Function of the abdominal muscles

Abdominal muscles - Better Health Channel

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Summary

Read the full fact sheet

The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.
The deep abdominal muscles, together with muscles in the back, make up your 'core' muscles and help keep your body stable and balanced, and protects your spine.
Causes of abdominal muscle strains include overstretching, overuse or a violent, poorly performed movement of the trunk.

The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body. The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.

Consult with your doctor, physiotherapist or sports physician for proper diagnosis and treatment of abdominal muscle injuries.

Abdominal muscles explained

The four main abdominal muscle groups that combine to completely cover the internal organs include:

transversus abdominis – the deepest muscle layer. Its main roles are to stabilise the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure
rectus abdominis – slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. When contracting, this muscle has the characteristic bumps or bulges that are commonly called ‘the six pack’. The main function of the rectus abdominis is to move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis
external oblique muscles – these are on each side of the rectus abdominis. The external oblique muscles allow the trunk to twist, but to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. For example, the right external oblique contracts to turn the body to the left
internal oblique muscles – these flank the rectus abdominis and are located just inside the hipbones. They operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left side internal oblique and the right side external oblique to contract together.

Core muscles

Think of your core as a strong column that links the upper body and lower body together. Having a solid core creates a foundation for all activities. All our movements are powered by the torso – the abdominals and back work together to support the spine when we sit, stand, bend over, pick things up, exercise and more.

Your core muscles are the muscles deep within the abdominals and back, attaching to the spine or pelvis. Some of these muscles include the transversus abdominis, the muscles of the pelvic floor, and the oblique muscles.

Another muscle that is involved in moving the trunk is the multifidus. This is a deep back muscle that runs along the spine. It works together with the transversus abdominis to increase spine stability and protect against back injury or strain during movement or normal posture. Proper ‘core strengthening’ techniques, learned from a skilled allied health professional, can support the combined function of these muscle groups.

Effective abdominal exercises

When you decide to add some abdominal exercises to your exercise program, be careful about which ones you choose. A qualified fitness instructor can help you develop a safe, effective program. If you have a pre-existing injury or medical condition, consult an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist.

Incorporate exercises to train your core muscle group, rather than standard crunches that target separate muscles. Some effective abdominal muscle training methods include:

Pilates (pronounced Pi-lah-teez) is an exercise technique traditionally used by dancers for deep-body conditioning and injury rehabilitation.
The stability ball (or fitball, Swiss ball or exercise ball) is an extra-large, inflatable ball designed to improve balance while targeting specific muscle groups. You can use exercise balls in a variety of ways to challenge balance, stability and torso strength.

Muscle strains

You can strain your abdominal muscles from overstretching or overuse. Prevention strategies include regular stretching, warming up prior to exercise and cooling down afterwards, and keeping good form while playing sport.

Where to get help

Your doctor
Doctor specialising in sports medicine
Physiotherapist
Exercise physiologist
ESSA Exercise & Sports Science Australia Tel. (07) 3862 4122
Sports Doctors Australia Tel. (02) 8116 9815
Sports Medicine Australia – Victoria Tel. (03) 9674 8777

Things to remember

The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.
The deep abdominal muscles, together with muscles in the back, make up your core muscles.
Your core muscles help keep your body stable and balanced, and protect your spine.
Muscle strains can be prevented by regular stretching, warming up prior to exercise and cooling down afterwards, and keeping good form while playing sport.

Cramps and stitches,Australian Institute of Sport.
Barr KP, Griggs M, Cadby T, 2005, Lumbar stabilization: core concepts and current literature – part 1, PubMed, US National Library of Medicine. More information here.
Barr KP, Griggs M, Cadby T, 2007, Lumbar stabilization: a review of core concepts and current literature – part 2, PubMed, US National Library of Medicine. More information here.

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Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Reviewed on: 30-06-2015

Functions and How to Strengthen Them

Written by Parang Mehta

Your abdominal muscles surround your trunk between the rib cage and pelvis and keep your abdominal organs safe. Your core abdominal muscles also support your trunk and allow movements while keeping your body stable and balanced. Abdominal muscles exercises will strengthen them and protect your spine from injury. The different types of abdominal muscles and the back muscles keep your trunk stable and balanced. Knowing about these important muscles and taking care of them will serve you well.

What Are Abdominal Muscles?

Five muscles surround the abdomen. The wall of the abdomen is partly bone but mainly muscle. The muscles form a flexible but firm wall to keep the abdominal organs safe from injury and help them maintain their positions in the erect posture.

Interesting facts about abdominal muscles:

When people think of "six-pack abs," this only refers to the rectus abdominis which contracts to form those coveted bumps and ridges on the abdomen. However, the bumps are visible because of low belly fat and not necessarily because the rectus abdominis is especially strong.
Abdominal muscles are used for almost every activity, from breathing to biking. Even when the body is fully at rest, core muscles work together to keep the body in place.

What Do Abdominal Muscles Do?

The abdominal muscles coordinate to move the trunk from side to side. They also maintain the abdominal pressure to keep organs in place.

The abdominal muscles help you breathe, too. Contraction of these muscles pushes the abdominal contents upward, applying pressure on the diaphragm. The same action helps in vomiting and coughing.

Abdominal muscles maintain a uniform pressure inside the abdomen. This helps the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and other organs hold their positions. By contracting, your abdominal muscles can increase the pressure inside your abdomen. In this way, they help pass urine and stool and are used in childbirth.

Abdominal muscles are also needed to maintain posture and support your spine.

Rectus abdominis. This pair of muscles lies in front of the abdomen. They arise from the fifth, sixth, and seventh ribs and attach to the pubic bone. These muscles have three horizontal tendons running across their front. These bumps give the "six-pack" appearance.

External oblique. Also known as the obliquus externus abdominis, this muscle arises from the lower eight ribs and attaches to the hip bone. You have two of these muscles, one on each side. These are the outermost muscles of the abdominal wall and help you turn your trunk from side to side.

Internal obliques. Also known as the obliquus internus abdominis, these are paired muscles lying on either side of the abdomen. They lie deeper than the external obliques but outside the transversus abdominis. They arise from the hip bone and attach to the lower six ribs. Along with your external oblique muscles, they enable you to twist and turn your trunk.

Transversus abdominis. This is the deepest of the abdominal muscles. It arises from the lower six ribs and the hip bone and attaches to the pubic crest.

Pyramidalis. This vertical muscle arises from the pubic bone and attaches to the linea alba, a structure between the two rectus abdominis muscles. The pyramidalis lies in front of the rectus abdominis and contributes to maintaining abdominal pressure.

Where Are The Abdominal Muscles?

The abdominal muscles consist of three flat muscles (two obliques and the transversus) and two vertical muscles (the rectus abdominis and pyramidalis). Together, they form the abdominal wall between the bony ribs and the pelvis. They provide structure and strength to the front and sides of your abdomen.

With the muscles of the back, these muscles form your core. Your core muscles keep your body stable and protect your spine during movements. In addition, core muscles work with your diaphragm to facilitate breathing and maintain pressure to keep your organs in place.

Signs Something Could Be Wrong With Your Abdominal Muscles

Abdominal muscle injuries make trunk movements difficult. You may feel:

Muscle spasms
Difficulty moving your trunk
Pain in your trunk when you laugh, exercise, sneeze, or cough
Pain while breathing
Swelling or bruising over the affected muscle

These are usually signs of muscle strain. Rest is helpful to relieve discomfort and allow muscle strains to repair. If you experience severe pain in your abdominal muscles, consult a healthcare provider.

What Conditions Affect Abdominal Muscles?

Muscle strains. Strains or pulls are common problems affecting your abdominal muscles. These usually result from:

Quick, strenuous twisting of your trunk
Overuse of the abdominal muscles
Overstretching of the muscles

Treatment of muscle strains involves:

Ice packs or heat application
Rest for the muscles
Gentle stretches without causing pain
Medicines to relieve pain and reduce swelling
Compression binders
Physical therapy after a few days

Hernia. A hernia is a bulging of abdominal contents, usually intestines, through a weakness or gap in the abdominal muscles. The bulge usually appears when you're straining or standing and subsides when you relax or lie down. The symptoms of a hernia are:

A bump or bulge that is more prominent when you are straining, coughing, or standing
Pain at the site of the bulge
Pain or bulging when lifting something heavy

Hernias can create dangerous situations like obstruction and strangulation, which need emergency surgery. A hernia will not go away on its own and cannot be cured by medicines. If you notice any bulge or swelling on your abdomen or groin, you should meet your doctor as soon as possible.

A hernia is repaired by surgery. Your surgeon will stitch any gap in your abdominal muscles after pushing the organs back into the abdomen. Sometimes, if your abdominal muscles are weak, they may place a mesh to strengthen the area.

How to Strengthen Abdominal Muscles

Keeping your abdominal muscles strong is crucial to having a strong core. These muscles support your spine and pelvis when performing various movements. You should perform muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week and include exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles:

Rectus exercise. Lie on the floor with knees bent and feet slightly apart. Put your hands on your thighs and slide them toward your knees, raising your head and shoulders off the ground.

Obliques exercise. Lie on the floor as before. Raise your head and shoulders and try to touch your knee with the opposite hand. Repeat on the other side.

Repeat these as often as you can without pain, and try to increase the number of repetitions as you get used to the exercises.

Pilates. This is a safe and effective exercise technique for strengthening your core. Pilates is used for injury rehabilitation, too. You should have an expert fitness trainer to guide you in including abdominal exercises in your fitness plan. It is important to perform warming up and stretching exercises before and cooling down after any exercise program.

Apart from exercising regularly, some other measures help to keep your abdominal muscles healthy and safe:

Be careful when lifting heavy objects.
Tighten your abdominal muscles when sneezing or coughing.
Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables to prevent constipation.
Maintain healthy body weight.

Anatomy of the abdominal muscles | KinesioPro

The abdominal muscles form the anterior and lateral abdominal wall and include the external and internal obliques, rectus abdominis, and transversus abdominis. Together, these muscles form a strong wall that protects the internal organs and helps maintain the upright position of the body. In addition, the contraction of these muscles aids in exhalation and increases intra-abdominal pressure during sneezing, coughing, urinating, defecation, heavy lifting and childbirth.

The external oblique muscle of the abdomen

The oblique abdominal muscle is the largest and most superficial of the four muscles and lies on the sides and in front of the abdomen. It is wide and thin, its muscular part occupies the lateral side, and the aponeurosis - the anterior wall of the abdomen. It departs from the outer surface and lower borders of the last eight ribs. Fibers (inferior) from the lowest ribs run almost vertically downward and insert on the anterior half of the iliac crest; the middle and upper fibers, directed downward and anteriorly, terminate in an aponeurosis approximately in the middle of the clavicular line and are attached to the xiphoid process, the white line of the abdomen, the pubic crest and the pubic tubercle.

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Innervation

The LCM of the abdomen is innervated by six lower thoracic nerves, iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves.

Function

Working together, the external obliques flex the spinal column, pulling the pubis towards the xiphoid process. Contraction of one LCM results in ipsilateral lateral flexion and contralateral rotation of the trunk.

Internal oblique muscle of the abdomen

The abdominal ICM is also a wide, thin muscle layer that lies deep in relation to the abdominal ICM. It originates from the thoracolumbar fascia, the anterior two-thirds of the iliac crest, and the lateral two-thirds of the inguinal ligament. Muscle fibers spread in the superomedial direction and attach to the lower borders of the lower three ribs and their costal cartilages, the xiphoid process, the linea alba and the pubic symphysis. Near their insertion, the lowest tendon fibers join with similar fibers of the transversus abdominis muscle to form a united tendon.

Innervation

The abdominal ECM is innervated by the six lower thoracic nerves, the iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves.

Function

Unilateral contraction of the ECM of the abdomen results in ipsilateral lateral flexion and rotation of the trunk. This is achieved by contracting along with the NKM of the abdomen, located on the opposite side. This muscle also contributes to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure by pushing the internal organs up towards the diaphragm, which leads to forced exhalation.

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Transversus abdominis

The transversus abdominis is the deepest of the abdominal muscles, lying medially relative to the ECM of the abdomen. This is a thin layer of muscle, the fibers of which are directed horizontally and anteriorly. The transverse abdominis muscle rises as fleshy fibers from the deep surface of the lower six costal cartilages, the lumbar fascia, the anterior two-thirds of the iliac crest, and the lateral third of the inguinal ligament. It connects to the xiphoid process, the linea alba, and the pubic symphysis. The inferior tendon fibers connect with similar fibers of the abdominal ECM to form a united tendon attached to the pubic crest and pectineal line.

Innervation

The transversus abdominis is innervated by the six lower pectoral nerves, the iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves.

Function

Contraction of the transversus abdominis has a corsetopodal effect, narrowing and flattening the abdominal cavity. Its main function is to stabilize the lumbar spine and pelvis before movement of the lower and/or upper limbs occurs.

Rectus abdominis

The rectus abdominis is a belt-like muscle that extends the entire length of the anterior abdominal wall. It is wider at the top and lies closer to the midline, separated from other muscles by the white line of the abdomen. It rises with two heads from the anterior part of the pubic symphysis and the crest of the pubic bone and is attached to the 5th, 6th and 7th costal cartilages and the xiphoid process. Each rectus abdominis muscle is divided into three distinct segments by three transverse fibrous intersections. It is enclosed between the aponeuroses of the external and internal oblique abdominal muscles and the transverse abdominal muscle, which form the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle.

Innervation

This abdominal muscle is innervated by six lower pectoral nerves.

Function

The rectus abdominis is an important postural muscle. With a fixed pelvis, its contraction leads to flexion of the lumbar spine. When the chest is fixed, contraction of this muscle results in a posterior tilt of the pelvis. It also plays an important role in forced expiration and increased intra-abdominal pressure.

Source: Physiopedia - Abdominal Muscle Anatomy.

90,000 abdominal muscles: structure and functions

Human muscles

2019-01-13 9,0003

Igor

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abdominal muscles form the front wall of the abdominal cavity and are in close interaction with each other. The structure of the abdominal wall can be divided into two parts, each of which acts differently. The anterior wall of the abdominal cavity is formed by the rectus abdominis. The lateral walls of the abdomen are composed of three layers of muscles. The lowermost layer forms the transverse muscle. The middle layer is formed by the internal oblique muscle of the abdomen. At the very top is the external oblique muscle of the abdomen.

Contraction of the oblique abdominal muscles on one side of the body causes a lateral tilt of the trunk. Simultaneous contraction of the oblique muscles on both sides helps the rectus abdominis to tilt the trunk forward and at the same time gives strength to the walls of the abdominal cavity if it becomes necessary to lift heavy weight.

General functions of the abdominal muscles

When fixing the pelvis, they help to tilt the body forward or backward.
When fixing the upper body, bend and raise the legs.
When fixing the pelvis and spine, the chest is pulled down, facilitating exhalation.
Helps to increase the active strength of the muscles extending from the pelvis to the lower extremities.
They have a great influence on keeping the abdominal organs in the correct position.
They are antagonists of the rectifiers of the trunk, affecting posture.

TRANSVERSE MUSCLE

The transverse abdominis muscle is located in front, immediately to the right and left of the midline and runs horizontally along the lateral walls of the abdomen. This muscle starts from the cartilaginous ends of the fifth, sixth and seventh ribs and is attached below to the pubic bone.

INTERNAL ABDOMINAL OBLIGATOR

The internal oblique muscle of the abdomen is also located in front of the sides of the midline of the abdomen and runs obliquely from the pelvis to the chest. It is located under the external oblique muscle of the abdomen and the fibers of both muscles are located at right angles to each other. Like the transverse muscle, the internal oblique muscle originates from the fifth, sixth, seventh ribs and ends at the pubic bone.

RECTUS ABDOMINAL

The rectus abdominis starts from the lower edge of the chest and sternum and goes vertically down, attaching to the pubic bone. The two halves of this muscle (right and left) are separated in the middle by a layer of connective tissue called the white line of the abdomen. Layers of this connective tissue give the rectus abdominis a characteristic relief in the form of convex rectangles. The rectus abdominis is responsible for forward bending. This movement is performed by contraction of either the upper part of the muscle, which draws the chest to the pelvis, or the lower one, which raises the pelvis to the chest.

The rectus abdominis is divided in the middle by a groove that disappears below the umbilicus as the two halves of the muscle approach each other. In its course, the muscle has three or four tendon bridges, dividing it into convex sections that can contract one independently of the other.

EXTERNAL OBLIDITOR

The external oblique is a thin, flat, broad muscle that starts at the lower ribs and runs forward and downward. It runs obliquely from the chest to the pelvis, where it attaches to the ilium, and in the middle to the white line of the abdomen. The muscle roller of the external oblique muscle of the abdomen in people with well-developed muscles forms the lower border of the abdomen. The external oblique muscle of the abdomen is clearly visible through the skin. When you look at the abdominal muscles, this is the muscle you see.

While working out the external oblique muscle of the abdomen, you simultaneously develop the serratus anterior muscle, which forms part of the lateral wall of the chest. Its serrated edge emerges from under the pectoralis major muscle and connects to the finger-like outgrowths of the external oblique muscle of the abdomen.

Trained abdominal muscles provide fixation of internal organs, correct posture, and beautiful appearance. Muscles that have lost their elasticity can succumb to pressure from internal organs. In the event of a slight fullness, fat may be deposited in the abdomen. The depth of the navel indicates a layer of subcutaneous fat.

To effectively work out the muscles of the abdomen, it is necessary to perform exercises that affect all the muscles in this area. For the muscles of the upper abdomen, body lifts are designed. For the muscles of the lower section - lifting the legs and reverse twisting. And finally, for the muscles of the side walls of the abdomen, perform turns and tilts to the sides.

If you are trying to get rid of excess fat in the abdomen, then you should not abuse only exercises on the press. This will not bring the desired effect, since fat burning is a complex process that requires both strength training and proper nutrition in combination with aerobic exercise.

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