A study on muscle activity based on the ankle posture for effective exercise with indoor horse riding machine.
Hyun-Ju Noh, Chan-Myeong Kim, Ji-Won Park
PMID 30858658WHAT IT FOUND
On an indoor horse riding machine, holding the ankle at 20 degrees of dorsiflexion raised measured trunk and thigh muscle activity compared with a neutral ankle position.
This was tested only in healthy students, not patients.
Key findings
01During indoor horse riding machine exercise, dorsiflexion position produced significantly higher muscle activity than neutral position in rectus abdominis, erector spinae, rectus femoris, and adductor magnus.
02The reported EMG values in the comparison table were higher in dorsiflexion than neutral for rectus abdominis, erector spinae, rectus femoris, and adductor magnus.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was done in healthy students without disabilities, so it may not apply to patients with nerve or musculoskeletal problems. Only four muscles were measured, so other trunk or leg muscles were not assessed. The machine's repeated dynamic movement created EMG noise, and the authors say data were limited. The ankle positions were limited to neutral and dorsiflexion because participants had trouble maintaining plantar flexion. The paper says 29 participants in the methods, but the general characteristics table lists participant n=28 with 12 males and 17 females. The authors note future studies should test functional activities such as proprioception, balance, and walking, not only muscle activity.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that ankle dorsiflexion on a horse riding machine is better for patients or improves function. The study measured only surface EMG activity in four muscles for 5 minutes in healthy students, and the authors state the result may not generalize to patients with nerve or musculoskeletal problems.