Analysis of the muscular activities of the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles in functional reach.
Se-Won Yoon
PMID 28603358WHAT IT FOUND
In 48 adults aged 60 or older, shin and calf muscle activity increased as they reached farther during the functional reach test.
Standing on a cushioned mat did not change that pattern compared with a firm surface.
Key findings
01The tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius each showed a significant main effect of reach section, but neither showed a significant main effect of ground or a significant ground-by-section interaction.
02The table reports root mean square EMG values for stable ground: tibialis anterior 0.002 ± 0.001 at 0 cm and 0.006 ± 0.004 at 25 cm; gastrocnemius 0.004 ± 0.002 at 0 cm and 0.017 ± 0.021 at 25 cm.
03The study included 48 elderly persons aged 60 or older, and it targeted those with good balance who could reach more than 25 cm, not those with disability or reduced balance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The participants had good balance and could reach more than 25 cm, so the results may not apply to older adults with disability or reduced balance. Trunk rotation was not controlled, and the authors note that trunk rotation can increase functional reach, so the muscle activity may not isolate lower-limb strategy. The authors report that the data were not normally distributed and say different results might be obtained if normality assumptions were met. The study measured muscle electrical activity during testing, not falls or treatment outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that unstable-surface training changes lower-leg muscle activity in older adults. The study found no significant difference between stable and unstable ground, and it was not a treatment trial.