The purpose of this study was to compare abdominal muscle activity while performing a crunch on a stability ball with a traditional crunch. Forty-one healthy adults (23 men and 18 women) participated in the study. The subjects performed the crunch with the ball in 2 positions, 1 with the ball at the level of the inferior angles of the scapula (SB-high) and 1 with the ball at the level of the lo...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of draw-in exercise on abdominal muscle activity in the standing and supine positions. [Methods] Twenty healthy women participated in this study. The subjects were required to complete two draw-in exercises (standing and supine positions) using a biofeedback pressure unit. The root mean square (RMS) values of the EMG data were expres...

We investigated ontogenetic changes in the trunk muscles of the Japanese black salamander (Hynobius nigrescens) before, during and after metamorphosis. Given that amphibians change their locomotive patterns with metamorphosis, we hypothesized that they may also change the structure of their trunk muscles. The trunk muscles were macroscopically observed, and the weight ratios of each trunk muscl...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine whether forced expiration is correlated with abdominal muscle thickness. [Subjects] Twenty-three healthy male volunteers participated in this study. [Methods] The peak expiratory flow (PEF) was obtained using a peak flow meter with subjects in the sitting position. The thicknesses of the right rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal obli...

STUDY DESIGN Clinical measurement, concurrent validity criterion standard. OBJECTIVE To determine the concurrent validity of digital nylon calipers in comparison to ultrasound imaging (USI) for the measurement of interrecti distance (IRD). BACKGROUND Diastasis rectus abdominis is the abnormal increase in the width of the linea alba, measured as IRD. A diastasis rectus abdominis can compromi...

INTRODUCTION Rectus sheath hematoma is an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain. It is an accumulation of blood in the sheath of the rectus abdominis, secondary to rupture of an epigastric vessel or muscle tear. It could occur spontaneously or after trauma. They are usually located infraumblically and often misdiagnosed as acute abdomen, inflammatory diseases or tumours of the abdomen. CASE ...

1. Intramuscular concentrations of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate were measured in the vastus lateralis muscle of 28 non-septic malnourished patients and 31 septic malnourished patients. Similar measurements were made on the rectus abdominis muscle of about one-third of these patients. All results were compared with those obtained from 15 normally nourished non-septic co...

The purpose of this study was to explore whether global efforts stop as a consequence of postural muscle exhaustion. To this end, seated adults were asked to exert 75% maximal voluntary contractions bimanual push efforts until exhaustion. A dynamometer was used to measure the horizontal force exerted on a bar (Fx) and a custom-designed force plate measured the antero-posterior displacement of t...