Gluteal muscle activation during the isometric phase of squatting exercises with and without a Swiss ball

Abstract Objectives Growing evidence supports hip muscle activation and strengthening exercise prescription to prevent and treat various lower limb injuries. Common prescriptions include single-legged and double-legged squatting, with and without a Swiss ball. We aimed to establish the effect of varying forms of squatting exercises on gluteal muscle activation. Design and setting Observational laboratory study. Participants Nineteen (11 male) healthy participants (28.4 +/− 2.7 years old) were compared using one-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Main outcome measures Surface electromyography (EMG) measures of gluteus medius (GMed) and gluteus maximus (GMax) during the isometric phase of single-legged and double-legged squatting, with and without a Swiss ball. Results A greater percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (%MVC) during single-legged squatting was found compared to double-legged squatting for GMed (42 versus 9%MVC, p