What takes place inside a muscle cell during the latent period?

During the latent period, there is no change in length; it refers to the time during which impulse is traveling down the t-tubules to sarcoplasmic reticulum and along the sarcolemma, calcium gets discharged and so on, or it can be said that during this period muscle cannot contract immediately.

The latent period is a resultant of:

1. Time consumed by the stimulus to travel along the nerve to the neuromuscular junction.

2. Time taken for the excitation-contraction coupling to take place.

3. Time taken for the impulse to cross the neuromuscular junction and to instigate the muscle.

4. Time taken to overcome the viscous resistance of the muscle.