Figure 3 - Strain-energy relationship of the cricopharyngeus (CP) muscle.

This graph shows that the optimum length (L_O) of the CP is approximately 1.7 times its resting length (L_R), whereas in other striated muscles L_O = L_R. This relationship illustrates the large degree of elasticity of the CP compared to other striated muscles. (Source: Medda et al.,²⁶ with permission of the American Physiological Society.)