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Sport participation is an important for deaf children as participants experience physical, psychological and social benefits; however, the beneficial effect of core stability training on core muscle endurance is unclear. The present study aimed to examine the effects of an 8-week core stability exercise training program on endurance of trunk muscles in deaf children. Twenty male deaf students (age, 16.5 ± 0.65 y; body mass, 62.08 ± 5.39 kg; BMI, 22.33 ± 2.24 kg/m2) volunteered to participate in this study and were randomly assigned to experimental (EXP, n = 10) and control (CON, n = 10) groups. The subjects in the EXP group performed 3 times a week for 8 weeks period of core stability training program and tested trunk muscle endurance including prone bridge, supine bridge and flexor endurance tests at pre and post 8 weeks intervention. The CON group did not show any significant change after training period (p > 0.05). The EXP group showed significantly changes in core stability muscle endurance tests following the 8-week core stability training program (p < 0.05). In addition, the EXP group indicated statistically significant changes than the CON group in truck muscle endurance (p < 0.05). The results indicated that core stability training program improved trunk muscle endurance. Therefore, this training approach can be recommended in deaf rehabilitation programs to improve trunk muscle endurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study, with a pretest-posttest design. * BACKGROUND: Diffusion-weighted imaging is a noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging technique that can be used to assess the recruitment of the psoas major (PM) and quadratus lumborum (QL). The recruitment of these muscles during trunk exercises has not been evaluated. * OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diffusion of water movement h several trunk muscles using diffusion-weighted imaging before and after specific trunk exercises and thereby to understand the level of recruitment of each muscle during each exercise. * METHODS: Nine healthy male participants performed the right side bridge, knee raise, and 3 front bridges, including the hand-knee, elbow-knee, and elbow-toe bridges. Diffusion-weighted imaging was performed before and after each exercise. After scanning, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map was constructed, and ADC values of the rectus abdominis, lateral abdominal muscles, QL, PM, and back muscles were calculated. * RESULTS: The right PM following the elbow-toe bridge demonstrated the largest increase in ADC values, a change significantly greater than that demonstrated by the hand-knee bridge (P<.001) and side bridge (P = .002) exercises. The ADC change in the right QL following the side bridge exercise was significantly larger than that of other exercises (P<.008). * CONCLUSION: Of the 5 exercises investigated, the elbow-toe bridge and side bridge exercises elicit the greatest recruitment of the PM and QL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates the ontogenetic changes in the trunk muscles of the Japanese black salamander, Hynobius nigrescens, before, during and after metamorphosis. The trunk muscles of the salamander were macroscopically observed, and the weight ratios of each trunk muscle group were quantified at six different developmental stages. The authors observed that the weight ratios of the dorsal and abdominal muscles to the trunk muscles increased with growth.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Many athletes perform trunk stabilization exercises (SE) and conventional trunk exercises (CE) to enhance trunk stability and strength. However, evidence regarding the specific training effects of SE and CE is lacking and there have been no studies for youth athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the training effects of SE and CE on balance and athletic performance in youth soccer players. METHODS: Twenty-seven male youth soccer players were assigned randomly to either an SE group (n = 13) or CE group (n = 14). Data from nineteen players who completed all training sessions were used for statistical analyses (SE, n = 10; CE, n = 9). Before and after the 12-week intervention program, pre- and post-testing comprised of a static balance test, Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), Cooper's test, sprint, the Step 50, vertical jump, and rebound jump were performed. After pre-testing, players performed the SE or CE program three times per week for 12 weeks. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to assess the changes over time, and differences between the groups. Within-group changes from pre-testing to post-testing were determined using paired t-tests. Statistical significance was inferred from p < 0.05. RESULTS: There were significant group-by-time interactions for posterolateral (p = 0.022) and posteromedial (p < 0.001) directions of the SEBT. Paired t-tests revealed significant improvements of the posterolateral and posteromedial directions in the SE group. Although other measurements did not find group-by-time interactions, within-group changes were detected indicating significant improvements in the static balance test, Cooper's test, and rebound jump in the only SE group (p < 0.05). Vertical jump and sprint were improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.05), but the Step 50 was not improved in either group (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggested that the SE has specific training effects that enhance static and dynamic balance, Cooper's test, and rebound jump. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article, "Changes in Intra-Abdominal Pressure and Trunk Activation During Drop Jump," by Masashi Kawabata, Yoshinori Kagaya, Horihiro Shima and Hidetsugu Nishizono is presented.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of hand paddles on intra-abdominal pressure during submaximal front crawl swimming. Methods: The subjects were seven highly trained competitive collegiate male swimmers (1.75±0.05 m, 70.5±3.9 kg). Experiments were carried out in a swimming flume. The water flow rate was set at 1.4 m-s-1 and the subjects performed front crawl swimming with (P) and without hand paddles (NP). Intra-abdominal pressure was taken as the difference between minimum and maximum values using the mean of 6 stable front crawl stroke cycles. Results: There were no significant differences in stroke rate (P, 0.64±0.08 Hz! NP, 0.71±0.10 Hz), stroke length (P, 2.21±0.27 ml NP, 2.01±0.25 m) and intra-abdominal pressure (P, 1.17±0.26 kPa! NP, 1.24±0.37 kPa) between conditions. Discussion: These results suggest that the hand paddles do not influence intra-abdominal pressure in submaximal swimming. Because drag would be the same in both conditions with and without hand paddles at the same swimming velocity, stroke rate and length, the load to the trunk muscles would not differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Measurements of the trunk muscles on MRI in trained and untrained men," by Hideyuki Takahashi, Hidemoto Watanabe, Mamoru Niitsu and Osamu Yanagisawa is presented.