Adaptations of skeletal muscle that favour athletic ability

Authors: Gunn HM
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 23, Issue 11, pp 249-254, Nov 1975
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Companion animal, Dog, Horse, Livestock
Subject Terms: Anatomy, Biochemistry/chemistry, Clinical pathology, Diagnostic procedures, Locomotor, Skeletal/bone/cartilage, Species description
Article class: Scientific Article

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Abstract: The fundamental principles explaining how the athletic performance of some individuals regularly excels that of their fellows is of essential interest to the trainer and/or breeder of animal athletes, and to human athletes and their coaches. The identification of factors that favour enhanced athletic ability may permit the evolution of training and/or breeding programmes which may aim at mimicking the athletically desirable properties of superior athletes and be of maximum benefit to the athlete. Numerous factors influence athletic performance. Many of these can be assessed in the living being such as the effect of exercise on cardiac, respiratory and circulatory function which have been reviewed by Astrand (1956). However, the morphological and biochemical properties of an athlete`s prolpulsive machine - his musculo-skeletal system - have not been studied extensively in relation to athletic ability. Therefore, skeletal muscle has now been investigated in relation to physical performance in two species, strains of which have been selected by man for athletic ability over a long period. This study describes some of the changes that have been produced by selection for this trait and, therefore, aims to describe athletic characteristics, by comparing the skeletal muscle of greyhounds and thoroughbreds with members of their species less specialized for athletic performance…

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