Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The gluteus medius (GM) which functions mainly in weight-bearing to stabilize the pelvis in a unilateral stance against gravity has been described as having several anatomic subdivisions.
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to compare the activation of the three GM subdivisions (anterior, medial, and posterior) during four weight bearing exercises.
METHODS:
This study investigated GM activation in 15 healthy adult males during four weight-bearing exercises; hip fire hydrant, standing forward bent-horizontal hip abduction (SFB-HHA), wall press and pelvic drop. Muscle activations in the three GM subdivisions were measured using electromyography (EMG) and compared using a repeated one-way ANOVA.
RESULTS:
All GM subdivisions showed higher activation during high position exercises (pelvic drop, SFB-HHA, wall press exercise) than during the low position exercise (hip fire hydrant). The anterior subdivision showed higher activity during pelvic drop exercise than during SFB-HHA and wall press exercises. Higher posterior subdivision activity was observed during SFB-HHA compared to wall press and pelvic drop exercises, posterior subdivision activity was higher during wall press compared to pelvic drop.
CONCLUSIONS:
The results suggest that pelvic drop is the appropriate exercise to activate the anterior subdivision of the GM, whereas SFB-HHA is the best exercise to activate the posterior subdivision.