Does Intra-abdominal Pressure Have a Causal Effect on Muscle Strength of Hip and Knee Joints?

Tayashiki, K, Kanehisa, H, and Miyamoto, N. Does intra-abdominal pressure have a causal effect on muscle strength of hip and knee joints? J Strength Cond Res 35(1): 41-46, 2021-It remains unclear whether intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) has a causal effect on lower-limb muscle strength. This study aimed to clarify whether or not changes in IAP, induced by changing breathing state, influence muscle strength of hip and knee extensor and flexor. Eighteen healthy males (age: 22.0 ± 2.2 years, height: 1.71 ± 0.03 m, and body mass: 68.1 ± 6.1 kg) performed maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) of hip and knee extensor and flexor during breath-hold at full inspiration (inspiratory condition) or expiration (expiratory condition), or during normal breath-hold (normal condition). Intra-abdominal pressure was obtained by a pressure transducer placed in the rectum and determined at the time at which the developed torque reached to the maximum. The IAP during each MVIC was significantly greater in inspiratory condition than in expiratory condition (p < 0.05). The maximal torque of hip extensor was significantly greater in inspiratory condition than in expiratory condition (p < 0.05). By contrast, the maximal torque of each of hip flexor, knee extensor, and knee flexor was not different among the 3 breath-hold conditions. The IAP was significantly correlated with the maximal torque of hip extensor in each breath-hold condition. The current results suggest that a sufficient increase in IAP has a causal effect to specifically improve muscle strength of hip extensor.