Adaptation to lengthening contraction-induced injury in mouse muscle

Adaptations to repeated bouts of injury-inducing lengthening contractions were studied in mouse anterior crural muscles. Five bouts of 150 lengthening contractions were performed in vivo, with each bout separated by 2 wk of rest. Three primary observations were made. First, there was little, if any, attenuation in the immediate isometric torque losses after lengthening contractions at "physiological" stimulation frequencies (i.e., <125 Hz), although there was a pronounced decrease in torque loss at higher frequencies between the first and second bouts. Second, the immediate losses in strength that occurred after all five lengthening contraction bouts could be explained in part by excitation-contraction uncoupling. Third, the most important adaptation was a significant enhancement in the rate of recovery of strength after the lengthening contractions. It is probable that the accelerated rate of strength recovery resulted from the more rapid loss and subsequent recovery of myofibrillar protein observed after the fifth bout.