Validation and comparison of trunk muscle activities in male participants during exercise using an innovative device and abdominal bracing maneuvers

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Abdominal bracing is effective in strengthening the trunk muscles; however, assessing performance can be challenging. We created a device for performing abdominal trunk muscle exercises. The effectiveness of this device has not yet been evaluated or compared OBJECTIVE: We aimed to quantify muscle activity levels during exercise using our innovative device and to compare them with muscle activation during abdominal bracing maneuvers. METHODS: This study included 10 men who performed abdominal bracing exercises and exercises using our device. We measured surface electromyogram (EMG) activities of the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique, internal oblique (IO), and erector spinae (ES) muscles in each of the exercises. The EMG data were normalized to those recorded during maximal voluntary contraction (%EMGmax). RESULTS: During the bracing exercise, the %EMGmax of IO was significantly higher than that of RA and ES (p< 0.05), whereas during the exercises using the device, the %EMGmax of IO was significantly higher than that of ES (p< 0.05). No significant difference was observed in the %EMGmax of any muscle between bracing exercises and the exercises using the device (p= 0.13–0.95). CONCLUSIONS: The use of our innovative device results in comparable activation to that observed during abdominal bracing.