THE RELATION BETWEEN CONTRACTION FREQUENCY AND LACTATE ACCUMULATION, AND ITS BEARING UPON THE ECONOMY OF TENSION PRODUCTION AND MAINTENANCE IN STRIATED MUSCLE

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Abstract
The production of lactic acid in contraction in relation to the interval between contractions has been investigated by comparing the lactate concentration in 1 gastrocnemius muscle of a frog after stimulation at a given frequency with that of the other gastrocnemius treated identically and stimulated the same number of times but at another frequency. In 25 experiments in which the 2 opposite gastrocnemii were treated exactly alike except for frequency of stimulation, it was found that the lactic acid produced per contraction in the frog''s gastrocnemius is inversely proportional to the frequency of stimulation. It is found that the lactic acid coefficient of developed tension is a more constant factor than is the coefficient of total maintained tension. The latter is very different at various frequencies of contraction, whereas the former is nearly a constant. The total tension coefficient is a measure of economy of tension maintenance in contraction, and indicates a marked increase in efficiency of tension maintenance at higher frequencies. The slow rate of removal of lactic acid is of advantage to the organism in those muscles where the maintenance of tension is an important function. Fatigue contracture appears, in the light of the experiments reported, to be due to the depletion to a very low level of the store of base for neutralizing free lactic acid.

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