Skeletal Muscle: Form and Function

Skeletal Muscle: Form and Function Alan J. McComas Skeletal muscle physiology, perhaps the basis for all of exercise science, has fascinated scientists for years. Usually, information on skeletal muscle is relegated to a few pages in existing physiology or exercise physiology texts. Skeletal muscle does not seem to get enough respect. The enormity of information on skeletal muscle would make amassing such information into a book a daunting task. Thankfully, Dr. McComas has done just that. Skeletal Muscle covers a wide variety of topics. It is divided into three sections: Structure and Development, Putting Muscles to Work, and The Adaptable Neuromuscular System. Structure and Development covers basic neuromuscular anatomy as well as muscle innervation and formation, which are typically neglected by most exercise physiologists. The second section Putting Muscles to Work has chapters such as axoplasmic transport and exercise, which appear not to be closely related. It is not clear why some of these chapters are included in this section. The section The Adaptable Neuromuscular System covers such topics as muscle fatigue, muscle training, disuse, and aging. One of the more attractive features of this book is the applied physiology section at the end of all chapters. Although some of these sections are substantially lacking (e.g., Exercise), most (e.g., Injury and Repair) contain interesting information. The clinical aspect of skeletal muscle disorders is presented in a clear and interesting manner. In general, the text provides valuable information on skeletal muscle that is not compiled in any other textbook. The illustrations are not the most visually pleasing; however, the tables and graphs are well presented. This book is a great resource for graduate students and advanced undergraduated students in exercise physiology, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a muscle aficionado.