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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1971 Apr;34(2):113–120. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.34.2.113

Fast and slow twitch units in a human muscle

R E P Sica 1, A J McComas 1
PMCID: PMC493720  PMID: 4255199

Abstract

A study has been made of the isometric twitches of single motor units in the extensor hallucis brevis (EHB) muscle in man. The twitch contraction times ranged from 35 to 98 msec and the pooled results indicated the presence of at least two types of unit. The recorded twitch tensions also varied considerably (from 2 to 14 g) but were not related to the twitch speeds. The twitch tension developed by the whole EHB muscle depended on the initial length of the muscle and on the age of the subject. The EHB muscle was estimated to contain approximately 56 motor units.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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