Modeling of Mammalian Skeletal Muscle

A model of mammalian skeletal muscle is developed from experimental results from a rat gracilis anticus muscle at 17.5°C. The approach consists of factoring pertinent variables of muscle contraction (length, force, velocity, and duration of stimulation) into a series of physically realizable functions. The analysis indicates that for lengths less than 120 percent of rest length, mammalian skeletal muscle can be modeled as a nonlinear force generator, a function of length and time, bridged by a nonlinear viscous-like element, a function of time, length, and velocity, in series with a nonlinear elastic element, a function of length. A close correlation exists between the results obtained during an analog computer simulation of the model and those from a typical rat gracilis anticus muscle.