Effects of equine riding on static and dynamic mechanical contraction of the thighs and trunk muscles in inactive women

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether equine riding affects static or dynamic mechanical contractions on the thighs and trunk muscles in inactive women. METHODS: Participants consisted of 30 women with a mean (SD) age of 21.06 (0.44) years. They were randomly allotted as follows: equine group (EQG, n= 15) and control group (CON, n= 15). Two types of muscle contraction properties in their thighs and trunk were measured through a tensiomyography (static muscle tester) and an isokinetic device (dynamic muscle tester), respectively. Using the body weights of EQG and CON as covariates, a 2-way between-groups multivariate analysis of covariance was used to investigate group differences in the mechanical quantification of the thighs and trunk. RESULTS: The effectiveness of 8 weeks of equine riding was hardly observed in a static muscle test, whereas in the dynamic muscle test, the dominant and non-dominant hip extensor/flexor, the dominant hip abductor/adductor, and trunk extensor in the EQG showed a significant increase, compared to no changes in the CON. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not find any particular differences in a static muscle test in inactive women, but showed improvements in the dynamic mechanical properties of the thighs and trunk, which are major muscle groups related to spinal alignment.

Effects of Knee Injury Length on Jump Inside Kick Performances of Wushu Player

“…This mechanism becomes significant with changes in increased Tc and decreased Dm. Several researchers also suggested that a low Dm indicates a high muscle tone and excessive stiffness in the muscle structures, whereas an elevated Dm indicates a lack of muscle tone or the appearance of muscle fatigue [12,13,26]. Considering that Dm varies depending on the load of strength training, the recovery time between repetitions, and the type of muscle contraction, it can be estimated that the LESS IG analyzed in this study had a higher training volume than the MORE IG.…”

“…Characteristically, the shape of the overall curve appears to collapse after the injury, which is due to the fact that muscle contraction does not proceed normally and rapidly [26,27]. The two parameters enable the muscular composition of the studied muscular groups to be increased [28], correlated with the increase in the contraction time, and the decrease in the muscular displacement amplitude [12,29]. These parameters have normal average values for Tc, namely, 32.83 ms, and for all muscular groups, the average Dm value is 8.17 mm [29,30].…”

“…The participants were asked to remove all metal objects and anything else that might interfere with the electric stimuli, including socks, before stepping onto the platform. They were also asked to hold onto the handles and stand still for around 3 min [4,12]. Bioelectrical impedance analysis can track fat mass by conducting high frequency (500~800 KHz) harmless to the human body and using the difference in electrical resistance between adipose tissue and non-adipose tissue.…”

“…The placement of the sensor was selected in order to locate the thickest part of the muscle. The sensor was applied to the skin halfway between the electrodes [12]. The electrodes received one 1-millisecond single-phase rectangular pulse from the electrostimulator inducing percutaneous muscle contraction.…”

Analysis of Trunk Neuromuscular Activation During Equine-Assisted Therapy in Older Adults

“…These results were expected, because the gain in neuromuscular activation increased when the horse was in motion. The somatosensory, vestibular, and musculoskeletal systems stimulated by equine movement can influence postural tone distribution in the trunk (Park et al, 2021; Silva et al, 2021). In contrast, the lowest EMG values were recorded in the pre- and post-intervention moments when the horse was stationary.…”