The contribution of the elastic reaction is severely underestimated in studies on myofibril contraction

The cross-bridge of skeletal muscle is not synchronized either by length or force step

Force and length steps, applied to a muscle fiber in the isometric state, are believed to synchronize attached cross-bridges. This alleged synchronization facilitates the interpretation of the experiments. A rapid force step elicits an elastic response of the attached cross-bridges, followed by an isotonic phase. The decay of this second isotonic phase is of the first order. This excludes that the attached cross-bridges may decay all at the same time. The change of the X-ray interference distance during the second phase measures the stroke size only in the unrealistic case that the cross-bridges are and remain all attached. A rapid force step does not synchronize attached cross-bridges. The change of X-ray interference during the second phase does not measure the stroke size. These conclusions significantly change the picture of the mechanism of skeletal muscle contraction.

Experimental basis of the hypotheses on the mechanism of skeletal muscle contraction

With time clever hypotheses may be accepted as "facts" without being supported by solid experimental evidence. In our opinion this happened with muscle contraction where pure suggestions still occupy the scene and delay the progress of the research. Among these suggestions are: 1. the believe that viscosity is irrelevant in the economy of muscle contraction, 2. the concept of the drag stroke, 3. some interpretations of the significance of the Huxley-Simmons manoeuvre, 4. the definition of the load as a force/cross-section without taking into consideration the possible, divergent effects of the infinite mass x acceleration couples. Technical questions are also raised since it is apparent that measuring equipments interfere with the measure itself.