Muscles are groups of styptic tissues that are combined to perform specific functions. When tissues are clumped together, they become fibers called fasciculus. The body comprises more than 600 muscles, each with different tasks. Most bodily functions like chewing, breathing, food digestion, temperature regulation, and cardiac activities are controlled by muscle movements.
Muscle tissues are categorized into three types, namely, cardiac, smooth, and skeletal. Cardiac muscles are attached to the heart wall as they assist the heart in pumping all the time due to involuntary movements. In comparison, smooth muscles are non-striated and can contract and control involuntarily. They are found anywhere in the body and serve different functions, such as aiding digestion, oxygenating tissues, and fighting disease in the body. Lastly, skeletal muscles are those muscles that are connected to the bones. Therefore, they assist the body in doing movements such as running and walking.
The muscles have nerves that are connected to the nervous system. When the nerves in the muscles are damaged, the body cannot control muscle contractions. This condition is called muscle twitching or fasciculation. Some cases are severe and may indicate a failing nervous system.
Physical Activity
Muscle twitches often feel like the muscles tighten reflexively. One of the leading causes of muscle twitches or fasciculation is engaging in strenuous physical activity. Research suggests that overworked muscle fibers or fasciculus trigger muscle twitching due to microdamage caused by exercise. This is also due to the buildup of lactic acid in the tissues. Lactic acid appears during activity and may trigger inflammation. When the lactic acid is gone, an inflammatory response begins to heal the lactic acid’s damage.
During physical activity, the body sweats to cool down the body. Unfortunately, this cooling-down process leads to an electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes are minerals found in body fluids, such as blood, tears, and sweat, that covey electric charge. These minerals are helpful, especially in regulating chemical balance, which is beneficial in maintaining fluids in and outside the cells. Electrolyte imbalance’s a body with too much or too little minerals. These minerals dissolve and escape into the body in the form of sweat. When these happen, the body may experience muscle twitching as a response to the loss of electrolytes, for muscle twitching is a symptom of an imbalance in electrolytes.
