Introduction.

Skeletal muscle is made up of bundles of

individual muscle fibers called myocytes.
Each myocyte contains many myofibrils,
which are strands of proteins (actin and
myosin) that can grab on to each other and
pull. This shortens the muscle and causes
muscle contraction.
(www.sportsmedicine.about.)

Who also quote ‘’our muscle fiber type may

influence what sports we are naturally good
at or whether we are fast or strong.’’

Muscle fibres types can be broken down

into two main types:
- Slow twitch (Type I) muscle fibres
- Fast twitch (Type II) muscle fibres

These Fast twitch fibres can be further

categorized into
• Type IIa Fibres.
• Type IIb Fibres.

Slow Twitch (Type I)

The slow muscles are more efficient at
using oxygen to generate more fuel (ATP)
for continuous, extended muscle
contractions over a long time. They fire
more slowly than fast twitch fibres and can
go for a long time before they fatigue.
 Fast Twitch (Type II).
Because fast twitch fibres use anaerobic
metabolism to create fuel, they are much
better at generating short bursts of
strength or speed than slow muscles.
However, they fatigue more quickly. Fast
twitch fibres generally produce the same
amount of force per contraction as slow
muscles, but they get their name because
they are able to fire more rapidly.

1. Type IIa Fibres - These fast twitch muscle

fibres are also known as intermediate
fast twitch fibres. They can use both
aerobic and anaerobic metabolism almost
equally to create energy.

1. Type IIb Fibres -These fast twitch fibres

use anaerobic metabolism to create
energy and are the "classic" fast twitch
muscle fibres that excel at producing
quick, powerful bursts of speed. This
muscle fibre has the highest rate of
contraction of all the muscle fibre types,
but it also has a much faster rate of
fatigue.

Human muscles contain a genetically

determined mixture of both slow and fast
fiber types. On average, we have about 50
percent slow twitch and 50 percent fast
twitch fibers in most of the muscles used for
movement.

Sporting examples.
Netball requires strong legs and the ability to move
quickly. Agility and quickness are important
aspects in netball. Due to the nature of the game,
with lots of starts and stops and forceful
contractions, flexibility and strength are essential.

With this sport a mixture of all 3 muscles

fibres is necessary, Using the different
muscle fibres during different times within
the game to benefit a performance.
Slow twitch fibres will help when a longer
period of play is occurring, for example if the
goal keeper goes for an interception at the
edge of a third then has to follow back to the
shooting D to defend a shot she uses energy
over a longer period of time rather than one
short sharp burst of power. The slow twitch
fibres help facilitate this need and take over
work form the other muscle fibres to become
the main working type.

At a centre pass the receivers (WA + GA) will

need to be ready to produce a short sharp
action of movement in order to part from
their opposition and gain possession, in
order to do this Fast twitch fibres (II) are
activated and take control over the body’s
muscle fibres. When a player side steps or
turns to get away from a defender they
display a burst of movement in both the legs
and core and so need these fibres to help the
sequence.

Type IIA Fibres – Can be used throughout the

game, combining both the anaerobic and
aerobic systems together equally.