A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF COMMON THERAPEUTIC EXERCISES THAT GENERATE HIGHEST MUSCLE ACTIVITY IN THE GLUTEUS MEDIUS AND GLUTEUS MINIMUS SEGMENTS.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 56 observational/biomechanical EMG studies
PubMed 33344003 · doi:10.26603/ijspt20200856
What was done
Seven databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AusSPORT, PEDro, SPORTdiscus, Cochrane Library) were searched from inception to May 2018. The review evaluated electromyographic (EMG) activity across individual segments of the gluteus medius (GMed: anterior, middle, posterior) and gluteus minimus (GMin: anterior, posterior) during common therapeutic exercises. A meta-analysis was conducted when two or more studies evaluated the same exercise and segment, focusing on whether exercises achieved high activity defined as >40% maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC).
What was found
The abstract does not report specific numerical EMG percentages, confidence intervals, or between-exercise statistical comparisons. It identifies specific exercises that exceeded the >40% MVIC threshold: - For GMed: Hip hitch/pelvic drop variations achieved >40% MVIC across all segments. Anterior GMed was also targeted by the dip test and isometric standing hip abduction; posterior GMed by isometric standing hip abduction; middle GMed by single leg bridge, side-lying hip abduction with internal rotation, lateral step-up, resisted standing hip abduction, and resisted side-step. - For GMin: Standing isometric hip abduction and hip hitch/pelvic drop variations achieved >40% MVIC across all segments. Posterior GMin was also targeted by side-lying hip abduction, the dip test, single leg bridge, and single leg squat.
Why it matters
Provides evidence-based exercise selection to target specific sub-regions of the gluteus medius and minimus at contraction intensities adequate for strength adaptation.
Limits
The abstract reports no pooled numerical EMG means, variance, or heterogeneity metrics. It measures acute EMG amplitude rather than longitudinal strength or clinical outcomes, and details on participant characteristics (healthy vs. injured cohorts) and individual study sample sizes are not provided in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Lateral hip abduction exercises target and develop the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and the upper subdivision of the gluteus maximus.