Sahinis Chrysostomos, Amiridis Ioannis G, Kellis Eleftherios
Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Agios Ioannis, 62110, Serres, Greece.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2025 Jul 25. doi: 10.1007/s00421-025-05889-w.
This review aims to summarize current knowledge on regional variations in muscle structure and neural organization. It also examines how these differences affect muscle function and explores the current evidence for region-specific neuromuscular adaptations to training and injury/unloading in humans. Muscles exhibit substantial structural and functional heterogeneity along their length, reflected by regional variations in architecture, fiber type composition, sarcomere lengths, and tendon-aponeurosis structure. These differences potentially underpin distinct regional capacities for force production, contraction velocity, and energy storage. Additionally, compartmentalization within the neuromuscular system, characterized by spatially differentiated motor unit territories and region-specific activation, potentially allowing for specialized muscle function across varying tasks. However, current evidence predominantly relies on descriptive or animal studies, limiting direct translation into human-specific practices. Although preliminary findings suggest that region-specific adaptations occur following training, injury, or unloading, the practical implications for performance optimization or injury prevention remain speculative. Therefore, future longitudinal studies in humans are required to elucidate the functional relevance of these regional neuromuscular differences, to establish clearer mechanistic insights, and to determine whether such knowledge can guide training interventions and rehabilitation protocols to enhance performance and reduce injury risk.
本综述旨在总结关于肌肉结构和神经组织区域差异的现有知识。它还研究了这些差异如何影响肌肉功能，并探讨了目前关于人类针对训练以及损伤/失用的区域特异性神经肌肉适应的证据。肌肉在其长度上表现出显著的结构和功能异质性，这体现在结构、纤维类型组成、肌节长度以及肌腱 - 腱膜结构的区域差异上。这些差异可能是不同区域产生力量、收缩速度和能量储存能力的基础。此外，神经肌肉系统内的分区，其特征是运动单位区域在空间上的分化和区域特异性激活，这可能使肌肉在不同任务中具备特殊功能。然而，目前的证据主要依赖于描述性研究或动物研究，限制了其直接应用于针对人类的实践。尽管初步研究结果表明，在训练、受伤或失用后会出现区域特异性适应，但对于优化表现或预防损伤的实际意义仍具有推测性。因此，未来需要对人类进行纵向研究，以阐明这些区域神经肌肉差异的功能相关性，建立更清晰的机制性认识，并确定这些知识是否能够指导训练干预和康复方案，以提高表现并降低受伤风险。
