Background: Although trunk muscles are involved in many important functions, evaluating trunk muscle strength is not an easy task. If trunk muscle mass and thickness could be used as indicators of trunk muscle strength, the burden of measurement would be reduced, but the relationship between trunk muscle strength and trunk muscle mass and thickness has not been clarified.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between trunk muscle strength and trunk muscle mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis and trunk muscle thickness by ultrasound imaging in healthy adults.
Methods: One hundred and twenty-one healthy university students were included in this study. Trunk flexion/extension muscle strength and trunk muscle mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and trunk muscle thickness by ultrasound imaging were measured.
Results: Both trunk flexion strength and trunk extension strength were significantly correlated with trunk muscle mass and oblique and rectus abdominis muscle thickness. Multiple regression analysis showed that trunk extension muscle strength had an independent relationship with trunk muscle mass.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated that trunk muscle mass or trunk muscle thickness can be used as an alternative means for evaluating trunk muscle strength, making the evaluation of trunk muscles less burdensome.
Keywords: Trunk muscle; bioelectrical impedance analysis; muscle strength; ultrasound imaging.