Muscle activity during functional coordination training: implications for strength gain and rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation

Background:

• Functional coordination exercises are increasingly used in fitness and rehabilitation.
• Understanding the muscle activation patterns of these exercises is crucial for optimizing their effectiveness.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated how exercise variations impact muscle engagement in untrained individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if different types, body positions, and progression levels of functional coordination exercises elicit sufficient muscle activity for strength gains.
• To investigate the specific influence of exercise type, body position, and progression on muscle activation in the neck, shoulder, and trunk.

Main Methods:

• Nine untrained women participated in familiarization sessions for 7 functional coordination exercises over 4 weeks.
• Surface electromyography (EMG) measured activity in rectus abdominus, erector spinae, obliquus externus, and trapezius muscles.
• EMG data were normalized to maximal voluntary contractions, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Main Results:

• All targeted muscles demonstrated sufficient muscle activity (>60% of maximal EMG) for strength gains during the exercises.
• Exercise type significantly impacted overall muscle activity.
• Body position was critical for erector spinae activation, while progression level affected trapezius activity.

Conclusions:

• Functional coordination training, when appropriately selected by type, body position, and progression, provides adequate muscle activation for strength improvement.
• This training modality shows promise for the prevention and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal issues affecting the neck, shoulder, and trunk.