Effect of temperature of resistance to stretch of tortoise muscle

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Abstract
The effects of temperature over the range 5-30 degrees on isometric contraction and resistance to mechanical stretches of the ramp and hold type applied to active muscle have been studied in isolated tortoise gastrocnemius muscles. The isometric tension decreases as the temperature is lowered but, when expressed as a proportion of the isometric tension, the change in tension at the end of the ramp phase of the stretch is increased at the lower temperatures. The proportionate tension change at the end of the hold phase of the stretch could not be directly related to the temperature. An attempt is made to interpret the results in terms of current opinions on the mechanism of the generation of muscular tension.