Gluteal Muscle Activation During Common Yoga Poses

Electromyographic analysis of trunk and hip muscles during Yoga poses prescribed for treating chronic low back pain

Yoga is effective for the management of chronic low back pain as it improves muscle strength and endurance. The objective of the current study was to assess trunk and hip muscle activation during Yoga poses usually prescribed for patients with chronic LBP. The study included 22 healthy Yoga trained subjects (mean age: 24.4 ± 2.6 years; 16 females, 6 males). The testing involved collecting surface electromyography data from Rectus Abdominis (RA) and Transverse Abdominis (TA), Gluteus Medius (GM), and Erector Spinae (ES) as subjects attained and held 16 different Yoga poses in standing, kneeling, supine, or prone positions in random order. The signal of each muscle was processed and normalized to its maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVC). Statistical comparisons were made across selected poses and phases (attaining and holding) for each muscle using repeated-measures ANOVA. The data was also descriptively analyzed for sorting muscle activity. The activation of trunk flexors was significantly higher during boat pose (>50% MVC) followed by plank pose (∼30% MVC), activation of ES was significantly higher during reverse boat (41.7% ± 3.3 MVC) as compared to bow, snake, backward-sway, and warrior poses. The GM activation was significantly less in standing poses than during side-lying and Tiger poses (32-42% MVC). The cat-camel, kneeling camel, downward dog, backward-sway, swaying-palm tree, and warrior poses activated all tested muscles fairly (<20% MVC). The study helps the grading of Yoga positions according to the challenge imposed. The challenging poses may be used to develop graded rehabilitation programs to improve muscle strength/endurance.

Electromyography (EMG) Analysis of Multi-Regional Lower Extremity and Trunk Musculature During Sidelying Hip Abduction With Frontal Plane Stabilization

Sidelying hip abduction (SHA) is a common exercise utilized in rehabilitation to strengthen the gluteus medius (GMed). Alterations in the exercise can produce different patterns of muscular activity. No studies have examined the effect of mechanical pelvic stabilization during SHA. This study enrolled 19 participants (male = 11, female = 8) who performed the same SHA exercise under two randomized conditions: standard and with a mechanical block to prevent frontal-plane movement. Electromyographic amplitudes during exercise were obtained through surface electrodes and compared against maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) testing: GMed, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, tensor fascia latae, quadratus lumborum, and vastus lateralis. While no significant differences were found in GMed activity during SHA with or without pelvic stabilization, reduced concomitant activation of other musculature was observed, potentially producing a more isolated exercise for the GMed with less compensatory activity.

The Effect of Yoga on Health-Related Fitness among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is a need for a type of physical activity that could address the challenging cycle of physical inactivity, impaired health-related fitness, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) conditions. Yoga could be one type of exercise to overcome the barriers to adhere to regular physical activity. The current study aimed to systematically review the effect of yoga on health-related fitness, including cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, body composition, balance, and flexibility, among patients with T2DM.

METHODS

We systematically searched four databases and two registries (Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane, Embase, WHO-ITCRP, and Clinicaltrials.gov) in September 2021, following a registered protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42022276225). Study inclusion criteria were T2DM patients with or without complication, yoga intervention as a single component or as a complement compared to other kinds of exercise or an inactive control, health-related fitness, and a randomized, controlled trial or quasi-experimental with control group design. The ROBINS-I tool and ROB 2.0 tool were used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. A vote-counting analysis and meta-analysis computed using random effects' models were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 10 records from 3 quasi-experimental and 7 randomized, controlled trials with 815 participants in total were included. The meta-analysis favored yoga groups compared to inactive controls in improving muscle strength by 3.42 (95% confidence interval 2.42 to 4.43), repetitions of chair stand test, and improving cardiorespiratory fitness by 6.6% (95% confidence interval 0.4 to 12.8) improvement of baseline forced vital capacity. The quality of evidence for both outcomes was low.

CONCLUSION

Low-quality evidence favored yoga in improving health-related fitness, particularly muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness, among patients with T2DM.

FUNDING

All authors in this systematic review received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.