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Phys. Ther. Korea 2024; 31(3): 241-249
Published online December 20, 2024
https://doi.org/10.12674/ptk.2024.31.3.241
© Korean Research Society of Physical Therapy
Effect of Ankle Positions on Gluteus Maximus Activation During Squats
Hanchang Lee1 
, PT, BPT, Ilyoung Moon2 , PT, PhD, Chunghwi Yi3 , PT, PhD
1Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, 2Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, 3Department of Physical Therapy, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea
Correspondence to: Chunghwi Yi
E-mail: pteagle@yonsei.ac.kr
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2554-8083
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Background: Lower limb strength is crucial for stability and functional movement, such as walking, running, squatting, and balance, with the gluteus maximus (Gmax) being pivotal. Squat exercises are commonly used to strengthen the Gmax; however, the impact of ankle position on muscle activation during squats is not well understood.
Objects: This study examined Gmax and lower limb muscle activation patterns in three ankle positions during squats, aiming to optimize rehabilitation strategies and enhance exercise prescriptions.
Methods: Surface electromyography recorded the activation levels of the Gmax, vastus medialis oblique (VMO), vastus lateralis oblique (VLO), and biceps femoris (BF) across three ankle positions: neutral (NEU), dorsiflexion (DF), and plantarflexion (PF). A repeated-measures design was employed, involving 30 healthy adults (26 males and 4 females) aged 18–30 years. Muscle activation patterns were statistically analyzed to identify significant variations across these conditions, with the significance level set at p < 0.05.
Results: During squats, DF of the ankle joint significantly increased Gmax activation compared with PF and NEU positions, indicating that an ankle position closer to DF may enhance hip extension. In contrast, PF was associated with heightened activation of the VMO and VLO, suggesting that this position may be beneficial for exercises focusing on knee stability. No significant changes were observed in the BF activation across the ankle positions, indicative of its limited involvement in response to variations in ankle positioning.
Conclusion: These results underscore the importance of ankle joint positioning in modulating lower-limb muscle engagement during squatting. Ankle DF may be recommended to maximize Gmax activation, which is beneficial for hip-focused strengthening, whereas PF may supports knee stability by targeting quadriceps activation. This study provides evidence for adjusting ankle positioning during squat exercises to optimize specific rehabilitation and performance outcomes.
Keywords: Ankle joint, Electromyography, Gluteus maximus
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Original Article
Phys. Ther. Korea 2024; 31(3): 241-249
Published online December 20, 2024 https://doi.org/10.12674/ptk.2024.31.3.241
Copyright © Korean Research Society of Physical Therapy.
Effect of Ankle Positions on Gluteus Maximus Activation During Squats
Hanchang Lee1 , PT, BPT, Ilyoung Moon2 , PT, PhD, Chunghwi Yi3 , PT, PhD
1Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, 2Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, 3Department of Physical Therapy, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea
Correspondence to:Chunghwi Yi
E-mail: pteagle@yonsei.ac.kr
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2554-8083
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Background: Lower limb strength is crucial for stability and functional movement, such as walking, running, squatting, and balance, with the gluteus maximus (Gmax) being pivotal. Squat exercises are commonly used to strengthen the Gmax; however, the impact of ankle position on muscle activation during squats is not well understood.
Objects: This study examined Gmax and lower limb muscle activation patterns in three ankle positions during squats, aiming to optimize rehabilitation strategies and enhance exercise prescriptions.
Methods: Surface electromyography recorded the activation levels of the Gmax, vastus medialis oblique (VMO), vastus lateralis oblique (VLO), and biceps femoris (BF) across three ankle positions: neutral (NEU), dorsiflexion (DF), and plantarflexion (PF). A repeated-measures design was employed, involving 30 healthy adults (26 males and 4 females) aged 18–30 years. Muscle activation patterns were statistically analyzed to identify significant variations across these conditions, with the significance level set at p < 0.05.
Results: During squats, DF of the ankle joint significantly increased Gmax activation compared with PF and NEU positions, indicating that an ankle position closer to DF may enhance hip extension. In contrast, PF was associated with heightened activation of the VMO and VLO, suggesting that this position may be beneficial for exercises focusing on knee stability. No significant changes were observed in the BF activation across the ankle positions, indicative of its limited involvement in response to variations in ankle positioning.
Conclusion: These results underscore the importance of ankle joint positioning in modulating lower-limb muscle engagement during squatting. Ankle DF may be recommended to maximize Gmax activation, which is beneficial for hip-focused strengthening, whereas PF may supports knee stability by targeting quadriceps activation. This study provides evidence for adjusting ankle positioning during squat exercises to optimize specific rehabilitation and performance outcomes.
Keywords: Ankle joint, Electromyography, Gluteus maximus
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Table 1 . General characteristics of the participants (N = 30).
Variable Value Age (y) 28.9 ± 0.4 Height (cm) 173.4 ± 1.2 Weight (kg) 75.0 ± 2.7 Body mass index (kg/m2) 24.9 ± 0.8 Values are presented as mean ± standard deviation..
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Table 2 . Mean difference about %MVIC across the three different ankle positions during squats.
Target muscle (µV) Ankle position (%MVIC) Plantarflexion (–20°) Neutral position (0°) Dorsiflexion (20°) Gmax Rt* 4.50 ± 0.66a 4.32 ± 0.61ab 5.46 ± 0.86b Gmax Lt* 6.16 ± 0.86a 8.19 ± 1.82ab 11.49 ± 2.32b VMO Rt* 58.50 ± 4.39b 58.26 ± 4.16b 45.06 ± 3.53a VMO Lt* 47.64 ± 4.22b 47.02 ± 4.27b 35.29 ± 4.10a VLO Rt 42.53 ± 5.00a 40.43 ± 4.42a 35.56 ± 4.61a VLO Lt* 38.52 ± 4.34b 37.57 ± 4.14b 28.34 ± 4.12a BF Rt 9.30 ± 1.97a 9.72 ± 1.69a 11.62 ± 1.72a BF Lt 10.16 ± 1.70a 10.04 ± 1.74a 10.93 ± 1.78a Values are presented as mean ± standard deviation. %MVIC, percentages of maximum voluntary isometric contraction; Gmax, gluteus maximus; VMO, vastus medialis oblique; VLO, vastus lateralis oblique; BF, biceps femoris; Rt, right; Lt, left. *p < 0.05. a,b,abIndicate statistical significance, with the alphabetical order reflecting the relative magnitude (i.e., a < ab < b), where ab denotes an intermediate group that is statistically like one group but significantly different from another..
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Table 3 . Ratios of Gmax activation to other muscles (BF, VMO, VLO) across different ankle positions.
Ratio Position Right Left Gmax/BF PF 0.484 0.600 NEU 0.444 0.816 DF 0.470 1.051 Gmax/VMO PF 0.077 0.129 NEU 0.074 0.174 DF 0.121 0.325 Gmax/VLO PF 0.106 0.160 NEU 0.107 0.218 DF 0.154 0.405 The ratios highlight the relative activation of Gmax compared to BF, VMO, and VLO for each side separately, enabling direct comparison of right and left muscle engagement. Gmax, gluteus maximus; BF, biceps femoris; VMO, vastus medialis oblique; VLO, vastus lateralis oblique; PF, plantarflexion; NEU, neutral; DF, dorsiflexion..