The effects of performing squats on an inclined board on thigh muscle activation

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to show the effectiveness of performing squat exercises at various angles to show the maximum muscle activity of the Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO) and Biceps femoris (BF). Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of seventeen healthy young adults (8 males and 9 females) voluntarily participated in the study. All subjects randomly performed three different squat variations as follows: A squat performed with the ankle joint at 0° of incline, a squat performed with the ankle joint at 5° of incline, and a squat performed with the ankle joint at 10° incline. Muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography. Electrodes were placed on the VMO and BF to measure the muscle activity on the various ankle angles for comparison analysis. Results: There was a significant increase in bilateral VMO muscle activation at 10° of incline compared to 0° and 5° (p<0.05). Greater increases in muscle activation and exercise effect was observed with increasing incline angles of the board. Changes in bilateral BF muscle activity were found; however, none were found to be significant. Conclusions: Bilateral VMO activity was found to be significant when the squats were performed at an ankle angle of 10° of incline when compared to at an ankle angle of 0° and 5° of incline. Squats performed on an incline can be recommended as an effective method to facilitate lower extremity muscle activities.

Effect of applying resistance in various directions on lower extremity muscle activity and balance during squat exercise

“…This result is similar to the increase in muscle activity of the ST when resistance is applied in the pulled forward direction in this study. When ankle dorsiflexion is combined during the squat exercise, the activity of the biceps femoris (BF) muscle is increased due to instability [23]. In this study, the BF activity was not significantly different.…”

Effects of Various Foot Wedges on Thigh Muscle Activity during Squatting in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Different types of squats are used according to the maximum angle of the knee joint, including shallow (about 45 • ), medium (about 90 • ), or deep (about 135 • ) [7,8]. Another classification is based on two types of executions, including static [9,10] or dynamic [5,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20].…”

“…A common and efficient strategy used to alter ankle and foot joint positions is the use of foot wedges [5]. This strategy has been used for changing lower limb biomechanics [12,27,28], muscle activity [5,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]29,30], and stability [31] during squatting. Based on the ankle joint position, foot wedges can be classified as anterior (dorsiflexion), posterior (plantarflexion), medial (inversion), and lateral (eversion).…”

Effects of Head Direction on Electromyographic Activity of Quadriceps, Center of Pressure and Foot Pressure during Squat Exercise

“…Changes in the gaze direction and head position can affect the spine kinematics [1]; there have been many discussions on the expected effect and safety of squat exercise. Most existing research on squat exercise have either studied the degree of activation of the lower extremity muscles through different ways of foundation planes [9,10] or have studied the relationship between the degree of activation of the lower extremity muscles and the position changes of knee or ankle joints [11][12][13]. Some papers reported the effects of the torso and upper limb position on the lower limb muscles during squat exercise [14][15][16][17].…”