How should we quantify intensity load to design core stability training programs?

• Autores: Belén Irles Vidal
• Directores de la Tesis: Francisco J. Vera García (dir. tes.), Francisco David Barbado Murillo (codir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche ( España ) en 2020
• Idioma: español
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Juan Manuel Cortell Tormo (presid.), Sergio Hernández Sánchez (secret.), Francisco Ayala Rodríguez (voc.), Manuel Moya Ramon (voc.), José María Muyor Rodríguez (voc.)
• Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Deporte y Salud por la Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
• Materias:
  • Ciencias de la vida
    • Biofísica
      • Biomecánica
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en: RediUMH
• Resumen

  • ABSTRACT Many biomechanical studies have been performed to select the most effective and safest core stability exercises (CSE). However, although most of these exercises are commonly used to enhance motor performance and to prevent and treat musculoskeletal injuries, little is known and understood about how CSE intensity should be quantified and modulated to optimize the benefits of CSE training programs. Based on this limitation, two descriptive studies were performed in this doctoral thesis with the main objectives of 1) analyzing the reliability of different posturographic methodologies to assess the intensity of CSE in research and field settings and of 2) establishing difficulty progressions for CSE in young physically active males and females. In both studies, the intensity of some of the most common isometric CSE (bird-dog, front bridge, back bridge and side bridge exercises) was quantified through the evaluation of the postural control demands imposed on the participants when they tried to maintain their spine in neutral position during the exercise execution. In the First Study, 48 males (age: 23.4 ± 3.3 years, mass: 72.4 ± 8.2 kg, height: 175.2 ± 4.8 cm) and 28 females (age: 24.5 ± 2.7 years, mass: 62.2 ± 10.7 kg, height: 163.8 ± 8.6 cm) performed five variations of each of the aforementioned CSE on two synchronized force platforms. The mean velocity and the resultant distance of the center of pressure (CoP) displacement were calculated to assess exercise intensity through the measurement of the participants’ body sway. Unlike the reliability scores of the resultant distance of CoP displacement, the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC3,1) scores obtained by the mean velocity of the CoP displacement were acceptable (most exercise variations obtained SEM values < 21% and ICC3,1 values > 0.60) to establish intensity progressions for the CSE. The exercise progressions obtained by males and females were very similar. However, the participants with high trunk control showed less significant differences between exercise variations than the participants with low trunk control, which highlights the need to 26 individualize these progressions according to the participants’ training level. In the Second Study, 12 males (age: 23.5 ± 3.6 years; mass: 73.9 ± 6.3 kg; height: 173.9 ± 4.7 cm) and 11 females (age: 24.1 ± 1.5 years; mass: 63.1 ± 8.8 kg; height: 165.0 ± 11.5 cm) performed the same exercise variations also on the two force platforms, but in this case we placed a smartphone accelerometer on the participants’ pelvis to assess pelvic acceleration. Most CSE variations obtained moderate-to-high reliability scores for the pelvic acceleration (0.71 < ICC < 0.88; 13.23% ≤ SEM ≤ 22.99%) and low-to-moderate reliability scores for the mean velocity of the CoP sway (0.24 < ICC < 0.89; 9.88% ≤ SEM ≤ 35.90%). In addition, correlations between these two variables were moderate-to-high (0.52 ≤ r ≤ 0.81). Based on these results, smartphone accelerometers placed on the pelvis provide a more reliable and local measure of postural control during CSE than the MV of CoP sway. Moreover, considering these results and the low-cost, portability and usability of the smartphone accelerometers, these devices seem adequate to quantify the intensity of the CSEs in research and field settings. Overall, this doctoral thesis provides useful information both to guide the design and to control the training intensity of CSE training programs in young physically active individuals.