# Sport-Specific Abdominal Wall Muscle Differences:
## 4 Discussion  
This novel research provides useful information regarding the abdominal wall muscle complex in soccer players with respect to basketball players. To date, this could be considered the first study to compare both sports' populations with ultrasonography. However, non-significant differences were found in the thickness of the abdominal muscles; these findings provide valuable insights into sport-specific adaptations. Nevertheless, the assessment of the TrAb, EO, IO, and RA muscles' morphology and structure plays an important role for injury prevention and rehabilitation management in different sports' populations [22]. Recent research highlights the reliability of ultrasound measurements of lumbar multifidus and TrAb thickness during static and dynamic activities in subjects with and without muscle conditions related to the core muscles [23]. The significant difference in RA muscle thickness between basketball and soccer players can be attributed to the distinct physical demands of each sport. Basketball requires frequent jumping, sprinting, and rapid changes in direction, which place substantial stress on the RA muscle to maintain trunk stability and generate explosive power [16; 24]. These results are coincident with studies that have shown that basketball players tend to develop greater muscle thickness in the core region due to the high-intensity nature of the movements [25]. Conversely, soccer players engage in activities that require endurance, agility, and continuous play with intermittent high-intensity actions which require a balanced development of the core muscles [2]. The lack of significant differences in the EO, IO, and TrAb muscles between soccer and basketball players suggests that both sports place similar demands on these muscle groups, leading to comparable adaptations [3]. In addition, according to [PERSON] et al., strength training is the most significant component of athlete performance [26]. In this context, core strength training improves the strength transmission from the lower to upper limbs, coordinated coordination, muscle control ability [27], and reduces injury risk in both sports [6]. We acknowledge the observed intra-subject differences between the left and right sides of the abdominal musculature. Similar discrepancies have been noted in other studies investigating asymmetries in muscle morphology and function. For instance, a study by [PERSON] et al. observed asymmetries in the cross-sectional area of the lumbar multifidus muscle among elite cricketers, with significant differences between the left and right sides, which were attributed to the specific physical demands of their sport [14]. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. reported asymmetries in the thickness of the abdominal muscles in ballet dancers, \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Measurement**} & **Right** & **Left** & \\  & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **_p-Value (Effect Size)_ \\  & **(95\% CD)** & **(95\% CI)** & \\ \hline \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Soccer players**} \\ TrAb & 4.96 \(\pm\) 1.01 (2.9–7.0) * & 4.85 \(\pm\) 1.12 (2.5–7.1) * & 0.601 (0.12) ** \\ IO & 11.30 \(\pm\) 2.51 (8.3–17.7) * & 11.7 \(\pm\) 3.02 (5.3–18.8) * & 0.529 (0.15) ** \\ EO & 7.91 \(\pm\) 1.28 (5.3–10.4) * & 7.80 \(\pm\) 1.02 (5.2–9.1) * & 0.561 (0.14) ** \\ RA & 13.57 \(\pm\) 1.84 (10.1–17.6) * & 14.30 \(\pm\) 1.83 (11.2–18.0) * & 0.145 (0.37) ** \\ \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Sasketball players**} \\ TrAb & 4.74 \(\pm\) 0.89 (2.4–6.3) * & 4.62 \(\pm\) 1.08 (2.3–6.9) * & 0.478 (0.16) ** \\ IO & 11.09 \(\pm\) 1.15 (9.6–13.7) * & 10.80 \(\pm\) 2.28 (7.5–15.3) * & 0.379 (0.20) ** \\ EO & 7.39 \(\pm\) 1.28 (5.5–10.6) * & 7.80 \(\pm\) 1.02 (6.3–10.4) * & 0.029 (0.54) ** \\ RA & 15.1 \(\pm\) 2.42 (10.4–19.0) * & 15.17 \(\pm\) 1.69 (11.7–18.9) * & 0.856 (0.16) ** \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Abbreviations: EO, external oblique; IO, internal oblique; RA, rectus abdominis; TrAb, transversus abdominis.  
* Mean (SD) was applied. ** Paired _t_-test for independent samples was performed.  
\end{table}