scholarly journals Scapular Retraction Under Adduction Load: an Alternative to Overhead Exercises to Activate Infraspinatus, Upper and Lower Trapezius in Subjects With and Without Shoulder Pain

Author(s):  
Jefferson James dos Santos ◽  
Rebeca Orozco Nagy ◽  
Matheus Almeida Souza ◽  
Leonardo Intelangelo ◽  
Michelle Almeida Barbosa ◽  
...  

Exercises for lower trapezius (LT) often use overhead positions, causing compressive forces to the subacromial space. Scapular retraction would be an alternative to activate LT muscle. Electromyography of infraspinatus (IS), upper (UT) and LT was recorded during scapular retraction under progressive adduction loads of 42 participants, divided in 2 groups: with (SP, n=26) and without shoulder pain (nSP, n=16). The adduction loads of 20, 30, 40 and 50% of the maximal voluntary contraction were applied using a load cell. Normalized electromyography and the ratio between UT and LT (UT:LT) were used for statistical analysis. No differences were observed between groups, but a condition effect occurred for all muscles: UT showed higher values at 50% vs. 20% (p=0.004); LT showed higher values on 40% and 50% (p=0.001; 0.006). Higher values for IS were noted at 40% (vs 20%; p=0.04), and at 50% (vs. 20%; p=0.001, vs. 30%, p=0.001; vs. 40%; p=0.001). UT:LT showed lower values at 50% (vs. 20%; p=0.001, and vs. 30%; p=0.016). Scapular retraction with adduction loads at 40-50% is an alternative to overhead exercises aiming to activate the LT and the IS muscles. The exercise ensures higher levels of LT and IS excitation, without increasing UT excitation.

Author(s):  
Jefferson James dos Santos ◽  
Rebeca Orozco Nagy ◽  
Matheus Almeida Souza ◽  
Leonardo Intelangelo ◽  
Michelle Almeida Barbosa ◽  
...  

Exercises for lower trapezius (LT) often use overhead positions, causing compressive forces to the subacromial space. Scapular retraction would be an alternative to activate LT muscle. The present study aimed to assess the excitation levels of infraspinatus, upper trapezius, and lower trapezius muscles during a scapular retraction exercise under progressive adduction loads in subjects with and without painful shoulder. Electromyography of infraspinatus (IS), upper trapezius (UT), and LT was recorded during scapular retraction under progressive adduction loads of 42 participants, divided into two groups: with (SP, n = 26) and without shoulder pain (nSP, n = 16). The adduction loads of 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) were applied using a load cell. Normalized electromyography and the ratio between UT and LT (UT:LT) were used for statistical analysis. No differences were observed between groups, but a condition effect occurred for all muscles: UT showed higher values at 50% vs. 20% of MVC (p = 0.004); LT showed higher values on 40% and 50% of MVC (p = 0.001; 0.006). Higher values for IS were noted at 40% of MVC (vs. 20% of MVC; p = 0.04) and at 50% of MVC (vs. 20% of MVC; p = 0.001, vs. 30% of MVC, p = 0.001; vs. 40% of MVC; p = 0.001). UT:LT showed lower values at 50% of MVC (vs. 20% of MVC; p = 0.001 and vs. 30% of MVC; p = 0.016). Scapular retraction with adduction loads at 40–50% is an alternative to overhead exercises aiming to activate the LT and the IS muscles. The exercise ensures higher levels of LT and IS excitation without increasing UT excitation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 660-667
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Py Gonçalves Barreto ◽  
Caroline Cabral Robinson ◽  
Clarice Sperotto dos Santos Rocha ◽  
Fernando Carlos Mothes ◽  
Fábio Matsumoto ◽  
...  

Introduction: Low levels of activation of the serratus anterior (SA) and lower trapezius (LT) muscles are associated with kinematics dysfunctions of the scapular belt, for which the focus of functional recovery is neuromuscular reeducation. Hence, the proposed exercises should keep muscular activation at levels between 20% and 40% of the maximal voluntary contraction. Objectives: To compare the activation of SA and LT muscles in different exercises by using surface electromyography. Methods: Five exercises (modified crucifix, scaption, modified military press, pull over and low row) were executed by ten healthy subjects. Results: The highest SA activation was found during scaption, and the adequate activation occurred in the modified military press. The highest LT activation was found during scaption and low row exercises. Conclusions: The exercises that kept the recommended range of activation for neuromuscular reeducation were the military press, for the SA muscle, and the low row and scaption, for the LT muscle.


Author(s):  
Shrawan Kumar ◽  
Maureen Simmonds ◽  
David Lechelt

Ten normal young adult females performed maximal and graded exertions of the stoop lift, hand grip, and finger pinch. The levels of graded exertion required were 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The sequence of all conditions were fully randomized. Each of the randomized conditions was tried three times in succession. The entire experiment was carried out on four different days at the same time of the day on Monday, Wednesday, Friday of one week and Friday of the next week. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and statistical analysis with t-test, analysis of variance, and correlation and regression. There were significant differences in the efforts produced in three different activities (p<0.01). The levels of exertion from 20% to 80% were significantly different from each other (p<0.01). However, there were no significant differences between the three trials of any given condition and the exertions produced on four different days. The 80% and 60% of exertions were overestimated and 20% was underestimated compared to the objective values based on MVC (p<0.01). At 40% effort there was no significant difference between the objective level of exertion and subjectively gauged and produced effort. The reliability of perception among the female subjects was similar for finger pinch, hand grip, and stoop lift activities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. 3242-3251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Wayne Collins ◽  
Edward W. J. Cadigan ◽  
Lucas Stefanelli ◽  
Duane C. Button

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of shoulder position on corticospinal excitability (CSE) of the biceps brachii during rest and a 10% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Participants ( n = 9) completed two experimental sessions with four conditions: 1) rest, 0° shoulder flexion; 2) 10% MVC, 0° shoulder flexion; 3) rest, 90° shoulder flexion; and 4) 10% MVC, 90° shoulder flexion. Transcranial magnetic, transmastoid electrical, and Erb’s point stimulation were used to induce motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), cervicomedullary MEPs (CMEPs), and maximal muscle compound potentials (Mmax), respectively, in the biceps brachii in each condition. At rest, MEP, CMEP, and Mmax amplitudes increased ( P < 0.01) by 509.7 ± 118.3%, 113.3 ± 28.3%, and 155.1 ± 47.9%, respectively, at 90° compared with 0°. At 10% MVC, MEP amplitudes did not differ ( P = 0.08), but CMEP and Mmax amplitudes increased ( P < 0.05) by 32.3 ± 10.5% and 127.9 ± 26.1%, respectively, at 90° compared with 0°. MEP/Mmax increased ( P < 0.01) by 224.0 ± 99.1% at rest and decreased ( P < 0.05) by 51.3 ± 6.7% at 10% MVC at 90° compared with 0°. CMEP/Mmax was not different ( P = 0.22) at rest but decreased ( P < 0.01) at 10% MVC by 33.6 ± 6.1% at 90° compared with 0°. EMG increased ( P < 0.001) by 8.3 ± 2.0% at rest and decreased ( P < 0.001) by 21.4 ± 4.4% at 10% MVC at 90° compared with 0°. In conclusion, CSE of the biceps brachii was dependent on shoulder position, and the pattern of change was altered within the state in which it was measured. The position-dependent changes in Mmax amplitude, EMG, and CSE itself all contribute to the overall change in CSE of the biceps brachii. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate that when the shoulder is placed into two common positions for determining elbow flexor force and activation, corticospinal excitability (CSE) of the biceps brachii is both shoulder position and state dependent. At rest, when the shoulder is flexed from 0° to 90°, supraspinal factors predominantly alter CSE, whereas during a slight contraction, spinal factors predominantly alter CSE. Finally, the normalization techniques frequently used by researchers to investigate CSE may under- and overestimate CSE when shoulder position is changed.


2003 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 829-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taija Finni ◽  
John A. Hodgson ◽  
Alex M. Lai ◽  
V. Reggie Edgerton ◽  
Shantanu Sinha

The distribution of strain along the soleus aponeurosis tendon was examined during voluntary contractions in vivo. Eight subjects performed cyclic isometric contractions (20 and 40% of maximal voluntary contraction). Displacement and strain in the apparent Achilles tendon and in the aponeurosis were calculated from cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance images acquired with a field of view of 32 cm. The apparent Achilles tendon lengthened 2.8 and 4.7% in 20 and 40% maximal voluntary contraction, respectively. The midregion of the aponeurosis, below the gastrocnemius insertion, lengthened 1.2 and 2.2%, but the distal aponeurosis shortened 2.1 and 2.5%, respectively. There was considerable variation in the three-dimensional anatomy of the aponeurosis and muscle-tendon junction. We suggest that the nonuniformity in aponeurosis strain within an individual was due to the presence of active and passive motor units along the length of the muscle, causing variable force along the measurement site. Force transmission along intrasoleus connective tissue may also be a significant source of nonuniform strain in the aponeurosis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Henrique Perinotto Abdalla ◽  
Benedito Sérgio Denadai ◽  
Natália Menezes Bassan ◽  
Camila Coelho Greco

The objective of this study was to test the hypotheses that end-test torque (ET) (expressed as % maximal voluntary contraction; MVC) is higher for plantar flexors (PF) than knee extensors (KE) muscles, whereas impulse above ET (IET) is higher for KE than PF. Thus, we expected that exercise tolerance would be longer for KE than PF only during the exercise performed above ET. After the determination of MVC, 40 men performed two 5-min all-out tests to determine ET and IET. Eleven participants performed a further 4 intermittent isometric tests, to exhaustion, at ET + 5% and ET – 5%, and 1 test for KE at the exercise intensity (%MVC) corresponding to ET + 5% of PF. The IET (7243.2 ± 1942.9 vs. 3357.4 ± 1132.3 N·m·s) and ET (84.4 ± 24.8 vs. 73.9 ± 19.5 N·m) were significantly lower in PF compared with KE. The exercise tolerance was significantly longer for PF (300.7 ± 156.7 s) than KE (156.7 ± 104.3 s) at similar %MVC (∼60%), and significantly shorter for PF (300.7 ± 156.7 s) than KE (697.0 ± 243.7 s) at ET + 5% condition. However, no significant difference was observed for ET – 5% condition (KE = 1030.2 ± 495.4 s vs. PF = 1028.3 ± 514.4 s). Thus, the limit of tolerance during submaximal isometric contractions is influenced by absolute MVC only during exercise performed above ET, which seems to be explained by differences on both ET (expressed as %MVC) and IET values.


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