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Purpose <p>The study aimed to investigate how different levels of supporting forces during the squat exercise at a self-selected speed, along with different knee angles, affect fascicle length, pennation angle, and muscle activation for healthy young individuals.</p> Methods <p>Twelve healthy subjects participated in the study to measure fascicle length and pennation angle of the vastus lateralis (VL) at 0°, 60°, and 80° knee flexion. Leg muscle activities and the ground reaction force (GRF) were measured during squats using a squat aid machine with three supporting force levels.</p> Results <p>VL fascicle length and pennation angle at 0° knee flexion were significantly lower than at 60° and 80° flexion across all force levels (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the leg muscles’ mean maximum electromyography and the three-direction normalized GRFs measured on both the squat aid machine and the subjects’ feet showed no significant variations across supporting forces.</p> Conclusion <p>Our findings indicate that squat exercise has the potential to induce eccentric contraction by increasing fascicle length and muscle activation and decreasing pennation angle, regardless of the supporting force level. Therefore, a squat aid machine for squats is recommended as a safe and effective approach to enhance muscle force through eccentric contractions.</p>

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Partial bodyweight-supported squats elicit eccentric contraction of the thigh muscles

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月6日

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  • Eunyoung Seo,
  • Olga V. Kim,
  • Chansu Kim,
  • Duguma Teshome Gemechu,
  • Keun-Tae Kim,
  • Sang Hoon Kang,
  • Song Joo Lee

摘要

Purpose

The study aimed to investigate how different levels of supporting forces during the squat exercise at a self-selected speed, along with different knee angles, affect fascicle length, pennation angle, and muscle activation for healthy young individuals.

Methods

Twelve healthy subjects participated in the study to measure fascicle length and pennation angle of the vastus lateralis (VL) at 0°, 60°, and 80° knee flexion. Leg muscle activities and the ground reaction force (GRF) were measured during squats using a squat aid machine with three supporting force levels.

Results

VL fascicle length and pennation angle at 0° knee flexion were significantly lower than at 60° and 80° flexion across all force levels (p < 0.05). Moreover, the leg muscles’ mean maximum electromyography and the three-direction normalized GRFs measured on both the squat aid machine and the subjects’ feet showed no significant variations across supporting forces.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that squat exercise has the potential to induce eccentric contraction by increasing fascicle length and muscle activation and decreasing pennation angle, regardless of the supporting force level. Therefore, a squat aid machine for squats is recommended as a safe and effective approach to enhance muscle force through eccentric contractions.