Effect of a Core Conditioning Intervention on Tests of Trunk Muscular Endurance in School-Aged Children

Abstract

Trunk and core muscular development has been advocated to increase athletic performance and for maintenance of musculoskeletal health, especially related to the prevention of low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a simple core conditioning routine on tests of trunk and core muscular endurance in school-aged children. Participants included 164 students (86 girls, 78 boys; mean age, 11.5 ± 2.5 years) recruited from a grade school in a metropolitan area located in the southwestern United States. Students performed an equipment-free, moderate-to-high intensity, dynamic core conditioning warm-up routine once a week for a period of 6 weeks during the start of their physical education classes. The intervention consisted of 10 different dynamic core conditioning exercises performed at a 30-second duration per exercise totaling 5 minutes per session. Pre- and post-assessments of muscular endurance consisted of 5 different trunk and core muscular endurance tests: Parallel Roman Chair Dynamic Back Extension, Prone Plank, Lateral Plank, Dynamic Curl-Up, and Static Curl-up. A generalized estimation equation was used to analyze differences in pre- and post-intervention muscular fitness assessments controlling for gender and grade level. Analysis of the data revealed significant increases in muscular fitness test performance for each of the 5 measured outcomes (p < 0.001). Because risk factors of LBP are thought to commence during childhood, results of this study suggest that it may be desirable for children and adolescents to perform moderate-to-high intensity dynamic core exercises during physical education warm-up to improve trunk and core muscular endurance.

Muscular strength and endurance and cardio-metabolic health in disadvantaged Hispanic children from the U.S.

“…Of these five domains, body composition and aerobic fitness are well established to have a protective effect of cardio-metabolic health in children and adolescents (Hager et al, 1995, Jago et al, 2010). There has been some recent evidence suggesting the importance of muscular strength and endurance on cardio-metabolic health risk (Beck et al, 2014, Steene-Johannessen et al, 2009), however most of the research examining these domains of health-related fitness is because of their effect on sports and physical activity performance or injury prevention (Saint-Maurice et al, 2015, Allen et al, 2014). Study's that do explore the relationship between muscular strength and endurance and cardio-metabolic health have mostly included non-Hispanic Caucasian children, children from higher socio-economic strata, or older adolescents (Cohen et al, 2010, Cornelissen and Smart, 2013, Artero et al, 2011).…”

Accuracy of Clinical Techniques for Evaluating Lower Limb Sensorimotor Functions Associated With Increased Fall Risk

“…Lateral planks may not only be beneficial in predicting weak hips, as our results suggest, but also in strengthening them. 39 …”

Vpliv kratkotrajnega programa stabilizacijske vadbe na zmogljivost mišic trupa pri košarkaricah

“…Na znak se je dvignila na prste na nogah in na komolce, telo pa je morala zadrže-vati v vodoravnem položaju. Ko preiskovanka ni zmogla več zadrževati položaja, se je test zaključil (19).…”

“…Preiskovanka je morala zadržati tak položaj, kolikor dolgo je bilo možno. Kakršni koli popravki so morali biti narejeni v treh sekundah, sicer se je test zaključil (19).…”