Clinical trial NCT04209335: Isometric Core Muscle Endurance in Healthy Active and Non-active Working Age Populations
Official title: Isometric Core Muscle Endurance in Healthy Active and Non-active Working Age Populations
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Physical Endurance
Keywords: aging
lower back pain
physical activity level
body mass index
core muscle endurance
gender
McGill V-sit
Biering-Sorensen
sideplank
Lead sponsor: University of Salford
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Salford
First posted: 2019-12-24
Enrollment: 48
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 20
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: SCREENING

Brief summary: Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible correlation between core muscle endurance and participants' age in healthy adult population. Secondary purpose was to identify other dependent variables influencing isometric core muscle endurance (e.g. low back pain, physical activity, gender, body mass index).

Methods: 48 (35 females, 13 males) healthy adults (aged 21-66 years) performed 4 isometric core muscle endurance tests- Biering-Sorensen, McGill V-sit, right and left side plank. A correlation between core endurance and age, gender, lower back pain (LBP), physical activity level (PAL), and body mass index (BMI) was calculated.

Detailed description: This is the first study to investigate the core muscle endurance of different age groups and genders with all four endurance tests of the core.

Since strength and endurance are key to keeping healthy as we age and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and European guidelines advocate them, this study aims to look at the 3 main measurements of core endurance namely flexor, extensor and lateral muscles, and the possible correlations with age, PAL, existence of LBP, BMI and gender. Each participant performed 4 isometric core endurance tests in the same order- 1. Biering-Sorensen, 2.-3. side plank on both sides, and 4. McGill V-sit. All participants were tested by the same tester to reduce potential differences in procedure and testing error. The four tests were each measured using a stopwatch and documented in seconds. Each participant was told the time they had reached during testing to improve their motivation. Pain during testing was documented.

Based on the normative data of abdominal muscle endurance for young adults Null hypothesis (H0)- There is no significant difference in endurance tests for age, presence of LBP or PAL. Hypothesis (H1)- Any significant difference in endurance tests for age, presence of LBP or PAL are due to chance factors. This is a two-tailed hypothesis, as previous evidence shows conflicting results. Pearson's correlation and Independent T-test in SPSS (The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) were used to confirm or reject the possible correlations between the core muscle endurance and age, LBP, PAL, gender, BMI, and participants' job.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* aged 20-70 (working age population)
* healthy
* active and non-active
* with or without non-specific lower back pain

Exclusion Criteria:

* all serious pathologies and diagnosis that could affect the ability to perform the tests safely including acute pain, neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular diseases, spinal pathologies (e.g. spondylitis, acute herniated disc, cauda equina, hypertension, epilepsy, tumour, previous fracture or surgery in trunk, structured deformity, osteoporosis)
* sudden change in health
* personal reasons
* severe pain during testing
* competing in any sports higher than amateur level

Primary outcomes:
measure: Core Muscle Endurance
timeFrame: at the time of testing, in 1 hour
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Body Mass Index
timeFrame: during the time of testing, in 1 h
measure: Physical Activity Level Questionnaire
timeFrame: at the time of testing, last 2 weeks
measure: Number of Participants Who Have Experienced Non-specific Lower Back Pain
timeFrame: up to 6 months before the assessment
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Manchester
country: United Kingdom
facility: University of Salford
state: Salford
Study officials:
affiliation: Supervisor
name: Lynne E Gaskell, MSc
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: student
name: Hanna Holmberg, MSc
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: