Comparison of Core Strength Between girls with PCOS and Age-Matched healthy controls

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in adolescent girls. It occurs with hormonal and metabolic derangements that affect multiple physiological processes, including muscle strength, especially in the core. While some studies have examined the relationship between PCOS and muscle strength, there are not many with a specific aim to assess variation in core strength in this population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 60 participants, including 30 adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 30 healthy age-matched individuals. Core strength was measured with a pressure biofeedback unit from Recorders & Medicare Systems Pvt. Ltd. (RMS India), which measures the function of deep abdominal muscles. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare core strength between the two groups since the data were not normally distributed.

Results: The results demonstrated that core strength was significantly reduced in adolescent girls with PCOS than in healthy controls (p<0.001). Contributing factors were hormonal imbalance, insulin resistance, and greater abdominal fat deposition, and these can compromise neuromuscular efficiency. The study indicates that core muscle dysfunction could be a clinically important but overlooked feature of PCOS.

Conclusion: PCOS seems to have a negative effect on core strength, and so there is a requirement for specific core-strengthening interventions in clinical care. Core stability training should be incorporated into rehabilitation protocols among people with PCOS in order to avoid possible musculoskeletal dysfunctions.