Description and comparison of electromyographic activity among three types of Pilates Method footwork exercises

• Grant number: 06/03687-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2006
• End date: October 31, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: Isabel de Camargo Neves Sacco
• Grantee: Daniella Rodrigues Gomes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The practice of the Pilates Method has been searched by those people that look for a more satisfactory quality of life by means of body conditioning. This method is a system of movements that combines principles of Western and Eastern philosophy, with stretching and strengthening exercises; it brings several benefits like improved flexibility, a better posture and a better function for the whole body. Since about 1920 the Pilates Method is known by the dance community, but it has grown in popularity in the last decades; research and scientific literature are still scarce and recent. The Pilates Method has several postural alignment goals like the corrections of poor alignment in knee and ankle, the strengthening of the lower extremity and the enhancement of self perception of body alignment by means of the exercises denominated footwork”, done in a equipment called reformer”. These are closed kinetic chain exercises therefore they can promote muscular co-contraction and they can stabilize eventually compromised knee and ankle joints. Taking these facts into consideration this research has the aim to describe and compare the activation pattern of the vastus medialis, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior and peroneus longus muscles during three different positions of the footwork” in the reformer” equipment; to identify and to compare the pattern of co-contraction for these muscles; to describe and to compare the knee and ankle range of motion in the sagittal and frontal plane during the execution of the footwork” exercises; to evaluate and to compare the comfort during the execution of these exercises. 20 subjects trained in the Pilates Method will be evaluated and the experimental protocol will be constituted by three stages: 1) Postural assessment of the lower limb through analytical observation and Q-angle measurement; 2) Biomechanical evaluation of the Pilates exercises through EMG activity and electrogoniometry; 3) Comfort evaluation during the exercises execution through Borg Scale. It is intended to understand the muscular activation pattern of the knee and ankle during the execution of these exercises and this would aloud us to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of these exercises when one has the objective of a better joint stabilization through co-contraction.