Muscle viscosity, do you take it into account?

Muscle viscosity describes a muscle’s effectiveness and efficiency in performing work, that is, the speed at which your muscles meet movement demands.

Essentially, muscle viscosity is a muscle safety mechanism in which the secretion of synovial fluid and muscle lubrication inhibit the muscle from reacting too quickly by reducing contraction, preventing tearing while the muscle attempts to lift the load.

What is the mechanism of action?

To understand what muscle viscosity means and how it applies to your workouts, you must understand some components of the muscle and the actions that affect it.

Muscle viscosity influences the response to a stimulus in two ways: by opposing rapid shortening or the development of tension, and by delaying relaxation.

• The muscle has a fluid-filled sac (bursa) between the muscle layers, often near the joints.
• It also secretes lubricating synovial fluid, the same fluid that lubricates certain joints in the body.

How quickly your body secretes this fluid and properly lubricates the muscle for performance is the cornerstone of muscle viscosity.

Viscosity is synonymous with friction, which works against the speed of muscle contraction.

Therefore, the lower the friction, the more easily the action of the muscle fibers will be facilitated, which is the goal of all athletes. This process is aided by warming up and oxygen intake.

In another context, lower temperatures, the appearance of lactic acid, and ammonium increase muscle viscosity.

 

Warm-up and muscle viscosity

It is important to take the time to warm up your body before physical activity, which can improve your muscle viscosity.

In this way, the muscle fibers are properly lubricated and prepared for the force that is about to be applied to the muscles.

An inadequate warm-up does not provide enough time for proper secretion or lubrication of the muscles, which can cause injuries or tears.

Muscle tears occur most frequently when people attempt to lift heavy loads and perform strenuous activities without an adequate warm-up and stretching. 

Precisely, one of the important reasons for doing a proper warm-up is the increase in body temperature, which causes a decrease in muscle viscosity, thereby producing better muscle performance.

At the same time, the concentration of lactic acid and ammonium also increases muscle viscosity, with a consequent increase in “friction” in denser blood, slowing movement.

Although the viscous properties of muscle delay contraction, overall movement around the joint increases as the muscle lubricates.

In other words, muscle viscosity improves the effectiveness of contraction, creating balanced movement as force increases. 

With fast workouts, it may not seem like an efficient mechanism of action, but when it comes to protecting your muscles and keeping them active and injury-free, it is a very effective system.

Tissue and muscle viscosity

Tissue plasticity is the result of deformation of muscle tissue when it is loaded beyond an elastic limit.

Doing this continuously causes repetitive microtrauma in the muscle; in this scenario, your tissue will be less efficient in your movements, less stable, and your range of motion will decrease.

Tissue viscosity is what allows a muscle to withstand a load. Tissue viscoelasticity is a combination of elasticity and plasticity in terms of behavior.

• For example, if you stretch a muscle with a low load or simple pressure, it will respond with elastic behavior.
• Conversely, if you subject the same muscle to intense pressure or a greater load, a plastic response will occur.

The principle of viscoelasticity responds to temperature, which is why it is vital to warm up bodily fluids and muscle tissues before stretching.

As discussed earlier, this reduces muscle viscosity and allows for adequate flexibility and extensibility. Practically speaking, if you are going to work your leg muscles, cycle for 5–10 minutes and then stretch to warm up before starting your squats or leg press.

Source

• Manual of Sports Medicine Book – Page 86: Muscle Viscosity