Muscle utilization patterns vary by skill levels of the practitioners across specific yoga poses (asanas)

Abstract

Objective: To compare muscle activation patterns in 14 dominant side muscles during different yoga poses across three skill levels. Design: Mixed repeated-measures descriptive study. Setting: University neuromuscular research laboratory, Miami, US. Participants: A group of 36 yoga practitioners (9 M/27 F; mean. ±. SD, 31.6. ±. 12.6 years) with at least 3 months yoga practice experience. Interventions: Each of the 11 surya namaskar poses A and B was performed separately for 15. s and the surface electromyography for 14 muscles were recorded. Main outcome measures: Normalized root mean square of the electromyographic signal (NrmsEMG) for 14 muscles (5 upper body, 4 trunk, 5 lower body). Results: There were significant main effects of pose for all fourteen muscles except middle trapezius (p