Training Status and Gender Effects on Sternocleidomastoid and Abdominal Muscles Activity during Curl-Up Exercise with Different Respiratory Cycle

Year 2017, , 1 - 10, 25.04.2017

Hasan Sözen

https://doi.org/10.19127/mbsjohs.309373

Abstract

Objective: This study
aims to investigate sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) during curl-up exercise
with different inspiration and expiration cycle among subject with different
training status and gender, and the abdominal muscles in the targeted area.

Methods: 24 healthy
subjects volunteered to participate in the study. The data were gathered from
bilateral SCM, rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO) and transversus
abdominis/internal oblique (TrA/IO) muscles via surface electromyography (EMG).

Results: The analysis
of all the data gathered from the participants shows that the muscle activation
in EO right, TrA/IO right, TrA/IO left and RA right during curl-up exercise
with expiration is higher than activation during curl-up exercise with
inspiration. A comparison of sedentary and mean scores of participants during
curl-up exercise with expiration did not reveal any significant difference. A
comparison of mean scores of men and women during curl-up exercise with
expiration showed that the scores derived from females’ EO left and RA right
muscles is higher than the scores derived from the same muscles group of males.
However, when the average scores of male and female participants in the curl-up
movement with inspiration were compared, the scores derived from the same
muscle group of females is higher than that of males’.

Conclusion: As there is
no difference between genders and the contraction rates of SCM muscle, no
gender-specific suggestions can be made about respiration during curl-up for
the health of neck and cervical zone

Keywords

Curl-up exercise, abdominal muscles, sternocleidomastoid

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