Table 3.
Superficial muscle activity (% MVIC) and deep abdominal muscle thickness during an abdominal drawing in maneuver
| Measurement | Muscle | Pilates (n=10) | Resistance (n=10) | Control (n=10) | P | Post hoc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle activity (% MVIC) | RA | 4.62±3.17 | 3.61±1.78 | 6.57±5.33 | 0.214 | NS |
| EO | 14.04±9.90 | 13.56±7.31 | 12.90±8.17 | 0.703 | NS | |
|
| ||||||
| Abdominal thickness (mm) | TrA | 0.82±0.21 | 0.65±0.12 | 0.59±0.20 | 0.022 | PE>RE, CON* |
| IO | 1.34±0.32 | 1.35±0.43 | 0.10±0.19 | 0.036 | PE, RE>CON* | |
| EO | 0.73±0.15 | 0.67±0.14 | 0.53±0.24 | 0.052 | PE>CON* | |
|
| ||||||
| Δ Abdominal thickness (mm) | TrA | 0.41±0.09 | 0.29±0.14 | 0.22±0.17 | 0.015 | PE>CON* |
| IO | 0.31±0.21 | 0.40±0.43 | 0.20±0.15 | 0.340 | NS | |
| EO | 0.13±0.16 | −0.10±0.15 | −0.03±0.20 | 0.019 | PE>RE* | |
*
P<0.05.
MVIC, maximal voluntary isometric contraction; RA, rectus abdominis; EO, external oblique; TrA, transversus abdominis; IO, internal oblique; Δ Abdominal thickness (mm), the change in abdominal muscle thickness between rest and stabilization exercises; PE, Pilates; RE, resistance; CON, control.