Summary

The isometric and isotonic contractile properties of fast-twitch glycolytic fibres of the iliofibularis muscle (FG-IF) in the lizard Sceloporus occidentalis were measured in vitro at 5 degrees C intervals form 10 to 40 degrees C. The mean isometric parameters at 35 degrees C, the preferred body temperature of this species, were as follows: maximum isometric force (Po), 187 +/− 8 (S.E.M.) kNm-2; ratio of twitch force to tetanic force (PTW/Po), 0.46 +/− 0.02; time to peak twitch tension (tPTW), 7.0 +/− 0.3 ms; and time from peak twitch force to 50% relaxation (t50%), 8.2 +/− 0.3 ms. From 20 to 35 degrees C Po was almost constant (within 8% of the value at 35 degrees C). At 10 and 15 degrees C C. Po dropped to approximately 80% of the value at 35 degrees C. Po was very unstable at 40 degrees C. PTW/Po was almost constant at all temperatures. The time-related isometric parameters were positively modified by temperature at all temperatures measured (Q10 greater than 1.9). The force-velocity curves of the FG-IF deviated from the simple hyperbolic relation of A. V. Hill's characteristic equation. We present two alternative equations for fitting these data. These equations resulted in residual sums of squares from nonlinear least-squares analysis that were at least seven-fold lower than those from Hill's equation. The equation that best describes our data is a hyperbola modified by the addition of a linear component: V = B(1 - P/Po)/(A + P/Po) + C(1 - P/Po). To describe the curvature of this or any other force-velocity relationship, we propose the power ratio, Wmax/VmaxPo (where Wmax is the maximum power calculated from the force-velocity relationship and Vmax is the predicted maximum velocity of shortening at zero force). Vmax of the FG-IF was 21.9LoS-1 at 35 degrees C (where Lo is muscle length). This parameter was directly related to temperature between 10 and 35 degrees C with Q10 greater than 1.8. The shape of the force-velocity curve is not influenced by temperature (Wmax/VmaxPo = 0.11).