Comparison of Abdominal and Lumbar Multifidus Muscle Activity During Unilateral Hip Extension in Prone Position on the Floor and on a Round Foam Roll

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the muscle activity of the abdominal and lumbar multifidus during unilateral prone hip extension on the floor and on a round foam roll. Fifteen healthy participants were recruited. They were instructed to perform a unilateral hip extension on the floor and on a round foam roll in the prone position. Surface electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded from bilateral lumbar multifidus (LM), external oblique (EO), and internal oblique (IO) muscles. A paired t-test was used to compare muscle activity, with the level of significance set at a=.05. The results showed that bilateral LJVI, EO, IO EMG activity during right-hip extension on a round foam roll was greater than that on the floor, and EMG activity of bilateral LJVI, right EO, and left IO during left-hip extension on a round foam roll was greater than that on the floor (p<.05). These findings suggest that the unilateral hip-extension exercise on a round foam roll can be used to activate the lumbar multifidus and abdominal oblique muscles and causes a different increasing pattern between the two lifting sides.