Analysis of strength and resistance parameters of the lumbar spinae erector muscles during isometric exercise at different effort levels

The low-back pain has demonstrated to be a common finding among athletes and particularly the overload in the lumbar column resulting from a strength or isometric resistance involvement of muscles of this segment as result of the muscular fatigue has been considered as important etiological factor for its development. In this context, tests used for the training evaluation of the lumbar spinae erector muscles are emphasized. In the present study, the analysis of the strength and isometric resistance parameters was used with the objective of evaluating responses of these muscles during maximal and sub-maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) in two situations: with fatigue and without fatigue induced by isometric exercise performed until exhaustion. Nine male healthy volunteers performed MVIC before and after vertebral column extension exercises supporting 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of the MVIC. In each one of these situations, the electromyographic signal (EMG) of the iliocostalis and multifidus muscles as well as the strength level generated in the MVIC were recorded. Muscular fatigue was identified through the MVIC values decrease verification and median frequency (MF) of the EMG signals obtained after isometric exercise. The results demonstrated that while the strength was able to evidence muscular fatigue, the MF demonstrated in a statistically significant way the iliocostalis and multifidus muscles fatigue, and the multifidus muscles presented a higher muscular fatigue level. Interestingly, loads between 5% and 20% of the MVIC induced the same level of muscular fatigue. Thus, although the strength generated during vertebral column extension after isometric exercise-induced exhaustion remains unchanged, probably due to the action of accessory muscles, the overload on the vertebral column is developed as result of the vertebral column stability involvement resulting from the muscular fatigue identified after isometric exercise.