Chronic Effect of Individualized Core Stability Programs in Recreational Athletes.

Core stability (CS) training is nowadays largely used in several fields, mainly to enhance athletic performance and to prevent and rehabilitate musculoskeletal injuries. However, in several experimental studies, CS training programs have not delivered as positive results as could be expected. The lack of proper modulation and quantification of the training load parameters (such as intensity, volume, frequency, etc.) may be one of the main explanations. Although training intensity has been manipulated by modifying the CS exercise difficulty through variations in mechanical constraints (i.e. participant posture, lever arms, base of support, unstable surfaces, etc.), to the best of the authors' knowledge no experimental study has quantified the CS training intensity based on objective parameters. The quantification of the load intensity is fundamental to analyze the dose-response relationships between training and CS adaptations. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two individualized CS training programs using smartphone accelerometers placed on the pelvis to quantify the intensity of several of the most common CS exercises employed in fitness, sports and rehabilitation. The expected effect is that the experimental groups will improve CS significantly.