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Course, academic year 2026/2027   
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Muscular Physiology - MB150P20
Title: Fyziologie svalů
Czech title: Fyziologie svalů
Form of teaching: lecture+laboratory practicals
Guaranteed by: Department of Physiology (31-152)
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Actual: from 2026
Duration in semesters: 1
Semester: winter
E-Credits: 4
Examination process: winter s.:combined
Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/0, C+Ex [HT]
Extent per academic year: 4 [days]
Capacity: 50
Maximum number of enrolled students: 50
Min. number of students: unlimited
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
State of the course: taught
Language: Czech
Note: enabled for web enrollment
Guarantor: doc. RNDr. Jitka Žurmanová, Ph.D.
Teacher(s): RNDr. Barbara Elsnicová, Ph.D.
RNDr. Matúš Miklovič, Ph.D.
Mgr. Veronika Spišská, Ph.D.
doc. RNDr. Jitka Žurmanová, Ph.D.
Is incompatible with: MB152P02
Annotation -
This compulsory elective course comprises lectures and practical work. It is intended for master's and doctoral students, particularly those interested in the physiology of animals and humans. The lectures provide a systematic overview of the physiology of the cardiovascular system and skeletal muscles at whole-body, organ, cellular and molecular levels. It addresses functional, metabolic and structural issues. The course also focuses on the effects of physical stress, hormonal imbalance, hypoxia and cold exposure on the heart as well as the skeletal muscle. The course provides basic information on selected pathological conditions. The course includes a practical course which allows students to become familiar with techniques for studying the heart and skeletal muscle. Students are also introduced to physiological methods of measuring cardiac function on various experimental models. Students perform stress measurements of cardiopulmonary function using an ergometer Cardioline. Practical training includes a visit to the Intitute of Clinical and Expreimental Cardiology. The results of the practical training are presented in the form of a project within the groups.



Last update: Žurmanová Jitka, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (30.08.2026)
Literature - Czech

Medical Physiology: W.F Boron a E.L.Boulpaep (Section II - chapter 6, 7, 8 9; Section IV - Cardiovascular system, section, chapter 17,21,22,25; Section X- chapter 60)

Přehled lékařské fyziologie: William.F.

Energetics of muscle contaction  M.J.Kushmerick , Handbook of Physiology, chapter 7

Cardiovascular Physiology D.E.Mohram a L.J.Heller 

Skeletal muscle from molecules to moovement: David Jones et al.

Skeletal muscle repair and regeneration: Stefano Schiaffino and Terence Partridge                                                                                                                        

Last update: Žurmanová Jitka, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (22.09.2025)
Course assessment methods and requirements for successful completion, grading scheme -

Credit is awarded for 100% participation in practical exercises and presentation of a paper prepared in groups.

The exam consists of an oral part and a short quiz based on diagrams.

Last update: Žurmanová Jitka, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (30.08.2026)
Syllabus -
  1. Organising infos of the course. Introduction to the history of the study of skeletal muscle and the development of cardiology worldwide and in the Czech Republic
  2. Structure and function of the cardiac muscle compared with skeletal muscle and the energy metabolism of cardiomyocytes
  3. Cardiac cycle and haemodynamics of the heart and the conduction system of the heart at rest and under extreme conditions of stress and hypoxic conditions
  4. Autonomic regulation of heart activity, baroreflexes and regulation of blood pressure
  5. Experimental models of cardiovascular disease
  6. Visit to the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM)
  7. Cardioprotective effects of physical exertion, adaptation to hypoxia, mild cold, caloric restriction and oxidative stress
  8. Movement apparatus, reflex and conscious control of contraction, muscle Disbalance, muscle myopathies (visiting the Parent Project association)
  9. Development of skeletal muscles and molecular mechanisms of contraction
  10. Types of skeletal muscles. Structure and function of muscle fibres and energy metabolism of muscle cells
  11. Hormonal influences, physical exertion, muscle fatigue, ageing
  12. Methods (determination of muscle fibre type, energy metabolism, oxidative stress and others)
  13. Comparison of the right and left heart. Development, morphology, metabolism, activation, function and control of skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle.
  14. The practical work will allow students to try out immunohistochemical methods for determining the type of muscle fibres, familiarise themselves with physiological methods of measuring cardiac function on various experimental models (heart in vivo, heart ex vivo, heart slices) and perform stress tests on cardiopulmonary functions on an ergometer.
  15. Laboratory visit at IKEM: demonstration of myocardial infarction surgery, ECHO-cardio examination, experimental models of h



Last update: Žurmanová Jitka, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (30.08.2026)
Learning outcomes -

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Differentiate skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle by development, morphology, activation, metabolism, and control of activity, and accurately compare right vs. left heart structure-function relationships using discipline-specific terminology and annotated schematics.
  2. Analyze energy metabolism in cardiomyocytes and skeletal muscle fibers (e.g., oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, substrate flexibility) and predict metabolic shifts under exercise, hypoxia, mild cold, caloric restriction, and oxidative stress, supported by literature-based justification.
  3. Explain and quantitatively interpret the cardiac cycle, conduction system, and hemodynamics at rest and under extreme exercise or hypoxia, including effects on preload, afterload, stroke volume, cardiac output, and pressure-volume loops, with correct parameter estimation.
  4. Evaluate autonomic regulation of cardiac activity and blood pressure by integrating sympathetic/parasympathetic pathways, baroreflex mechanisms, and vascular responses; simulate or analyze scenarios to predict and justify reflex outcomes.
  5. Design and critique experimental approaches and models used in cardiovascular and muscle research (in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and computational), articulating validity, limitations, ethical considerations, and translational relevance to human disease.
  6. Describe and experimentally relate the development of skeletal muscle and the molecular mechanisms of contraction (excitation–contraction coupling, cross-bridge cycling, Ca2+ handling), and connect these mechanisms to functional performance and pathology.
  7. Assess the roles of muscle fiber type, neuromuscular coordination, reflex and voluntary control, and muscle imbalances in determining performance; propose intervention strategies (training, rehabilitation) grounded in physiological principles and evidence.
  8. Appraise the impacts of hormones and physical stress on muscle fatigue, hypertrophy and atrophy 
Last update: Žurmanová Jitka, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (21.01.2026)
The course does not include work placement
 
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