Pilates experience vs. muscle activation during abdominal drawing-in maneuver

Publication date: Available online 3 May 2017
Source:Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Author(s): Alexandre Carvalho Barbosa, Edgar Ramos Vieira, Angelica Fátima Silva, Ana Carolina Coelho, Fábio Mendonça Martins, Diogo Simões Fonseca, Michelle Almeida Barbosa, Diego Bordachar
The purpose of this study was to compare the activation of deep abdominal and spine stabilizer muscles of subjects with and without Pilates experience. Twenty-three subjects were divided into a no-experience group (n=13) and an experienced group (n=10). The subjects performed three 12-second drawing-in maneuver trials at 50% TrA/IO maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The experienced group presented greater activation of both muscles than the no-experience group (62% vs. 32% MVC for the TrA/IO, and 52% vs. 12% MVC for the LD, p<0.001). The no-experience group had higher variability among trials and did not reach 50% MVC for the TrA/IO, while the experienced group was able to reach and keep the TrA/IO activation at or above 50% MVC. Pilates experience and muscle activation were strongly associated. Pilates trained subjects were able to sustain concomitant abdominal and low back muscle contraction during the drawing-in maneuver, while subjects with no Pilates experience were not able to reach the same levels of abdominal activation and did not present significant low back muscle co-activation.



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