Models of muscle contraction are typically based on a measured force-velocity relation embodied as Hill’s contractile element [1]. Adopting a particular force-velocity relation dictates the muscle’s mechanical properties. Dynamic crossbridge based models, such as Huxley’s [2], typically focus on ultrastructural mechanics. This study adapts a dynamic lumped model of cardiac muscle contraction [3] for description of mouse soleus skeletal muscle. This compact, dynamic model exhibits the main features of skeletal muscle contraction with few assumptions. The main differences between cardiac and skeletal muscle dynamics are described. This approach gives one equation and set of parameters capable of modeling isometric and isotonic contractions, skeletal muscle’s force-length relation, variations in contractility, and the force-velocity relation. This new constitutive equation may be useful for modeling striated muscle as part of larger biomechanical models.
