Authors
Hatice Karabulut, Fatmagül Varol
Published in
European journal of applied physiology. Aug 06, 2026. Epub Aug 06, 2026.
Abstract
This study investigated how acute fatigue of the rectus abdominis (RA) and erector spinae (ES) muscles affects the biomechanical and viscoelastic properties of the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF).
45 healthy young men (18-30 years) participated. Two separate fatigue protocols were applied for RA and ES muscles. Fascia's stiffness, creep, and relaxation time were assessed before and after each protocol using the MyotonPRO™ device. The changes in fascial properties following RA fatigue were compared with those following ES fatigue.
No significant changes were observed in any fascial parameter after RA fatigue. In contrast, ES fatigue resulted in significant decreases in stiffness and significant increases in creep and relaxation time (p < 0.05). Following ES fatigue, TLF stiffness decreased by 24.40 ± 37.25, while creep and relaxation time increased by 0.08 ± 0.19 and 1.75 ± 3.62, respectively. Post-fatigue comparisons revealed greater increases in creep (p = 0.01) and relaxation time (p = 0.02) in the ES group compared to the RA group.
These findings highlight the different acute effects of RA and ES fatigue on the TLF and suggest that muscle-specific loading influences fascial responses. Clarifying these dynamics may enhance the application of fascial-targeted strategies not only for symptom management but also for preserving tissue health and optimizing physical performance.
This study has been registered in Clinical Trials under the number NCT06432062.
PMID:
42560528
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Aug 2026.
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