Table 4.
To show whether studies favoured nKC or KC exercise for overall EMG activation levels
| Muscle groups investigated | ||||||||||||||||||
| Study | UT | MT | LT | WT | SA | PD | MD | AD | Inf | Sup | USSC | PM | LD | BB | ExOb | cGMax | iGmax | FAd |
| Nakamura et al52 | ND | – | ND | – | nKC | – | – | nKC | nKC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nagai et al59 | KC | – | ND | – | KC | – | – | KC | – | – | – | ND | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Uhl et al62 | KC | – | KC | – | ND | – | – | KC | nKC | nKC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| De Mey et al53 | ND | – | ND | KC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kaur et al55 | – | – | – | – | KC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ND | – | KC | KC | KC | KC |
| Kibler et al56 | KC | – | KC | – | ND | nKC | – | nKC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Smith et al60 | ND | ND | ND | – | KC | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | – | – | ND | – | – | – | – |
| Tsuruike and Ellenbecker61 | – | – | nKC | – | nKC | ND | – | – | nKC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yamauchi et al63 | nKC | KC | KC | – | nKC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Maenhout et al58 | ND | nKC | KC | – | KC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Maenhout et al57 | – | – | KC | – | KC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hardwick et al54 | KC | – | ND | – | ND | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ND | – | – | – | – | – |
| KC versus nKC overall | KC | ND | KC | KC | KC | nKC | ND | ND | nKC | nKC | ND | ND | ND | ND | KC | KC | KC | KC |
”ND“ = no difference in overall KC and nKC exercises.
”–” = not investigated or investigated but not assessed comparatively. KC exercises are written in blue text and nKC exercises are written in red text as a visual aid to interpretation.
AD, anterior deltoid; BB, biceps brachii; cGMax, contralateral gluteus maximus; ExOb, external oblique; FAd, femoral adductor; iGMax, ipsilateral gluteus maximus; Inf, infraspinatus; KC, kinetic chain; LD, latissimus dorsi; MD, middle deltoid; MT, middle trapezius; ND, no difference in overall KC and nKC exercises; nKC, non-kinetic chain; PD, posterior deltoid; PM, pectoralis major; SA, serratus anterior; Sup, supraspinatus; USSC, upper subscapularis; UT, upper trapezius; WT, whole trapezius.