Comparison of Activities of Tibialis Anterior, Peroneus Longus, and Tibialis Posterior Muscles according to Lunge Squats and Bulgarian Split Squats in a Healthy Population

Background Previous studies reported that one-leg squat has various advantages in functional activities, no study has studied the effect of muscle activity on ankle stability. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the differential effects of squat type on the activity of the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus and tibialis posterior muscle for ankle stability. Study design Cross-sectional study. Methods The participants were 30 healthy adults. During each squat execution, tibialis anterior, peroneus longus and tibialis posterior muscle activities were assessed using surface electromyography under control of each squat posture. Results The muscle activity of the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus applying Bulgarian split squat was significantly higher than lunge squat. However, the activity of the tibialis posterior showed no significance between squat conditions. Conclusions This study demonstrated that Bulgarian squat was more effective at eliciting ankle dorsiflexor and evertor that are known as important role for ankle stability.