In this study we, evaluated the effects of a 10-week sensorimotor exercise program on the thickness and side-to-side asymmetry of the lateral abdominal muscles in adolescent soccer players. From among 120 initially recruited participants, we included 90 athletes (aged 10-17 years old) in our final analysis. Healthy athletes who met our inclusion criteria were randomly divided into comparative experimental and control groups. Sensorimotor exercises were conducted twice weekly for 10-weeks in the experimental group, and the control group received no intervention. We took ultrasound measurements when participants were in supine and standing rest positions. In the supine position, the experimental group (a) reduced the asymmetry of the internal oblique (IO) muscle by 0.4 mm (MD: 0.7; 95% CI 0.6-1.1); (b) increased the thickness of the external oblique (EO) muscle on the right by 0.7 mm (MD: 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.6) and on the left by 0.9 mm (MD: 0.2, 95% CI 0.2-0.7); and (c) increased the muscle on the IO right by 0.8 mm (MD: 0.3; 95% CI 0.2-0.9) and on the, left by 1.2 mm (MD: 0.4 95% CI 0.3-1.1). In a standing position the experimental group increased the thickness of the EO on the right by 1.5 mm (MD: 0.6; 95% CI 0.03-1.2) and on the left by 2.1 mm (MD: 0.6; 95% CI 0.1-1.3) and increased the IO on the right by 1.2 mm (MD: 0.7; 95% CI 0.2-1.7) and on the left by 1.1 mm (MD: 0.9; 95%CI 0.1-2.0). Thus, this 10-week program of additional sensorimotor exercises reduced the (side-to-side) asymmetry of the internal oblique muscle and increased the thickness of the EO and IO muscles in young football players.
Keywords: adolescent football players; lateral abdominal muscles; sensorimotor exercise program.