Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Conceptual Model for the Force–Velocity Relation of Muscle (Hill's Equation)

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

THE relationship between the velocity of shortening v and a constant load w on an excited striated muscle is given by Hill's equation: where P is the isometric tension and a, b are constants. Hill1 first derived this relation experimentally. Later work2 has shown that this relation accurately describes the force–velocity relation for many kinds of muscle. One of the main criticisms of Hill's equation has been that it does not directly suggest any conceptual model of a physico-chemical system2,3.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hill, A. N., Proc. Roy. Soc., B, 126, 136 (1938).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Abbott, B. C., and Wilkie, D. R., J. Physiol., 120, 214 (1953).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Pringle, J. W. S., Symp. Soc. Exp. Biol., 14, 41 (1960).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Spencer, M., and Worthington, C. R., Nature, 187, 388 (1960).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. H. M. Randall Laboratory of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    C. R. WORTHINGTON

Authors
  1. C. R. WORTHINGTON
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

WORTHINGTON, C. Conceptual Model for the Force–Velocity Relation of Muscle (Hill's Equation). Nature 193, 1283–1284 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/1931283a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1931283a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation