Final answer:
The muscular contraction described is an isotonic contraction, where the muscle shortens as the myosin and actin filaments slide past each other, fueled by ATP hydrolysis according to the sliding filament model.
Step-by-step explanation:
The muscular contraction in which the muscle shortens to produce force and accelerate movement is called isotonic contraction. This type of contraction involves the shortening of sarcomeres within a muscle fiber, which occurs as the muscle fibers contract. During an isotonic contraction, myosin heads bind to actin to form cross-bridges, and the actin filaments are pulled inwards, allowing the sarcomeres to shorten. This action is powered by the hydrolysis of ATP, releasing energy for the contraction process. The sliding filament model of muscle contraction describes this process, suggesting that the movement is achieved by the sliding of thin actin filaments past thick myosin filaments, which decreases the overall length of the muscle fiber and causes contraction.