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Interindividual variation of isolated muscle performance and fibre-type composition in the toad Bufo viridus

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Abstract

Interindividual analyses of physiological performance represent one of the most powerful tools for identifying functional positive and negative linkages between various performance traits. In this study we investigated functional linkages in the whole-gastrocnemius performance of juvenile Bufo viridis by examining interindividual variation in in vitro muscle performance and muscle fibre-type composition. We used the work-loop technique to investigate the maximum in vitro power output and fatigue resistance of the gastrocnemius muscle during repeated sets of three cycles at the cycle frequency of 5 Hz, simulating an intermittent style of locomotion. We found several significant correlations between different measures of in vitro muscle performance, including a negative correlation between maximum net power output and fatigue resistance of power, indicating functional trade-offs between these performance traits. We also investigated the extent of individual variation in the proportions of different fibre types, and tested for correlations between individual variation in muscle fibre-type composition and the previously measured isolated muscle performance. Fast glycolytic fibres represented 84.0±3.4% of the muscle, while the combined slow oxidative and fast oxidative-glycolytic fibres represented 16±3.4%. We found no significant correlations between measures of in vitro muscle performance and the proportion of different fibre types in the gastrocnemius muscle. However, despite this lack of correlation between whole-muscle performance and muscle fibre-type composition data, we suggest the functional linkages detected between different measures of in vitro muscular performance have important ecological and evolutionary consequences.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Michael Jollie, Mark Bodycote, Adrian Wallen, and Jen McKain for technical assistance, and Raoul Van Damme for many insightful discussions. This research was supported by a GOA-BOF project (University of Antwerp 1999–2003) and a Royal Society Grant awarded to R.S.J. R.S.W. is currently supported by an ARC postdoctoral fellowship. T.K. was supported by travel fellowships to UK from Pró-reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-graduação and Comissão de Cooperação Internacional (CCInt), both from the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Robbie S. Wilson

  2. School of Science and the Environment, Coventry University, James Starley Building, Priory St., Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK

    Rob S. James & Valerie M. Cox

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06520, USA

    Tiana Kohlsdorf

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  1. Robbie S. Wilson
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  2. Rob S. James
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  3. Tiana Kohlsdorf
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  4. Valerie M. Cox
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Correspondence to Robbie S. Wilson.

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Communicated by I.D. Hume

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Wilson, R.S., James, R.S., Kohlsdorf, T. et al. Interindividual variation of isolated muscle performance and fibre-type composition in the toad Bufo viridus . J Comp Physiol B 174, 453–459 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-004-0431-7

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