Changes in the awareness and understanding of trunk muscle training in high school athletes.
Michio Wachi, Masae Ikeya, Ayako Satonaka and 5 others
PMID 34658515WHAT IT FOUND
High school soccer players improved their knowledge of trunk muscle classification since 2013, but few understood the purpose of the training.
Top-level teams knew significantly more than lower-level teams, suggesting that understanding anatomy may be linked to competition level.
Key findings
01The number of athletes who knew that trunk muscles are divided into local and global muscles increased significantly from 2013 to 2020.
02Only 29% of students were aware of which specific muscles they were targeting during training, indicating a gap in understanding the role of the exercises.
03Players on top-level teams had significantly higher knowledge of muscle classification compared to those on middle- and bottom-level teams.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study is observational and cannot prove that better anatomical knowledge causes better athletic performance or fewer injuries; the association with team level may reflect other factors like coaching quality or resources. The sample was restricted to male high school soccer players, so findings may not apply to female athletes or other sports. The 2013 and 2020 groups were different individuals, so the study tracks changes in the population's knowledge over time rather than individual learning progress. Self-reported knowledge and awareness are subjective and may not reflect actual biomechanical understanding or technique.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher knowledge scores in top teams as evidence that teaching anatomy improves performance. The study shows an association, but it does not measure performance outcomes or prove that educating players about muscle classification leads to better athletic results.