Effect of Soft Lumbar Support Belt on Abdominal Oblique Muscle Activity in Nonimpaired Adults During Squat Lifting

Study Design A counterbalanced repeated measures design. Objective To determine the effect of a soft lumbar support on abdominal oblique muscle electromyography (EMG) during lifting. Background Use of a soft lumbar back support is a common preventive measure to reduce the incidence of back injuries. Because the abdominal oblique muscles stabilize the spine during lifting, wearing this support may alter the activity level of these muscles. Methods and Measures Twenty nonimpaired subjects (14 women and 6 men, mean age 28.9 ± 8.1 years) were tested using surface electrodes to record the EMG of the right abdominal oblique muscles during lifting with and without the support. Results A paired t test revealed a significant decrease in activity of the abdominal oblique muscles during lifting with the support (29.7 ± 3.13 mV) compared to without it (33.3 ± 3.05 mV). Of the 20 subjects, the 14 women showed decreased EMG amplitude during the lift with the lumbar support compared to without the support, while 5 of th...