Key result
Water liberation during tension development modulates muscle contraction, challenging the classical swinging cross-bridge theory.
Proposes a novel theoretical mechanism for muscular contraction involving water movement rather than the traditional swinging myosin head theory.
No immediate clinical implications; leaves open water-based contractile mechanisms beyond the swinging theory.
Twenty-five years after its proposal, the swinging theory of muscular contraction, in which the majority of scientists in the field have blindly believed, has not yet been verified. Rapidly growing experimental evidence indicates that the myosin heads do not swing. It is time to look for an alternative mechanism. Data is presented indicating that water is liberated during tension development and the extent to which it is released appears to affect the degree of tension. Since water can move (because of acquired extra energy, involvement in hydration forces etc.), it might cause protein movement.
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Avraham Oplatka (1994) studied Muscular contraction. Water liberation was evaluated on Tension development. Water liberation during tension development appears to affect the degree of tension, suggesting an alternative mechanism to the swinging theory of muscular contraction.
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