Introduction
Cross-country skiing involves skeletal movements, contractions of the heart muscle, blood traveling throughout the body, breathing, and many other complicated functions. There are three different types of muscles: striated, cardiac, and smooth. We are going to concentrate on the striated skeletal muscles factors.
- Understand the difference between an eccentric and concentric contraction
- Define antagonist muscles and agonist muscles
- Learn the muscles and timing of Olympic cross-country skiers
Terms to know
- Antagonistic Muscles: The muscles that have the opposite action from those that are contracting(agonists). Antagonists normally relax while agonists contract.
- Concentric Contraction: An isotonic muscle contraction in which the muscle gets shorter as it contracts, such as when a joint is bent and two body parts move closer together.
- Dynamic Exercise: Involves both eccentric and concentric contractions.
- Eccentric Contraction: An isotonic muscle contraction in which the muscle gets longer as it contracts.
- Muscular Endurance: Fatigability of the skeletal muscles.
