Trunk muscle activation during movement with a new exercise device for lumbo-pelvic reconditioning.
Gravitational unloading leads to adaptations of the human body, including the spine and its adjacent structures, making it more vulnerable to injury and pain. The Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device (FRED) has been developed to activate the deep spinal muscles,lumbar multifidus(LM) andtransversus abdominis(TrA), that provide inter-segmental control and spinal protection. The FRED provides an unstable base of support and combines weight bearing in up-right posture with side alternating, elliptical leg movements, without any resistance to movement. The present study investigated the activation of LM, TrA, obliquus externus (OE), obliquus internus (OI), abdominis, and erector spinae (ES) during FRED exercise using intramuscular fine-wire and surface EMG Nine healthy male volunteers (27 ± 5 years) have been recruited for the study. FRED exercise was compared with treadmill walking. It was confirmed that LM and TrA were continually active during FRED exercise. Compared with walking, FRED exercise resulted in similar mean activation of LM and TrA, less activation of OE, OI, ES, and greater variability of lumbo-pelvic muscle activation patterns between individual FRED/gait cycles. These data suggest that FRED continuously engages LM and TrA, and therefore, has the potential as a stationary exercise device to train these muscles.
European Space Agency, European Astronaut Centre Space Medicine Office (HSO-AM), Cologne, Germany tobias.weber@esa.int.|KBRWyle GmbH, Cologne, Germany.
Tobias
T
Weber
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Dorothée
D
Debuse
The University of Queensland NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury and Health School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Sauro E
SE
Salomoni
The University of Queensland NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury and Health School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Edith L
EL
Elgueta Cancino
KBRWyle GmbH, Cologne, Germany.|Sports Medicine Specialisation School, Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences Department, University of Siena, Toscana, Italy.
Enrico
E
De Martino
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Nick
N
Caplan
European Space Agency, European Astronaut Centre Space Medicine Office (HSO-AM), Cologne, Germany.
Volker
V
Damann
European Space Agency, European Astronaut Centre Space Medicine Office (HSO-AM), Cologne, Germany.|KBRWyle GmbH, Cologne, Germany.
Jonathan
J
Scott
The University of Queensland NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury and Health School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Paul W
PW
Hodges
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D060726:Torso / Q000502:physiology*; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
Deep spinal muscles; exercise device; fine‐wire electromyography; lumbar spine; rehabilitation