.........I then give a very simple analogy of how muscles can be likened to a sponge. If you hold a sponge under a running tap, water will percolate through it. So the major blood vessels are the pipes feeding the tap. If you squeeze a wet sponge you will remove most of the water and if you let the sponge go it will suck the water back in.
In a muscle, blood and fluids are carrying oxygen and nutrients (amongst other things). In the process of working, the muscle uses this fuel and produces waste products that the circulation system removes to the 'waste processing plant' (kidneys / liver / skin etc). However by holding the 'Bicep' one is squeezing the 'Sponge', making it do the work, but not allowing the 'suck' part of the cycle to replace the fuel and remove the waste produce.
The longer the muscle is held in the squeeze part of the cycle the more 'waste' is produced until there is no more fuel to use. Now, the waste is a very important part of the process because it is a chemical, (essentially acidic), which acts as an irritant to the cells and nervous system receptors in the muscles and connective tissues in joints. This chemistry, for example lactic acid, is the stuff that makes your muscles feel tired and achy if they have been over worked. This is a clever design feature in the form of a bio/electrical/chemical safety valve which sends information to the brain which then sends other information to the muscles telling them to release the workload or create movement thereby allowing the "suck" part of the cycle to take the waste products away so that they are not irritating / stimulating / eroding the muscle / connective tissues / nervous system receptors.
By allowing the muscle to go though its complete design process it works efficiently and is comfortable and movement can actually be pleasurable.
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