Yoshikawa Kohei, Hashimoto Matsuri, Murata Rina, Murata Yuta, Jiroumaru Takumi, Kida Noriyuki
Department of Rehabilitation, Kanazawa Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic, Ritto, Shiga, Japan.
Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 24;20(9):e0333004. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0333004. eCollection 2025.
Core stability is essential for both performance and rehabilitation, yet standardized movement velocity criteria for the Sahrmann Core Stability Test (SCST) remain undefined. This study aimed to analyze how lower limb movement velocity affects trunk muscle activation patterns across movement phases and sides during SCST Level 3 in a supine position. SCST Level 3 was selected because it challenges both deep and superficial muscles without being too difficult for healthy participants. Sixteen healthy adult males, recreationally active but not involved in a training program at the time of recruitment, performed leg-lowering movements at three velocities: slow (5 s), medium (3 s), and fast (1 s). Surface electromyography recorded activation in the internal oblique/transversus abdominis (IO/TrA), external oblique (EO), and rectus abdominis (RA). Dynamic stability was simultaneously monitored using an inflatable pressure-biofeedback unit positioned at L4-L5 and inflated to 40 mmHg; participants maintained the pressure within ±10 mmHg throughout each trial. Muscle activity was analyzed across five phases: 500 ms and 250 ms before movement (pre-500 ms, pre-250 ms), and three post-movement phases (post 1, post 2, post 3). A three-way repeated-measures ANOVA (factors: velocity, movement phase, and laterality) revealed significant velocity-phase interactions for all muscles (p < 0.05; IO/TrA: η2 = 0.170; EO: η2 = 0.198; RA: η2 = 0.153), indicating that velocity affected the temporal activation pattern, particularly during the middle phase of the movement. Faster movements led to a rapid increase in IO/TrA, EO, and RA activity at post 2, whereas slower movements showed a gradual increase. Activation levels converged across conditions by the final phase, with no significant differences between deep and superficial muscles or between sides. These findings suggest SCST Level 3 consistently elicits high trunk muscle activation regardless of velocity. However, faster movements may provide valuable insights into trunk stabilization during mid-movement for clinical evaluations.
核心稳定性对于运动表现和康复都至关重要，然而，沙曼核心稳定性测试（SCST）的标准化运动速度标准仍未明确。本研究旨在分析在仰卧位进行SCST 3级测试时，下肢运动速度如何影响运动各阶段及身体两侧的躯干肌肉激活模式。选择SCST 3级是因为它对深层和浅层肌肉都有挑战，且对健康参与者来说难度不过高。16名健康成年男性，在招募时为休闲活跃状态但未参与训练计划，以三种速度进行腿部下放动作：慢速（5秒）、中速（3秒）和快速（1秒）。表面肌电图记录腹内斜肌/腹横肌（IO/TrA）、腹外斜肌（EO）和腹直肌（RA）的激活情况。使用放置在L4-L5水平并充气至40 mmHg的充气压力生物反馈装置同时监测动态稳定性；参与者在每个试验过程中保持压力在±10 mmHg范围内。分析了五个阶段的肌肉活动：运动前500毫秒和250毫秒（运动前500毫秒、运动前250毫秒），以及三个运动后阶段（运动后1、运动后2、运动后3）。三因素重复测量方差分析（因素：速度、运动阶段和身体侧别）显示，所有肌肉均存在显著的速度-阶段交互作用（p < 0.05；IO/TrA：η2 = 0.170；EO：η2 = 0.198；RA：η2 = 0.153），表明速度影响了时间激活模式，尤其是在运动的中间阶段。更快的运动导致运动后2时IO/TrA、EO和RA活动迅速增加，而较慢的运动则显示出逐渐增加。到最后阶段，不同条件下的激活水平趋于一致，深层和浅层肌肉之间或身体两侧之间均无显著差异。这些发现表明，无论速度如何，SCST 3级都能持续引发较高的躯干肌肉激活。然而，更快的运动可能为临床评估中运动中期的躯干稳定提供有价值的见解。
