Wall Squat Research Articles

Electromyographical Analysis of selected Lower Extremity Muscles During 5 Unilateral Weight-Bearing Exercises

Prospective single-group repeated-measures design. To quantify electromyographic (EMG) signal amplitude of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, vastus medialis oblique, and biceps femoris during 5 unilateral weight-bearing exercises. Using normalized EMG (NEMG) signal amplitude as a measure of muscle activation and, therefore, an estimate of exercise intensity, the relative contributions and interaction of the hip and thigh muscles during unilateral weight-bearing exercise can be examined. With regard to potential efficiency for strengthening, data on the amount of EMG signal amplitude for these 4 muscles during commonly used exercises are limited. Twenty-three healthy, asymptomatic subjects (16 men, 7 women; mean +/- SD age, 31.2 +/- 5.8 years) participated. A repeated-measures analysis was conducted using general linear models. The percent maximum voluntary isometric contraction was measured within each subject across 4 muscles during 5 exercises for 2 separate trials. Effect sizes of pairwise comparisons were computed. Statistically significant differences were noted in the amount of mean NEMG signal amplitude for the 4 muscles across the 5 exercises. A similar recruitment pattern between muscles was observed across all exercises. Even though all muscles except the biceps femoris demonstrated mean NEMG signal amplitudes sufficient for strengthening, the wall squat produced the highest levels of activation and should be considered the most efficient for targeting any of the 4 muscles or for training a cooperative effort among the muscles.

Stability Ball Wall Squat

summary The exercise technique of the stability ball wall squat is described and demonstrated in this column.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome in Tibetan Buddhist Monks

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common diagnosis in athletes and especially runners. This article discusses 3 cases of patellofemoral pain caused by pronounced inactivity and prolonged knee hyperflexion at altitude in a unique population of Tibetan Buddhist monks. In this case, the monks responded well to a program of activity modification and exercises.

THE EFFECT OF KNEE TAPING ON THE EMG ACTIVITY OF THE VASTUS MEDIALIS OBLIQUE AND VASTUS LATERALIS MUSCLES 1202

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common complaint in athletes and physically active individuals and has long been a major concern of Sports Medicine practitioners. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of different patella taping procedures on the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO) and Vastus Lateralis (VL) muscles. Four female university students volunteered for this study. The subjects had a history of previous knee pathology and current symptoms of Patellofemoral pain. The EMG signals were recorded using surface electrodes. Average EMG was obtained by rectifying and smoothing the raw waveform using an electronic contour follower integrator with a time constant of 50 ms. The EMG activity was normalized to the percentage of maximum activity for each muscle before being analyzed. An electro-goniometer was used to measure knee flexion angle. After placement of the surface electrodes each subject performed 2 maximum isometric trials with a knee angle of 90°. After 10 minutes of rest the subjects performed three 10 sec repetitions of a submaximal wall squat exercise at a rate of 30 per sec under four conditions; control (No Tape), taping on a medial, lateral and no glide position. The results indicated that the total EMG activity produced by the VMO and VL muscles throughout the ROM was significantly different between the taping conditions(p<.05). The VL activity was reduced for all taping conditions. The peak EMG activity of the VMO and VL muscles was significantly different between the two muscles and between the taping conditions (p<.05). The most important finding was that the VMO:VL ratio increased for all taping conditions and were all above 1.0.

RELIABILITY OF TEN NEW TESTS FOR ASSESSING FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE AND STRENGTH IN OLDER ADULTS 61

Strength gains in older adults have been documented using traditional(weights and machines) and non-traditional (elastic bands) resistance training modes. However, the extent to which these reported training-specific strength gains carryover to functional tasks is unknown. To gain insight into this question four functional tasks were developed and tested for reliability. Additionally, the reliabilities of six strength tests using a non-traditional form of resistance (i.e. elastic bands) were examined. Twenty nine community dwelling older adults age 65 or over (mean age=76) were tested on two days separated by one week. Time of day and order of testing was the same. Functional tasks were performed first in the following order: street cross-bus entry test, bed to chair to bed transfer test, stair climb test and car exit test. Three trials of each task were performed and time required to complete the task was averaged. Six strength tests were then performed in the following order: wall squat, hip flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, seated row, biceps curl, and triceps extension. Bands offering different resistances were used for testing. Strength was based on the maximal number of repetitions (less than 20) performed. Reliabilities and differences in measures between test days were determined using interclass correlations and paired t-tests, respectively. The interclass correlations for the functional tasks were high(r2=.87 to.98). The reliability of the strength tests ranged from low to high (r2=.48 to.93), with the wall squat yielding the highest value. Measures varied significantly (p<.05) between test days for all of the functional tasks and in four of the six strength tests. However, the differences indicate improvements in all of the tests, thus suggesting subject familiarization. In conclusion, the functional tasks developed and the wall squat strength test are reliable. With further subject familiarization these tests may be used to assess functional performance and strength in older adults.