Relationship between strength of the trunk and flexibility in healthy subjects

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Thevenon, A.^a | Blanchard-Dauphin, A.^a

Affiliations: [a] Service de Médecine Physique et Réadaptation, Hôpital Swynghedauw, CHRU Lille, 59037 Lille Cedex, France. Tel.: +33 3 20 44 58 31; Fax: +33 3 20 44 58 32; E-mail: athevenon@chru-lille.fr

Note: [] Corresponding author

Abstract: The current study was designed to determine whether alteration of trunk muscles strength caused modification of spinal and lower limb flexibility in healthy subjects. The study was based on the examination of 50 subjects (25 men and 25 women). In women, the extensibility of posterior muscles and ligaments, measured by Schober index or finger to floor distance, was weakly but significantly related to isokinetic strength of flexor muscles of the trunk, and was inversely related to isokinetic strength of the extensor muscle. In men, no such relation was indicated. Consequently, when measuring the concentric strength of the trunk extensors, particularly in women, trunk flexibility is a factor that needs to be taken account of.

Keywords: Trunk, strength, flexibility, isokinetic

DOI: 10.3233/IES-2003-0139

Journal: Isokinetics and Exercise Science, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 133-137, 2003