Core-Muscle Training and Neuromuscular Control of the Lower Limb and Trunk

TLDR

Injury‑prevention training that includes core‑stability exercises has been shown to reduce sport‑related injuries, and trunk control has been highlighted as a key factor in injury risk. This study aimed to determine whether an 8‑week core‑muscle‑training program could improve neuromuscular control of the lower limb and trunk during jump landing and single‑legged squatting. Seventeen female collegiate basketball players were randomized to a core‑training group or a control group, and pre‑ and post‑training kinematic and kinetic data were collected during a drop‑jump and a single‑legged squat using a 3‑D motion‑analysis system. The core‑training group showed increased trunk‑flexion angles and reduced peak knee‑valgus moments in both tasks, with no changes in the control group, indicating that the program improved lower‑limb and trunk biomechanics and may help prevent sport‑related injuries.

Abstract

Comprehensive injury-prevention training (plyometric, agility, balance, and core-stability exercises) has been shown to decrease sport-related injury. The relationship between trunk control and sport-related injury has been emphasized; however, the isolated effects of core-muscle training are unclear.To investigate the effect of a simple 8-week core-muscle-training program on the neuromuscular control of the lower limb and trunk during jump landing and single-legged squatting.Controlled laboratory study.Laboratory.Seventeen female collegiate basketball players were randomly divided into training (n = 9; age = 19.7 ± 0.9 years) and control (n = 8; age = 20.3 ± 2.5 years) groups.The training group completed the core-muscle-training program in addition to daily practice, and the control group performed only daily practice. Kinematic and kinetic data during a drop-jump test and single-legged squat were acquired using a 3-dimensional motion-analysis system.Three-dimensional hip, knee, and trunk kinematics; knee kinetics; and isokinetic muscle strength were measured at the pretraining and posttraining phases.For the drop-jump test, the maximal trunk-flexion angle increased (P = .008), and peak knee-valgus moment (P = .008) decreased in the training group. For the single-legged squat, the peak trunk-flexion angle increased (P = .04), and the total amount of trunk lateral-inclination angle (P = .02) and peak knee-valgus moment (P = .008) decreased in the training group. For the single-legged squat, the peak trunk-flexion angle increased (P = .04), and the total amount of trunk lateral-inclination angle (P = .02) and peak knee-valgus moment (P = .008) decreased in the training group. We observed no changes in the control group.A consecutive 8-week core-muscle-training program improved lower limb and trunk biomechanics. These altered biomechanical patterns could be favorable to preventing sport-related injuries.