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Updated: Feb 9, 2026

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Published on: June 16, 2023
Pilates experience vs. muscle activation during abdominal drawing-in maneuver
Alexandre Carvalho Barbosa1, Edgar Ramos Vieira2, Angelica Fátima Silva3
1Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, Brazil; Department of Physical Therapy, Florida International University, Miami, USA.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to compare the activation of deep abdominal and spine stabilizer muscles of subjects with and without Pilates experience. Twenty-three subjects were divided into a no-experience group (n = 13) and an experienced group (n = 10). The subjects performed three 12-s drawing-in maneuver trials at 50% TrA/IO maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The experienced group presented greater activation of both muscles than the no-experience group (62% vs. 32% MVC for the TrA/IO, and 52% vs. 12% MVC for the LD, p < 0.001). The no-experience group had higher variability among trials and did not reach 50% MVC for the TrA/IO, while the experienced group was able to reach and keep the TrA/IO activation at or above 50% MVC. Pilates experience and muscle activation were strongly associated. Pilates trained subjects were able to sustain concomitant abdominal and low back muscle contraction during the drawing-in maneuver, while subjects with no Pilates experience were not able to reach the same levels of abdominal activation and did not present significant low back muscle co-activation.
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