Assessment of the bioelectrical activity of rectus femoris muscle during squats with medicine ball and Gymstick

Background. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioelectrical activity of the rectus femoris muscle during traditional and modified squats (with medicine ball and Gymstick). Material and methods. The study involved 36 women aged 19 to 25. The following research techniques and tools were used: surface electromyography (sEMG) using a Neuro Trac Myo Plus 2 dual-channel device. All women performed three series of five squats over 10 seconds. The subjects were instructed on how to correctly perform them – as far as possible, the centre of gravity should move in one plane. Three types of squats were performed: traditional squats, squats with a 3 kg medicine ball, squats with a Gymstick. Results. The rectus femoris muscle was least active during traditional squats. The highest average activity of the rectus femoris muscle was observed during exercises with the Gymstick, although the activity of the examined muscle during squats with a medicine ball and with the Gymstick did not differ significantly. Conclusion. Exercises with a medicine ball and a Gymstick activated muscles to a similar extent, significantly more than during traditional exercises. Therefore, they can be used to increase the intensity of the therapeutic procedure and training process.