A single session of hip abductors resistance exercise until failure changes shank muscle activation during landing tasks.

BACKGROUND: Weakness in the hip abductors can lead to lower limb misalignment and an elevated risk of injury. This can result in compensatory mechanisms at the ankle to maintain stability. AIM: To verify the effects of a single session of hip abductors resistance exercise until failure on the foot pronation and EMG amplitude of shank muscles (peroneus longus - PL; tibialis anterior - TA) during landing tasks. METHOD: Seventeen participants completed single-leg and double-leg landings both before and after a single session of hip abductors resistance exercise until failure. The exercise consisted of four sets of 10 repetitions maximum, with a 2-minute rest interval between each set. Measurements of PL and TA EMG amplitude and degree of foot pronation were performed during landings. RESULTS: We observed a greater degree of supination of the foot during single-leg compared to double-leg landing (p=0.006), without effect of exercise. Regarding TA EMG amplitude, there was no exercise effect (p=0.951), with a higher amplitude observed in double-leg compared to single-leg landing (p=0.001). EMG amplitude of PL was higher during single-leg compared to double-leg landing (p=0.003) and the exercise significantly reduced its activation in both tasks (p=0.032). CONCLUSION: Single-leg and double-leg landings exhibited variations in mechanics and activation patterns of the distal muscles. Following a single session of hip abductors resistance exercise until failure, there was a reduction in PL activation during landing tasks. This suggests that there were neuromuscular compensations occurring distally due to alterations in the hip abductor muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]