Beyond Hill-Type Models: Aligning Experiments and Modeling to Understand Dynamic Muscle Function

Muscle models underpin how exercise, rehabilitation, and human-movement sciences infer muscle force during activity, yet profound gaps remain between traditional measures and models of muscle function and the dynamic features of muscle in natural movement. We review evidence for these gaps, highlight new experiments to bridge them, and suggest directions to improve models of dynamic muscle function. Summary: We propose reframing muscle as a dynamic mechanical system, integrating new experiments and models to predict function during natural movement.