Individual Muscle Contributions to the Acceleration of the Center of Mass During the Barbell Back Squat in Trained Female Subjects

Abstract

The squat is used to enhance performance and rehabilitate the lower body. However, muscle forces and how muscles accelerate the center of mass (CoM) are not well understood. The purpose was to determine how lower extremity muscles contribute to the vertical acceleration of the CoM when squatting to parallel using 85% one-repetition maximum. Thirteen female subjects performed squats in a randomized fashion. Musculoskeletal modeling was used to obtain muscle forces and muscle-induced accelerations. The vasti, soleus, and gluteus maximus generated the largest upward accelerations of the CoM, whereas the muscles that produced the largest downward acceleration about the CoM were the hamstrings, iliopsoas, adductors, and tibialis anterior. Our findings indicate that a muscle's function is task and posture specific. That is, muscle function depends on both joint position and how an individual is interacting with the environment.