Effectiveness of Abdomino-pelvic Muscle Contraction Education Programme in Healthy Male University Students

European University of Madrid29 enrolled

Overview

This research study investigates the effectiveness of an educational intervention aimed at improving awareness and control of pelvic floor (PF) and abdominal muscle contractions in healthy young male university students. Using ultrasound imaging, the study measures abdominal wall muscle thickness at rest and during pelvic floor contraction, Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR) test, and hollowing maneuvers in a randomized control trial.

The study addresses the largely overlooked area of male PF health, aiming to increase awareness and improve muscle control in healthy young men. A two-group design will be used to compare abdominal and PF muscle activation between a control group and an intervention group that receives online educational content. The intervention group will participate in a telematic program covering topics such as PF anatomy, muscle function, and the importance of proper muscle activation. The study will use diagnostic ultrasound to measure thickness changes in the transverse abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) muscles before and after the intervention in both groups under different conditions: PF rest, PF contraction, single-leg raise (ASLR) test, and the hollowing maneuver.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Pelvic Floor Abdominal Muscles

Eligibility

Sex: MALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 30 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Men aged 18-30 years * Healthy men * Informed consent submitted, accepted and signed Exclusion Criteria: * Patients undergoing abdominal cavity surgery * Patients with cognitive/proprioceptive impairments * Patients who have had physiotherapy interventions of PFM * Patients with low scores on the Spanish-validated SHIM sexual health questionnaire for males.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Thickness of the Transverse Abdominal Muscle (TrA)

Assessed at rest, during Pelvic floor (PF) contraction and during Active Straight Leg Raise (ASRL) via ultrasound,in centimetres

Time frame: Measured at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the end of the 4-week intervention period (post-intervention).

Secondary Outcomes

Thickness of the External (OE) and Internal Oblique (OI) Muscles

Measured at rest, during PF contraction, and with the ASLR test using ultrasound, in centimeters