Suspension Training as a Preventive Strategy: Effects on Muscle Activity, Landing Mechanics, and Balance in Female Athletes with Trunk Dominance Dysfunction

Ziaee, Narges; Rajabi, Reza; Moghadas Tabrizi, Yousef; Kalantariyan, Mohammad

doi:10.48311/ijmpp.2025.117571.82907

Suspension Training as a Preventive Strategy: Effects on Muscle Activity, Landing Mechanics, and Balance in Female Athletes with Trunk Dominance Dysfunction

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Narges Ziaee ¹

Reza Rajabi ²

Yousef Moghadas Tabrizi ²

Mohammad Kalantariyan ³

¹ Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, YI.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Health and Sport Medicine, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

³ Faculty of Sport Sciences, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran.

10.48311/ijmpp.2025.117571.82907

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to determine whether a six-week progressive Total Resistance Exercise (TRX) suspension training program enhances feedback and feed-forward full-name (EMG) activity of the trunk and lumbo-pelvic muscles and leads to improved landing mechanics and dynamic balance in female athletes exhibiting trunk-dominance impairment.
Method and Materials: This study was a two-arm, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Thirty female student-athletes (aged 18–25 years) were screened with the Tuck-Jump Test (abbreviated name) for trunk-dominance impairment and randomized to either a TRX training group (intervention) or a no-intervention group (control). The intervention group completed a supervised 6-week TRX program (3 times per week). Outcome measures included feed-forward and feedback EMG activity of the transversus abdominis, external oblique, quadratus lumborum, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius, as well as dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test) and landing mechanics as Landing Error Scoring System(LESS).
Findings: A mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant improvements in feed-forward and feedback muscle activity, LESS scores, and dynamic balance in the training group (p < 0.05). Conversely, the control group showed no significant changes (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the six-week TRX suspension training program was highly effective in enhancing both anticipatory and reactive neuromuscular control in female athletes with trunk-dominance impairment. These physiological improvements translate to significant functional benefits, including safer landing mechanics and enhanced dynamic balance. Therefore, suspension training represents a valuable, evidence-based modality for injury prevention and performance optimization in at-risk athletic populations.

Keywords

Musculoskeletal System

Neuromuscular Control

Sports Injuries

Total Resistance Exercise (TRX)

Landing mechanics

Subjects