Effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise on the contractile properties of human type I and type II skeletal muscle fibers

Abstract

This study identified important cellular changes occurring in human skeletal muscle fibers following high-intensity intermittent exercise: 1) a decrease in contractile apparatus Ca2+ sensitivity in type I but not type II fibers, 2) a decrease in specific force only in type II muscle fibers, and 3) a redox-dependent increase in Ca2+ sensitivity occurring only in type II fibers, which would help maintain muscle performance by countering the normal metabolite-induced decline in Ca2+ sensitivity.