Physical Education Department, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 Aug;44(8):1589-94. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31824fb6ae.
The study's purpose was to analyze the effects of Pilates on the volume of the rectus abdominis (RA), obliques, and transversus abdominis, with the last two considered conjointly (OT).
The volume of OT and RA were determined using magnetic resonance imaging in nine nonactive healthy women, before and after 36 wk of a standardized Pilates training program (Modern Pilates).
The volume of the dominant OT was increased by 8% (P < 0.05) with training, whereas the nondominant OT volume remained unchanged (+2%, P = 0.58). The total volume of RA increased by 21% after Pilates (P < 0.05) because of a similar increase of dominant and nondominant RA volume (21% and 20%, respectively, P < 0.05). Before Pilates, the volume of the OT was 8% greater in the nondominant compared with the dominant side (P < 0.01). This asymmetry was compensated by Pilates training (2%, P = 0.43). No side-to-side asymmetries in RA muscle volumes were observed either before (2%, P = 0.51) or after (1%, P = 0.81) Pilates.
The present study reveals the existence of asymmetries in the muscles of the abdominal wall in nonactive healthy women. Pilates practice twice a week for 9 months elicits hypertrophy of the abdominal wall muscles, particularly of the RA, and eliminates preexisting asymmetries of the OT. Modern Pilates can be recommended as an effective method to reinforce the muscles of the abdominal wall and to compensate preexisting asymmetric developments.
本研究旨在分析普拉提训练对腹直肌（RA）、腹斜肌和腹横肌（OT）体积的影响，OT 与 RA 联合考虑。
使用磁共振成像（MRI）在 9 名非活跃的健康女性中，在标准化的普拉提训练计划（现代普拉提）前后，分别对 OT 和 RA 体积进行了测定。
训练后，优势侧 OT 体积增加了 8%（P < 0.05），而非优势侧 OT 体积保持不变（+2%，P = 0.58）。普拉提训练后，RA 总容量增加了 21%，这是由于优势侧和非优势侧 RA 体积均增加所致（分别增加了 21%和 20%，P < 0.05）。普拉提训练前，非优势侧 OT 体积比优势侧大 8%（P < 0.01）。普拉提训练后，这种不对称性得到了补偿（2%，P = 0.43）。普拉提训练前后，RA 肌肉体积也没有出现侧-侧不对称（训练前 2%，P = 0.51；训练后 1%，P = 0.81）。
本研究揭示了非活跃健康女性腹壁肌肉存在不对称性。每周进行两次，为期 9 个月的普拉提练习会引起腹壁肌肉，尤其是 RA 的肥大，并消除先前存在的 OT 不对称性。现代普拉提可以作为一种有效方法，增强腹壁肌肉力量，并补偿先前存在的不对称发育。
