extensor of the wrist; 6 - external oblique muscle of the abdomen; 7 - extensor of the fingers; 8 - wide fascia; 9 - biceps of the thigh; 10 - semitendinosus muscle; 11 - thin muscle of the thigh; 12 - semimembranosus muscle; 13 - calf muscle; 14 - soleus muscle; 15 - short peroneal muscle; 16 - long flexor thumb; 17 - a small round muscle; 18 - large round muscle; 19 - infraspinatus muscle; 20 - trapezius muscle; 21 - rhomboid muscle; 22 - the latissimus dorsi; 23 - extensors of the spine; 24 - thoracolumbar fascia; 25 - small gluteal muscle; 26 - gluteus maximus
Muscles are quite varied in shape. Muscles that share a common tendon but have two or more heads are called biceps (biceps), triceps (triceps), or quadriceps (quadriceps). The functions of the muscles are also quite diverse, these are flexors, extensors, abductors, adductors, rotators (inward and outward), raising, lowering, straightening and others.
Types of muscle tissue
The characteristic features of the structure make it possible to classify human muscles into three types: skeletal, smooth and cardiac.
Types muscle tissue person: I - skeletal muscles; II - smooth muscles; III- cardiac muscle
- Skeletal muscles. The contraction of this type of muscle is completely controlled by the person. Combined with the human skeleton, they form musculoskeletal system. This type of muscle is called skeletal precisely because of their attachment to the bones of the skeleton.
- Smooth muscles. This type of tissue is present in the cells internal organs, skin and blood vessels. The structure of human smooth muscles implies their presence for the most part in the walls of hollow internal organs, such as the esophagus or bladder. They also play an important role in processes that are not controlled by our consciousness, for example, in intestinal motility.
- Heart muscle (myocardium). The work of this muscle is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Its contractions are not controlled by human consciousness.
Since the contraction of smooth and cardiac muscle tissue is not controlled by human consciousness, we will focus in this article on skeletal muscles and their detailed description.
Muscle structure
muscle fiber is a structural element of muscles. Separately, each of them is not only a cellular, but also a physiological unit that is able to contract. The muscle fiber has the appearance of a multinucleated cell, the diameter of the fiber is in the range from 10 to 100 microns. This multinucleated cell is located in a shell called the sarcolemma, which in turn is filled with sarcoplasm, and already in the sarcoplasm are myofibrils.
Myofibril is a filamentous formation, which consists of sarcomeres. The thickness of myofibrils is usually less than 1 µm. Given the number of myofibrils, they usually distinguish between white (they are also fast) and red (they are also slow) muscle fibers. White fibers contain more myofibrils, but less sarcoplasm. It is for this reason that they shrink faster. Red fibers contain a lot of myoglobin, which is why they got their name.
The internal structure of the human muscle: 1 - bone; 2 - tendon; 3 - muscular fascia; 4 - skeletal muscle; 5 - fibrous sheath of skeletal muscle; 6 - connective tissue sheath; 7 - arteries, veins, nerves; 8 - beam; 9 - connective tissue; 10 - muscle fiber; 11 - myofibril
Muscle work is characterized by the fact that the ability to contract faster and stronger is characteristic of white fibers. They can develop force and contraction speed 3-5 times faster than slow fibers. Physical activity of the anaerobic type (work with weights) is performed mainly by fast muscle fibers. Long-term aerobic physical activity (running, swimming, cycling) is performed mainly by slow muscle fibers.
Slow fibers are more resistant to fatigue, while fast fibers are more resistant to prolonged physical activity not adapted. As for the ratio of fast and slow muscle fibers in human muscles, their number is approximately the same. In most of both sexes, about 45-50% of the muscles of the limbs are slow muscle fibers. No matter how significant the sex differences in the ratio various types there are no muscle fibers in men and women. Their ratio is formed at the beginning of the human life cycle, in other words, it is genetically programmed and practically does not change until old age.
Sarcomeres (constituent components of myofibrils) are formed by thick myosin filaments and thin actin filaments. Let's dwell on them in more detail.
actin- a protein that is a structural element of the cytoskeleton of cells and has the ability to contract. Consists of 375 amino acid residues, and makes up about 15% of muscle protein.
Myosin – main component myofibrils - contractile muscle fibers, where its content can be about 65%. The molecules are formed by two polypeptide chains, each of which contains about 2000 amino acids. Each of these chains has a so-called head at the end, which includes two small chains consisting of 150-190 amino acids.
Actomyosin- a complex of proteins formed from actin and myosin.
FACT. For the most part, muscles are made up of water, proteins and other components: glycogen, lipids, nitrogenous substances, salts, etc. The water content ranges from 72-80% of total mass muscles. Skeletal muscle is made up of a large number fibers, and characteristically, the more of them, the stronger the muscle.
Muscle classification
The human muscular system is characterized by a variety of muscle shapes, which in turn are divided into simple and complex. Simple: spindle-shaped, straight, long, short, wide. The complex muscles include the multi-headed muscles. As we have already said, if the muscles have a common tendon, and there are two or more heads, then they are called two-headed (biceps), three-headed (triceps) or quadriceps (quadriceps), as well as multi-tendon and digastric muscles. Complex muscles include the following types of muscles with a specific geometric shape: square, deltoid, soleus, pyramidal, round, serrated, triangular, rhomboid, soleus.
Main functions muscles are flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, supination, pronation, raising, lowering, straightening and more. The term supination refers to outward rotation, and the term pronation refers to inward rotation.
In the direction of the fibers muscles are divided into: straight, transverse, circular, oblique, single-pinnate, double-pinnate, multi-pinnate, semitendinous and semimembranosus.
In relation to the joints, taking into account the number of joints through which they are thrown: single-joint, two-joint and multi-joint.
Muscle work
In the process of contraction, the actin filaments penetrate deep into the spaces between the myosin filaments, and the length of both structures does not change, but only the total length of the actomyosin complex is reduced - this method of muscle contraction is called sliding. The sliding of actin filaments along myosin filaments requires energy, and the energy necessary for muscle contraction is released as a result of the interaction of actomyosin with ATP (adenosine triphosphate). In addition to ATP, water, as well as calcium and magnesium ions, play an important role in muscle contraction.
As already mentioned, the work of the muscles is completely controlled by the nervous system. This suggests that their work (contraction and relaxation) can be controlled consciously. For the normal and full functioning of the body and its movement in space, the muscles work in groups. Most of the muscle groups of the human body work in pairs, and perform opposite functions. It looks like when the “agonist” muscle contracts, the “antagonist” muscle stretches. The same is true and vice versa.
- Agonist- a muscle that performs a specific movement.
- Antagonist- a muscle that performs the opposite movement.
Muscles have the following properties: elasticity, stretching, contraction. Elasticity and stretching give the muscles the ability to change in size and return to their original state, the third quality makes it possible to create force at its ends and lead to shortening.
Nerve stimulation can cause the following types muscle contraction: concentric, eccentric and isometric. Concentric contraction occurs in the process of overcoming the load when performing a given movement (lifting up during pull-ups on the crossbar). Eccentric contraction occurs in the process of slowing down movements in the joints (lowering down during pull-ups on the crossbar). Isometric contraction occurs at the moment when the force created by the muscles is equal to the load exerted on them (keeping the body hanging on the bar).
Muscle Functions
Knowing the name and location of this or that muscle or muscle group, we can proceed to the study of the block - the function of human muscles. Below in the table we will look at the most basic muscles that train in the gym. As a rule, six main muscle groups are trained: chest, back, legs, shoulders, arms and abs.
FACT. The biggest and strongest muscle group in the human body it is the legs. The largest muscle is the gluteus. The strongest is the calf, it can hold weight up to 150 kg.
Conclusion
In this article, we examined such a complex and voluminous topic as the structure and functions of human muscles. Speaking of muscles, of course, we also mean muscle fibers, and the involvement of muscle fibers in the work involves interaction with them. nervous system, since the execution of muscle activity is preceded by the innervation of motor neurons. It is for this reason that in our next article we will move on to consider the structure and functions of the nervous system.
