肌肉伸缩（英语：Muscle contraction）是通过肌动蛋白和肌球蛋白共同完成的。当突触发生动作电位的时候，钙离子就会进入肌肉，肌肉通过三磷酸腺苷（ATP）产生能量从而扭曲肌肉纤维，因此导致肌球蛋白的进入。

Template:肌肉生理学

Muscle contraction is the activation of tension-generating sites within muscle fibers. In physiology, muscle contraction does not mean muscle shortening because muscle tension can be produced without changes in muscle length such as holding a heavy book or a dumbbell at the same position. The termination of muscle contraction is followed by muscle relaxation, which is a return of the muscle fibers to their low tension-generating state.