Graduation Date
Spring 2023
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Science degree with a major in Kinesiology, option Exercise Science
Committee Chair Name
Justus Ortega
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Tina Manos
Second Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Eli Lankford
Third Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Subject Categories
Kinesiology
Abstract
Within the running community, there are strategies that a trainer will utilize to improve the performance of an athlete. One of these strategies suggests that an increase in activation of the Gluteus Maximus (GM) muscle will result in an increase in the efficiency of runners. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between GM activation and running economy (RE).
Methods: Three female and seven male recreational runners (27±8 yrs) from California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt and the local community. A Pearson product-correlation was used to determine the strength of the relationship between Gluteus Maximus activation and running economy. Runners (27±8 yrs) ran on a treadmill at 11 km/hr and running economy was quantified as metabolic power (Watt/kg) using indirect calorimetry (ParvoMedic). Muscle activation (2000 Hz; Delsys Trigno) of the Rectus Femoris (RF), Biceps Femoris (BF), Soleus (SOL), Tibialis Anterior (TA) muscles were collected in the last two minutes of each six-minute trial.
Results/Discussion: There was no significant relation between GM activation and metabolic cost at 11km/hr (r=-0.08, p=.817, Figure 1). When examining secondary lower extremity muscles, none of the muscles had a correlation with metabolic cost (Table 1). Similar studies examining metabolic cost and muscle activation found similar trends in which GM was reported to be one of the lower activating muscles at slower speeds. This lack of a relationship between muscle activation and running metabolic cost may be related to the contributing roles of these muscles while running.
Conclusion: GM activation does not correlate with metabolic cost at intermediate running speeds. The results of this study will be beneficial to coaches and athletes in developing a training program to improve running performance.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Hernandez, Carlos, "The relationship between gluteus maximus activation and running economy in recreational distance runners" (2023). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 625.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/625