Comparison of Muscle Activation in Trunk and Lower Limbs Under Different Vest-Wearing Conditions During Instep Kicks in Collegiate Female Soccer Players

Objectives This study aimed to compare and analyze trunk and lower limb muscle activation according to vest-wearing conditions during instep kick performance in collegiate female soccer players. Methods Twelve female university soccer players were selected as the subjects of this study. To examine the muscle activation, electromyography(EMG) values were collected under three vest-wearing conditions during instep kick execution. The SPSS 25.0 program was used for statistical analysis. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to verify the statistical significance of the analyzed variables. The significance level for all tests was set to p<.05. Results The results showed that the activation of the rectus abdominis, external oblique, and erector spinae muscles was significantly higher when wearing the aqua bag vest compared to the other conditions (p<.05). However, no statistically significant differences were found in the activation of the rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius muscles across conditions. Conclusions These findings indicate that different vest-wearing conditions can lead to variations in trunk muscle activation during instep kick performance. In particular, the instability induced by the aqua bag vest may contribute to increased activation of core muscles, suggesting its potential utility in trunk stability training for soccer players.