Comparison of Isometric and Dynamic Bridging Exercises on Low Back Muscle Oxygenation

Abstract

Bridging exercises are commonly performed by people with low back pain (LBP). However, the effect of the contraction mode in a bridging exercise on the hemodynamics of the low back muscle has not been investigated in people with and without LBP. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the mode of bridging exercise on oxygenation of the low back muscle. A near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure hemodynamic responses of the erector spinae between isometric and dynamic bridging exercises in 16 healthy participants. The results demonstrated that during exercise, the isometric bridging exercise significantly decreased oxyhemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin compared to the dynamic bridging exercise (oxyhemoglobin, t=− 3.109, p=0.007, Cohen’s d=0.68 and deoxy-hemoglobin, t=− 2.193, P=0.046, Cohen’s d=0.60). The results also demonstrated that after exercise, the dynamic bridging exercise induced a significantly higher oxygenation response (oxygenation, t=− 2.178, P=0.048, Cohen’s d=0.43). This study indicates that the dynamic bridging exercise is more effective in improving oxygenation of low back muscles.

Keywords

exercise hyperemia - functional hyperemia - oxygenation - rhythmic exercise - static exercise

Publication History

Received: 21 March 2024

Accepted: 29 July 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
30 July 2024

Article published online:
11 September 2024

• References

• 1 Hurwitz EL, Randhawa K, Yu H. et al. The Global Spine Care Initiative: A summary of the global burden of low back and neck pain studies. Eury. Spine J 2018; 27: 796-801
• 2 Meucci RD, Fassa AG, Faria NM. Prevalence of chronic low back pain: Systematic review. Rev Saude Publica 2015; 49: 1
• 3 Owen PJ, Miller CT, Mundell NL. et al. Which specific modes of exercise training are most effective for treating low back pain? Network meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2020; 54: 1279-1287
• 4 Shipton EA. Physical Therapy Approaches in the Treatment of Low Back Pain. Pain Ther 2018; 7: 127-137
• 5 Rainville J, Hartigan C, Martinez E. et al. Exercise as a treatment for chronic low back pain. Spine J 2004; 4: 106-115
• 6 Colloca CJ, Hinrichs RN. The biomechanical and clinical significance of the lumbar erector spinae flexion-relaxation phenomenon: A review of literature. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2005; 28: 623-631
• 7 McGill SM, Karpowicz A. Exercises for spine stabilization: Motion/motor patterns, stability progressions, and clinical technique. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2009; 90: 118-126
• 8 Garcia-Vaquero MP, Moreside JM, Brontons-Gil E. et al. Trunk muscle activation during stabilization exercises with single and double leg support. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2012; 22: 398-406
• 9 Kim M, Kim M, Oh S. et al. The Effectiveness of Hollowing and Bracing Strategies With Lumbar Stabilization Exercise in Older Adult Women With Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Quasi-Experimental Study on a Community-based Rehabilitation. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2018; 41: 1-9
• 10 Imai A, Kaneoka K, Okubo Y. et al. Trunk muscle activity during lumbar stabilization exercises on both a stable and unstable surface. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2010; 40: 369-375
• 11 Kang H, Jung J, Yu J. Comparison of trunk muscle activity during bridging exercises using a sling in patients with low back pain. J Sports Sci Med 2012; 11: 510-515
• 12 Edwards JJ, Deenmamode AHP, Griffiths M. et al. Exercise training and resting blood pressure: A large-scale pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med 2023; 57: 1317-1326
• 13 Kemp GJ, Roberts N, Bimson WE. et al. Muscle oxygenation and ATP turnover when blood flow is impaired by vascular disease. Mol Biol Rep 2002; 29: 187-191
• 14 Jensen BR, Jorgensen K, Hargens AR. et al. Physiological response to submaximal isometric contractions of the paravertebral muscles. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 1999; 24: 2332-2338
• 15 Kounoupis A, Dipla K, Tsabalakis I. et al. Muscle Oxygenation, Neural, and Cardiovascular Responses to Isometric and Workload-matched Dynamic Resistance Exercise. Int J Sports Med 2022; 43: 119-130
• 16 El Sayed M, Callahan AL. Mechanical Back Strain. [Updated Aug. 8, 2023]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542314/
• 17 Hepple RT. The role of O2 supply in muscle fatigue. Can J Appl Physiol 2002; 27: 56-69
• 18 Ufland P, Lapole T, Ahmaidi S. et al. Muscle force recovery in relation to muscle oxygenation. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2012; 32: 380-387
• 19 Kell RT, Bhambhani Y. Relationship between erector spinae static endurance and muscle oxygenation-blood volume changes in healthy and low back pain subjects. Eur J Appl Physiol 2006; 96: 241-248
• 20 Belardinelli R, Barstow TJ, Porszasz J. et al. Changes in skeletal muscle oxygenation during incremental exercise measured with near infrared spectroscopy. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1995; 70: 487-492
• 21 Boushel R, Piantadosi CA. Near-infrared spectroscopy for monitoring muscle oxygenation. Acta Physiol Scand 2000; 168: 615-622
• 22 Chakraverty R, Pynsent P, Isaacs K. Which spinal levels are identified by palpation of the iliac crests and the posterior superior iliac spines?. J Anat 2007; 210: 232-236
• 23 Li Y, Mo PC, Lin CF. et al. Using near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate the effects of pressures and durations of cupping therapy on muscle blood volume and oxygenation. J Biophotonics 2023; 16: e202200342
• 24 Matsuo H, Kubota M, Shimada S. et al. The Effect of Static Stretching Duration on Muscle Blood Volume and Oxygenation. J Strength Cond Res 2022; 36: 379-385
• 25 Liau BY, Lung CW, Hernandez ME. et al. Using cross-correlation analysis of multi-channel near infrared spectroscopy to assess the hemodynamic response to cupping therapy. Biomedical optics express 2023; 14: 4455-4467
• 26 Tschakovsky ME, Sheriff DD. Immediate exercise hyperemia: Contributions of the muscle pump vs. rapid vasodilation. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2004; 97: 739-747
• 27 Wu FL, Wang WT, Liao F. et al. Effects of walking speeds and durations on plantar skin blood flow responses. Microvasc Res 2020; 128: 103936
• 28 Liao F, An R, Pu F. et al. Effect of Exercise on Risk Factors of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2019; 98: 103-116
• 29 Mortensen SP, Saltin B. Regulation of the skeletal muscle blood flow in humans. Exp Physiol 2014; 99: 1552-1558
• 30 Chavoshan B, Sander M, Sybert TE. et al. Nitric oxide-dependent modulation of sympathetic neural control of oxygenation in exercising human skeletal muscle. The Journal of physiology 2002; 540: 377-386
• 31 Yoshitake Y, Ue H, Miyazaki M. et al. Assessment of lower-back muscle fatigue using electromyography, mechanomyography, and near-infrared spectroscopy. Eur J Appl Physiol 2001; 84: 174-179
• 32 Vera-Garcia FJ, Brown SH, Gray JR. et al. Effects of different levels of torso coactivation on trunk muscular and kinematic responses to posteriorly applied sudden loads. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2006; 21: 443-455
• 33 Kavcic N, Grenier S, McGill SM. Quantifying tissue loads and spine stability while performing commonly prescribed low back stabilization exercises. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2004; 29: 2319-2329
• 34 Mannion AF, Dolan P. Electromyographic median frequency changes during isometric contraction of the back extensors to fatigue. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 1994; 19: 1223-1229
• 35 Kell RT, Bhambhani Y. Cardiorespiratory and hemodynamic responses during repetitive incremental lifting and lowering in healthy males and females. Eur J Appl Physiol 2003; 90: 1-9
• 36 Mannion AF, Dumas GA, Cooper RG. et al. Muscle fibre size and type distribution in thoracic and lumbar regions of erector spinae in healthy subjects without low back pain: Normal values and sex differences. J Anat 1997; 190: 505-513