FIGURE 2. Muscle strength in hibernating black bears.

Left, peak torque force (in newton metres, Nm) of the tibialis anterior in six bears tested in response to a multiple-pulse stimulus to the perineal nerve. Bears were tested at their den site in the autumn (blue bar) and again in the spring (pink bar); vertical lines are 1 s.e.m. Right, peak torque force (Nm) of ankle dorsiflexion in healthy humans determined using a similar apparatus and protocol. Green bar, predicted strength at a leg temperature similar to that of the bears; yellow bar, predicted strength after 130 days of atrophy at 0.7% strength loss per day.