During intense anaerobic exercise, which failure mode becomes most likely as the sarcolemma's ability to maintain ion gradients diminishes due to ATP depletion?

💡 Explanation

Impaired excitation-contraction coupling becomes likely because ATP depletion inhibits the sarcolemma's ion pumps, disrupting the sodium and potassium gradients necessary for action potential propagation. Therefore, muscle fiber excitability declines, and calcium release is compromised, rather than phosphocreatine compensating or enhanced reuptake occurring.

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