Slow Expiration Reduces External Oblique Muscle Activity during Maximum Trunk Flexion
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Muscle Function Obtained with Motion Mode Ultrasound and Surface Electromyography during Core Endurance Exercise
Published on: August 25, 2022
Hiroshi Ishida1, Saya Tajima2, Riyo Masuno3
1Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Japan.
Abstract:
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effects of expiration on abdominal muscle activity during maximum trunk flexion. [Subjects] Twenty-one healthy university students (10 men, 11 women) participated in this study. [Methods] Electromyography (EMG) was used to quantify the activity of the right rectus abdominis, external oblique, and internal oblique muscles. The paired t-test was used to examine the significance of differences in the abdominal muscles between maximum trunk flexion with breath holding and slow expiration. [Results] There was a significantly lower EMG activity in the external oblique muscle during maximum trunk flexion with slow expiration. [Conclusion] The results of this study indicate that slow expiration reduces external oblique muscle activity during maximum trunk flexion performed by healthy young subjects.
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