fast twitch
Rapid muscle fibers
Fast twitch describes muscle fibers that contract quickly and powerfully but fatigue rapidly.
These fibers excel at explosive movements—sprinting, jumping, heavy lifting—unlike slow-twitch fibers built for endurance.
Athletes in power sports tend to have more fast-twitch muscle: Sprinters are born with fast-twitch dominance.
The term appears in fitness contexts discussing training for speed versus stamina.
- muscleContractile body tissue
- muscle fiberContractile cell in tissue
- fiberPlant-based digestive aid
- explosiveProne to sudden detonation
- sprintBrief maximum-speed effort
100 meter dash · power · anaerobic · contraction · burst · short burst · high intensity · speed · strength · athletic · white · fatigue · snatch · jump · reactive · force · reflex · jolt
- speedspeed, quickness, rate, velocity, pace
- athleticismspeed, agility, strength, endurance, stamina
- Sprintingsprint, dash, 100 meters, 200 meters, 100 meter dash
- muscle propertiesstrength, flexibility, elasticity, endurance, tone
- musclesmuscle, biceps, triceps, abs, hamstrings
- reflexesreflex, reflexes, reflex action, reflex response, quick reflexes