Muscle contraction is the tightening, shortening, or lengthening of muscles when you do some activity. It can happen when you hold or pick up something, or when you stretch or exercise with weights.

A concentric contraction is a type of muscle activation that causes tension on your muscle as it shortens. As your muscle shortens, it generates enough force to move an object. This is the most ...

When you take a muscle through the full range of motion, it goes through three phases of muscle contraction: eccentric, isometric, and concentric. Placing more attention on one phase can yield ...

Using powerful new visualization technologies, researchers have captured the first 3-D images of the structure of a key muscle receptor, providing new insights on how muscles develop across the animal ...

The contraction of smooth muscle is an essential process underpinning diverse physiological functions ranging from gastrointestinal motility to vascular regulation. At its core, smooth muscle ...

This is a common strength training technique that involves manipulating the muscle lengthening portion of an exercise, usually by slowing down the movement. Share on Pinterest Getty Images/Eugenio ...

Actomyosin is a protein complex composed of actin and myosin. It is found in muscle fibers where it plays a role in muscle contraction. Actin is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaryotes. It ...

Muscles and nerve fibers allow a person to move their body and enable the internal organs to function. There are more than 600 muscles in the human body. People also have different types of muscle. A ...

Pelvic floor muscle contractions activate the frontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for the "voluntary urinary inhibition reflex" -- thus improving conscious control of bladder function.