The effects of the continuous bridge exercise on the thickness of abdominal muscles in normal adults.
Wontae Gong
PMID 30034099WHAT IT FOUND
Six weeks of continuous prone and side bridge exercise increased ultrasound thickness of internal oblique and transverse abdominis in healthy adults.
External oblique did not change.
Key findings
01Continuous bridge exercise significantly increased internal oblique and transverse abdominis thickness in the training group, while the control group showed no significant change.
02The training and control groups differed significantly in internal oblique and transverse abdominis thickness after the intervention and in the change from before to after.
03External oblique thickness did not change significantly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The participants were healthy university students, not people with back pain or trunk instability, so the result may not apply to patients. The outcome was muscle thickness on ultrasound, not pain, movement quality, function, or injury outcomes. The study was small, with 32 participants. The control group received no exercise, so the trial does not compare continuous bridge with other stabilization methods. The paper does not report participant blinding, dropouts, or adherence. The authors excluded regular exercisers and overweight applicants, so effects in other adults are unknown.
Declared interests
Supported by Korea Nazarene University Research Grants in 2018. Authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that continuous bridge exercise treats or prevents low back pain. The study measured abdominal muscle thickness in healthy adults, not pain or function in patients.