How is your knowledge around the effects of muscle architecture on force and function? Do you know how to train to change architecture?

Muscle architecture typically refers to muscle thickness (MT), pennation angle (PA) and fascicle length (FL), an ultrasound image of the vasti musculature showing two of these design parameters. There are many other design parameters within the muscle that affect force and function. Some are related to isolated muscle, tendon and joint properties, for example, fibre length, tendon compliance and moment arm. Others are related to system interaction such as fibre length to tendon ratio or fibre length to moment arm ratios.

What is obvious when you begin looking into muscle architecture is that force, velocity and ROM can be influenced by a number of design parameters, which you should be aware of, when rehabilitating the injured or improving movement in the healthy. If you want to understand this topic better then join me in my online course, "Shaping and Shifting Muscle".