Isometric Core Muscle Endurance in Healthy Active and Non-active Working Age Populations

Hanna Holmberg

Status

Completed

Conditions

Physical Endurance

Treatments

Other: isometric core muscle endurance testing

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04209335

HST 1718-316

Details and patient eligibility

About

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible correlation between core muscle endurance and participants' age in healthy adult population. Secondary purpose was to identify other dependent variables influencing isometric core muscle endurance (e.g. low back pain, physical activity, gender, body mass index).

Methods: 48 (35 females, 13 males) healthy adults (aged 21-66 years) performed 4 isometric core muscle endurance tests- Biering-Sorensen, McGill V-sit, right and left side plank. A correlation between core endurance and age, gender, lower back pain (LBP), physical activity level (PAL), and body mass index (BMI) was calculated.

Full description

This is the first study to investigate the core muscle endurance of different age groups and genders with all four endurance tests of the core.

Since strength and endurance are key to keeping healthy as we age and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and European guidelines advocate them, this study aims to look at the 3 main measurements of core endurance namely flexor, extensor and lateral muscles, and the possible correlations with age, PAL, existence of LBP, BMI and gender. Each participant performed 4 isometric core endurance tests in the same order- 1. Biering-Sorensen, 2.-3. side plank on both sides, and 4. McGill V-sit. All participants were tested by the same tester to reduce potential differences in procedure and testing error. The four tests were each measured using a stopwatch and documented in seconds. Each participant was told the time they had reached during testing to improve their motivation. Pain during testing was documented.

Based on the normative data of abdominal muscle endurance for young adults Null hypothesis (H0)- There is no significant difference in endurance tests for age, presence of LBP or PAL. Hypothesis (H1)- Any significant difference in endurance tests for age, presence of LBP or PAL are due to chance factors. This is a two-tailed hypothesis, as previous evidence shows conflicting results. Pearson's correlation and Independent T-test in SPSS (The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) were used to confirm or reject the possible correlations between the core muscle endurance and age, LBP, PAL, gender, BMI, and participants' job.

Enrollment

48 patients

Sex

All

Ages

20 to 70 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

aged 20-70 (working age population)
healthy
active and non-active
with or without non-specific lower back pain

Exclusion criteria

all serious pathologies and diagnosis that could affect the ability to perform the tests safely including acute pain, neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular diseases, spinal pathologies (e.g. spondylitis, acute herniated disc, cauda equina, hypertension, epilepsy, tumour, previous fracture or surgery in trunk, structured deformity, osteoporosis)
sudden change in health
personal reasons
severe pain during testing
competing in any sports higher than amateur level