Which of these would increase the tension generated in a skeletal muscle?
A)Increasing the frequency of firing in alpha motor neurons innervating the muscle
B)Stretching the muscle to very long lengths
C)Resting the muscle for several weeks
D)Switching off fast-glycolytic motor units and activating an equal number of slow-oxidative motor units
E)Increasing the amplitude of action potentials in the alpha motor neurons that innervate the muscle

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Increasing the frequency of firing in alpha motor neurons innervating the muscle would lead to an increase in the number of muscle fibers contracting at the same time, resulting in an increase in muscle tension. This is known as temporal summation or frequency summation. Stretching the muscle to very long lengths can also increase muscle tension, but this is limited by the length-tension relationship of the muscle fibers. Resting the muscle for several weeks would actually decrease muscle tension due to atrophy of the muscle fibers. Switching off fast-glycolytic motor units and activating slow-oxidative motor units would lead to a decrease in muscle tension since slow-oxidative fibers generate less force than fast-glycolytic fibers. Increasing the amplitude of action potentials in the alpha motor neurons that innervate the muscle would not have a significant effect on muscle tension.

Which of These Would Increase the Tension Generated in a Skeletal