Comparison of the recruitment of transverse abdominis through drawing-in and bracing in different core stability training positions

This study investigates how well different core exercises activate a key abdominal muscle, the transverse abdominis (TrA). The transverse abdominis (TrA), the deepest abdominal muscles, plays major role in stabilization of lumbopelvic region. Two common techniques, drawing-in (pulling the navel towards the spine) and bracing (contracting the entire abdominal wall), were compared in various positions like lying down, bridging, and bird dog. Drawing-in and bracing are two principle maneuvers that are routinely used by conservative therapists for specific activation of abdominal muscles including TrA The study used ultrasound imaging to measure the thickness of the TrA muscle during these exercises to determine which technique and position led to the highest muscle activation. An ultrasound (US) imaging study has been used as a technique for assessing TrA activation by measuring muscle thickness in resting and contraction states

• 1
  Abdominal bracing in the bridge position resulted in the highest activation of the transverse abdominis muscle compared to other positions and the drawing-in technique. AB in the bridge position showed the highest activation of TrA.
• 2
  The preferential activation ratio, which measures how well the TrA is activated compared to other abdominal muscles, was also significantly higher in the bridge position during abdominal bracing. The results showed significantly higher activation of trans-verse abdominis, measured by preferential activation ratio, in bridge position during abdominal bracing.
• 3
  The study suggests that bracing exercises might be more effective for activating the TrA muscle than drawing-in maneuvers. Rather our findings suggest that the bracing exercises can result in greater TrA activation than AD.