RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOWER BODY MUSCLE ARCHITECTURE AND LUNGES PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education 5(2): 15-23, 2016 - This study was conducted to determine the relationship between lower body muscle architectures and lunges performance. Thirty recreationally active, untrained men (mean age = 22.21 ± 1.59 yrs old) were recruited and involved in two testing sessions; i) anthropometrics and muscle architecture, and ii) multiple-repetition maximum (RM) lunge test. Muscle thickness, pennation angle and fascicle length of vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF) were analysed using ultrasonography. Multiple-RM lunge testing was used as an estimation of 1RM lunges performance. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between lower body muscle architectures and lunges performance calculated absolutely and relatively (1RM/body mass). The overall results showed that muscle thickness and pennation angle of all muscles were significantly positive correlated with lunges performance. However, fascicle length was shown to be negatively correlated with lunges performance. Findings of this study suggested the important for having thicker, more pennated and shorter fascicle of lower body muscle in enhancing lunges performances that is one of the most specific movements in sport.

Keywords: fascicle length, lunges, muscle thickness, pennation angle