Table 5.
Overall effects of trunk muscle training on measures of physical fitness as well as subgroup-specific effects for training-related moderator variables
| Trunk muscle endurance | Muscle strength | Muscular endurance | Muscle power/jump | Linear speed | CODS/agility | Sport-specific performance | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMD | S (I) | N | SMD | S (I) | N | SMD | S (I) | N | SMD | S (I) | N | SMD | S (I) | N | SMD | S (I) | N | SMD | S (I) | N | |
| All | 0.53 | 9 (9) | 125 | 0.39 | 6 (6) | 98 | 1.29 | 3 (4) | 45 | 0.30 | 16 (18) | 268 | 0.66 | 12 (13) | 171 | 0.66 | 9 (11) | 134 | 0.64 | 12 (12) | 167 |
| Training period | P = 0.53 | P = 0.46 | P = 0.21 | P = 0.29 | P = 0.78 | P = 0.27 | P = 0.28 | ||||||||||||||
| ≤ 8 weeks | 0.65 | 6 (6) | 91 | 0.49 | 4 (4) | 68 | oEG | 0.19 | 9 (9) | 150 | 0.72 | 8 (8) | 107 | 0.37 | 6 (6) | 81 | 0.77 | 9 (9) | 133 | ||
| > 8 weeks | 0.31 | 3 (3) | 34 | 0.21 | 2 (2) | 30 | 1.57 | 2 (3) | 35 | 0.45 | 7 (9) | 118 | 0.58 | 4 (5) | 64 | 1.08 | 3 (5) | 53 | 0.34 | 3 (3) | 34 |
| Training frequency | P = 0.87 | P = 0.93 | P = 0.94 | P = 0.70 | P = 0.07 | P = 0.73 | P = 0.72 | ||||||||||||||
| 2x/week | 0.38 | 2 (2) | 30 | oEG | 1.26 | 1 (2) | 20 | 0.19 | 5 (6) | 87 | – 0.03 | 2 (3) | 39 | 0.34 | 3 (4) | 50 | 1.09 | 3 (3) | 34 | ||
| 3x/week | 0.66 | 7 (7) | 95 | 0.40 | 4 (4) | 64 | 1.34 | 2 (2) | 25 | 0.42 | 7 (7) | 113 | 0.82 | 8 (8) | 110 | 0.64 | 4 (4) | 51 | 0.60 | 8 (8) | 121 |
| ≥ 4x/week | – | oEG | – | 0.21 | 4 (5) | 68 | 0.95 | 2 (2) | 22 | 1.10 | 2 (3) | 33 | oEG | ||||||||
| Training sessions (#) | P = 0.82 | P = 0.53 | P = 0.94 | P = 0.02 | P = 0.02 | P = 0.46 | P = 0.82 | ||||||||||||||
| ≤ 18 | 0.69 | 3 (3) | 60 | 0.25 | 2 (2) | 34 | 1.26 | 1 (2) | 20 | – 0.10 | 4 (5) | 67 | – 0.03 | 2 (3) | 39 | 0.34 | 3 (4) | 50 | 0.58 | 6 (6) | 87 |
| > 18 | 0.46 | 6 (6) | 65 | 0.48 | 4 (4) | 64 | 1.34 | 2 (2) | 25 | 0.45 | 12 (13) | 201 | 0.84 | 10 (10) | 132 | 0.82 | 6 (7) | 84 | 0.69 | 6 (6) | 80 |
| Session duration | P = 0.97 | P = 0.26 | NA | P = 0.40 | P = 0.004 | P < 0.001 | P = 0.05 | ||||||||||||||
| ≤ 30 min | 0.39 | 2 (2) | 21 | 0.90 | 2 (2) | 32 | – | 0.46 | 4 (4) | 57 | 1.66 | 4 (4) | 49 | 2.42 | 2 (2) | 27 | 0.24 | 5 (5) | 59 | ||
| > 30 min | 0.37 | 5 (5) | 84 | oEG | oEG | 0.14 | 4 (4) | 64 | 0.05 | 4 (4) | 56 | – 0.15 | 3 (3) | 42 | 1.22 | 6 (6) | 98 | ||||
N total number of participants in the included experimental groups, NA not applicable, oEG only one experimental group, S(I) number of included studies (number of included experimental groups), SMD weighted mean standardised mean difference
Bold values indicate significant effects