Degens Hans, Bobbert Maarten, Scholz Melanie
Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Sport, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Institute of Sport Science and Innovations, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania.
J Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol. 2025 Nov;343(9):1023-1030. doi: 10.1002/jez.70015. Epub 2025 Jul 22.
It has been reported that the muscles of chimpanzees and bonobos have "super strength" and it has been suggested that this is attributable to a larger specific tension and specific power of their muscles. To investigate this we compared the force-velocity relationship in 85 human and 49 bonobo (Pan paniscus) skinned fibers at 15°C. Fibers were classified as type I or II with gel electrophoresis. Type II fibers had a higher maximal shortening velocity (Vmax) and lower curvature of the force-velocity relationship (higher a/Po) than type I fibers in both species (p < 0.001). Although bonobo fibers of both types were larger and produced more force than human fibers, their specific tension and Vmax were lower (p < 0.001). The a/Po was higher in bonobo fibers (p < 0.001). Combined these differences in the parameters of the force-velocity relationship resulted in a similar specific power in bonobo and human fibers. The lesser curvature of the force-velocity relationship offsets the negative effects of a lower specific tension and Vmax on specific power of bonobo muscle fibers. The "super strength" of bonobos cannot be explained by differences in muscle fiber contractile properties but may reflect a higher proportion of type II fibers than in human muscle.
据报道，黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩的肌肉具有“超强力量”，有人认为这归因于它们肌肉更大的比张力和比功率。为了对此进行研究，我们比较了85条人类和49条倭黑猩猩（Pan paniscus）去皮纤维在15℃时的力-速度关系。通过凝胶电泳将纤维分为I型或II型。在两个物种中，II型纤维的最大缩短速度（Vmax）更高，力-速度关系的曲率更低（a/Po更高），比I型纤维（p < 0.001）。虽然两种类型的倭黑猩猩纤维都比人类纤维更大，产生的力也更多，但它们的比张力和Vmax更低（p < 0.001）。倭黑猩猩纤维的a/Po更高（p < 0.001）。综合起来，力-速度关系参数的这些差异导致倭黑猩猩和人类纤维具有相似的比功率。力-速度关系较小的曲率抵消了较低的比张力和Vmax对倭黑猩猩肌肉纤维比功率的负面影响。倭黑猩猩的“超强力量”不能用肌肉纤维收缩特性的差异来解释，而可能反映出其II型纤维的比例比人类肌肉更高。
