declining with decreasing temperatures and increasing with rising temperatures. The Q₁₀ coefficient represents the degree of temperature dependence a muscle exhibits as measured by contraction rates. A Q₁₀ of 1.0 indicates thermal independence of a muscle whereas an increasing Q₁₀ value indicates increasing thermal dependence. Values less than 1.0 indicate a negative or inverse thermal dependence, i.e., a decrease in muscle performance as temperature increases.

Q₁₀ values for biological processes