Sports Research Center, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, Alicante, Spain.
J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Jun;27(6):1602-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827124d9.
Trunk endurance tests are generally performed in sagittal or frontal plane. However, trunk field tests that measure the endurance of the rotator muscles are lacking. In view of this situation, we developed a flexion-rotation trunk test (FRT test) to assess the oblique abdominal muscle endurance. This new field test consists mainly in performing the maximum number of upper trunk flexion and rotation movements (reps) possible in 90 seconds. The objectives of this study were to analyze the FRT test reliability and to examine the effect of both the repetition and sex on test results. Fifty-one recreationally trained men (n = 35) and women (n = 16) completed 4 trials of the FRT test (T1, T2, T3, and T4), separated by 7 days each. The scores increased significantly between T1 and T3 (p < 0.001), showing a clear learning effect, but the increase between T3 and T4 was only 4.25% (p = 0.108). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between trials were ≥0.83 and the standard errors of measurement (SEMs) ≤7.54 reps. The ICCs between trials increased, and SEMs decreased with test repetition, reaching an ICC of 0.94 and an SEM of 6.46 reps between T3 and T4. The comparison between sexes showed a higher abdominal endurance in men when compared with that in women (p = 0.003), and also a higher learning effect in men, especially at the beginning of the study. These findings suggest that, the FRT test is a reliable field protocol that differentiates between the abdominal endurance of men and women. However, it is necessary to perform an extensive familiarization period before testing (at least 3 trials of practice) to make learning effect negligible.
躯干耐力测试通常在矢状面或额状面进行。然而，缺乏衡量旋转肌耐力的躯干场测试。鉴于这种情况，我们开发了一种屈伸躯干测试（FRT 测试）来评估腹斜肌耐力。这个新的场测试主要包括在 90 秒内完成尽可能多的上躯干屈伸和旋转动作（重复次数）。本研究的目的是分析 FRT 测试的可靠性，并研究重复次数和性别对测试结果的影响。51 名有规律运动的男性（n = 35）和女性（n = 16）完成了 4 次 FRT 测试（T1、T2、T3 和 T4），每次测试之间间隔 7 天。T1 和 T3 之间的得分显著增加（p < 0.001），表现出明显的学习效应，但 T3 和 T4 之间的增加仅为 4.25%（p = 0.108）。测试之间的组内相关系数（ICC）≥0.83，测量标准误差（SEM）≤7.54 次。随着测试重复，ICC 增加，SEM 降低，T3 和 T4 之间的 ICC 达到 0.94，SEM 达到 6.46 次。性别之间的比较表明，男性的腹部耐力明显高于女性（p = 0.003），而且男性的学习效应更高，尤其是在研究开始时。这些发现表明，FRT 测试是一种可靠的场测试方法，可以区分男女的腹部耐力。然而，在测试前（至少进行 3 次练习测试）需要进行广泛的熟悉阶段，以消除学习效应。
