Analyzing the effects of physical characteristics on trunk muscles endurance in healthy Turkish subjects

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of physical characteristics including; age, gender, mass, height, body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio on trunk muscles endurance in healthy subjects.
Methods: In the current work, 111 females and 89 males, totally 200 healthy subjects with mean age of 31.58±13.78 years without any acute disease participated. Trunk muscles endurance was examined using curl up, static back endurance and horizontal side bridge tests. Subjects were classified into four different, equal age groups such as; 10 to 19 years (group 1), 20 to 29 years (group 2), 30 to 39 years (group 3), and 40 to 65 years (group 4). Results were statistically analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction and Spearman’s correlation coefficient.
Results: When the subjects were analyzed; the first group (age<20 years) had the best scores concerning the physical characteristic measures and endurance tests. And the fourth group (age >40 years) had the lowest scores. There was a significant negative correlation between all the test scores and age (p≤ 0.05). When all subjects were analyzed in terms of gender; males had better scores than females except for static back endurance test (p≤ 0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between mass, BMI and the test scores (p > 0.05). We found a significant positive correlation between height and all trunk endurance test.
Conclusion: We conclude that increasing age, mass, BMI and waist- hip ratio are important factors which cause a decrease in trunk muscles endurance in healthy subjects.

Keywords:

Physical characteristics, endurance, trunk muscles