Comparison of muscle activity during sit-to-stand movement at different chair heights between obese and normal-weight subjects

Abstract

The purpose of present study was to compare the tibialis anterior (TA), rectus femoris (RF), and erector spinae (ES) muscle activities at variety chair height during sit-to-stand (STS) on normal weight and obese subjects. Also, we compared the muscle activity difference between the normal weight and obese subjects. The study included 26 subjects (normal weight 13 and obese 13). Each subject performed STS at three chair heights (40 cm, 50 cm, 60 cm) and TA, RF, and ES muscle activities measured. According to the results of the measurement, muscle activation of TA showed significantly higher than RF and ES muscle activation during STS at all chair heights on obese subjects. The muscle activation of TA showed significantly higher than RF muscle activation during STS at all chair heights on normal weight subjects. The muscle activation of RF and ES showed significantly higher in normal weight subjects than obese subjects at 40 cm and 50 cm of chair heights. However, the TA muscle activation showed no significant difference between normal weight subjects and obese subjects. This study's results suggested that obese subjects should practice the use of RF and ES muscles in a low-height chair during STS.

Keywords: Chair height; Muscle activity; Obese; Sit to stand.

Fig. 1

The comparison of muscle activity (%RVC) during sit-to-stand at different chair heights in obese subjects: tibialis anterior (TA), rectus femoris (RF), and erector spinae (ES). RVC, reference voluntary contraction.

Fig. 2

The comparison of muscle activity (%RVC) during sit-to-stand at different chair heights in normal weight subjects: tibialis anterior (TA), rectus femoris (RF), and erector spinae (ES). RVC, reference voluntary contraction.