Abstract
Repetitive mechanical load applied to a body part may lead to hypertrophy of its muscles. If a movement requires asymmetric activation of bilateral muscles, this may result in differences in muscle size between the sides. This study aimed to investigate the degree of bilateral differences in the trunk muscle volume of golfers by comparing with non-golfers. Seventeen male right-handed golfers and eleven (nine right- and two left-handed) non-golfers participated. Trunk muscle volume was determined using magnetic resonance imaging, and the degree of asymmetry was calculated as the ratio of trunk muscle volume on the left to trunk muscle volume on the right side in right-handers and vice-versa in left-handers. Golfers had significantly larger lateral abdominal wall (LA) muscle volume than non-golfers: 12.36 ± 1.12 vs. 9.96 ± 0.94 cm3/kg; erector spinae: 9.12 ± 1.16 vs. 7.88 ± 0.84 cm3/kg; psoas major (PM): 6.27 ± 0.88 vs. 5.51 ± 0.98 cm3/kg; rectus abdominis (RA): 4.15 ± 0.54 vs. 3.50 ± 0.64 cm3/kg; and multifidus: 3.61 ± 0.41 vs. 3.05 ± 0.40 cm3/kg (p < 0.05). The degree of bilateral asymmetry of the LA, PM, and RA volume was significantly greater in golfers than in non-golfers (LA: -8.63 ± 7.40% vs. 1.94 ± 2.76%; PM: -9.10 ± 5.25% vs. -0.48 ± 5.96%; RA: 6.36 ± 6.50% vs. -2.12 ± 9.64%, respectively, p < 0.05). Right-handed golfers had greater left LA and PM volume compared to the right (LA: 5.89 ± 0.55 vs. 6.48 ± 0.65 cm3/kg; PM: 3.00 ± 0.42 vs. 3.27 ± 0.47 cm3/kg; p < 0.05) and had greater right RA volume compared to the left (2.15 ± 0.32 vs. 2.00 ± 0.24 cm3/kg, p < 0.05). These findings suggest that skilled, long-term golfers develop large volume and bilateral asymmetry of their trunk muscles.
Highlights
Athletes commonly possess greater muscle volume in specific body parts compared to nonathletes
This study aimed to investigate the degree of bilateral differences in the trunk muscle volume of golfers by comparing with non-golfers
The major role of the rectus abdominis (RA) is trunk forward flexion and lateral flexion to the side of the actively contracting RA [10]. These results suggest that frequent golf swing practice may cause asymmetric hypertrophy of the lateral abdominal wall (LA) and RA muscles, and skilled long-term golfers would have greater degree of bilateral difference in trunk muscles compared to non-active people who have never played the golf as well as the results of previous studies of professional tennis players [1, 4]
Summary
Athletes commonly possess greater muscle volume in specific body parts compared to nonathletes. One of the most common reasons for this is a repetitive mechanical load that is typical for the respective sport and applied to these body parts over a prolonged period of time Such adaptation could lead to the bilateral differences in trunk muscle size observed in skilled players of sports which require asymmetric trunk motion such as tennis, baseball, and cricket [1,2,3]. Bilateral differences in trunk muscle volume of golfers lateral abdominal wall muscle volume (LA; includes the external and internal abdominal oblique, and the transverse abdominal [1]), and a 58% larger rectus abdominis (RA) muscle volume than non-active people [4] In both trunk muscles, the hypertrophy was asymmetric (18% and 35% higher volume on non-dominant side compared to dominant side LA and RA, respectively) [1, 4]
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