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Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong. They are also referred to as hypertonic. They are caused by disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action. This can be caused by various factors, such as bad posture, cumulative trauma, poor training technique, lack of core strength, or lack of neuromuscular efficiency. Overactive muscles can lead to muscle imbalances, which can cause pain and decreased performance. To correct overactive muscles, they should be lengthened through stretching and foam rolling, while the underactive muscles should be strengthened through engagement.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | The National Academy of Sports Medicine defines an overactive muscle as "referring to a state of having disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action" |
| Causes | Muscle tightness, muscle spindles, postural stress, cumulative trauma, poor training technique, lack of core strength, lack of neuromuscular efficiency, muscle imbalance, excessive sitting, etc. |
| Effects | Cramp, myalgia, stiffness, pain, shitty performance, muscle imbalance, postural deviations, movement dysfunctions, range of motion issues, etc. |
| Diagnosis | Overhead squat assessment, FMS battery of movement tests, manual muscle testing, range of motion assessment, etc. |
| Treatment | Lengthen (stretch and foam roll) the overactive muscles and engage (workout) the underactive muscles |
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What You'll Learn
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong
The National Academy of Sports Medicine defines an overactive muscle as "referring to a state of having disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action". Overactivity can be caused by excessive sitting, bad posture, cumulative trauma, poor training technique, lack of core strength, and lack of neuromuscular efficiency.
Overactive muscles can be identified through various functional movement screens, such as the FMS battery of movement tests or a basic overhead squat assessment. Manual muscle testing and range of motion assessments conducted by skilled practitioners can also help identify muscle imbalances.
Once overactive muscles are identified, they can be addressed through lengthening techniques such as stretching and foam rolling. Additionally, engaging the underactive muscles through targeted workouts can help restore proper length-tension relationships.
It is important to note that muscle imbalances can lead to compensatory movement patterns, causing overactive muscles to take on more workload, resulting in pain and decreased performance. Therefore, addressing overactive and underactive muscles is crucial for maintaining proper posture and functional movement.
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They can be caused by excessive sitting
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong, and they can be caused by excessive sitting. Sitting for long periods causes the glute muscles to switch off and the core muscles to become less active. This leads to a reduction in blood circulation and tightening of the hip flexors, which can cause lower back, neck, and shoulder pain.
Sitting for long periods can also cause blood to pool in the legs, which may result in varicose veins or spider veins. In rare cases, this can lead to more serious conditions, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a type of blood clot that commonly forms in the legs. If the clot breaks free, it can cut off the blood flow to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism, which can be life-threatening.
Excessive sitting can also lead to muscle imbalances, where certain muscles become overactive and dominant over others. For example, tight hip flexors can decrease neural drive to the gluteus maximus, causing the hamstrings to take over as the primary movers in hip extension. This can result in altered reciprocal inhibition, where the inverse relationship between contracting and relaxing muscles is disrupted, leading to synergistic dominance by the lengthened muscle.
To counteract the negative effects of excessive sitting, it is important to incorporate daily mobility work, such as stretching, walking, and foam rolling. Breaking up long sitting sessions by standing or moving around periodically can also help. Additionally, using a standing desk or a desk that can be raised to a standing position can promote more movement throughout the day.
By addressing the muscle imbalances caused by excessive sitting and restoring proper posture and functional movement, individuals can improve their overall health and well-being.
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They can be identified through an overhead squat assessment
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong, and they can be identified through an overhead squat assessment. This assessment can be done at home or in the gym to get a general idea of which muscle groups are overactive and which are underactive. The NASM personal trainer certification course covers this in detail, and it is important to know your weaknesses to train and correct them effectively.
To begin the assessment, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed straight ahead. It is best to do this barefoot. Then, raise your arms overhead with elbows extended and palms facing forward. Keep your knees in a neutral position in the center of the foot, and maintain a neutral position at the lumbo-pelvic hip complex, arms overhead, and chin in a neutral position.
Once you are in position, the next step is to move out of the neutral position. If you move out of neutral, certain muscles are potentially overactive, pulling you out of alignment. Other muscles are underactive, allowing you to be pulled out of the neutral position. For example, tight hip flexors can decrease neural drive to the gluteus maximus, inhibiting its function and causing synergistic dominance, where the hamstrings take over the movement. This is known as synergistic dominance, where a mechanically lengthened muscle is overactive and performs the work of the prime mover.
The overhead squat assessment can also reveal excessive forward lean and low back arch. If you start to lower down in an overhead squat position and your body folds forward, this is an excessive forward lean. This can also be observed through the tibia torso angle. If the tibia shifts forward, the torso will also shift forward.
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They can be treated by lengthening them
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong, and are also referred to as hypertonic. They are caused by disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action. This can be caused by stress, overuse, repetitive movements, poor posture, or injury.
Overactive muscles can be identified by performing a static postural analysis, which involves assessing the feet, knees, hips, shoulders, and head for any misalignments. This is followed by a movement assessment, such as the overhead squat assessment (OHSA), which evaluates the active range of motion of the ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders.
Once overactive muscles have been identified, they can be treated by lengthening them through a process called self-myofascial release (SMR). This involves using tools such as a foam roller, lacrosse ball, or softball to inhibit the muscle and break up any tension and adhesions in the fascia.
After inhibiting the overactive muscles with SMR, stretching techniques such as PNF, contract/relax, and static stretches can be applied to help lengthen the shortened muscle. It is important to remember that the goal is to restore proper posture and functional movement, and that overactive and underactive muscles should be addressed together to achieve proper length-tension relationships.
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They can be caused by metabolic disorders, vitamin deficiencies, and excessive caffeine intake
Overactive muscles refer to muscles that are dominant over another muscle group. This can be caused by a lengthened muscle that becomes overactive and dominant over a shortened muscle. For example, in the case of an anterior pelvic tilt, the hip flexors may become shortened and the lengthened hamstrings will compensate and become overactive.
There are a variety of factors that can cause overactive muscles, including metabolic disorders, vitamin deficiencies, and excessive caffeine intake. Metabolic disorders, first recognised in the second half of the 20th century, are caused by genetic defects that impair the body's metabolism, or the chemical changes that occur within cells during normal functioning. Muscles require a lot of energy to work properly, and metabolic disorders can interfere with the chemical reactions involved in drawing energy from food. This can lead to muscle weakness, pain, and cramps.
Vitamin deficiencies can also cause overactive muscles. For example, a calcium deficiency can lead to muscle and nerve dysfunction, while a vitamin D deficiency can cause bone pain, muscle aches, and weakness.
Excessive caffeine intake has also been shown to affect muscle contraction time and maximal displacement. Studies have found that caffeine can increase muscle fibre excitability and improve the rate of electrically stimulated muscle contraction. However, researchers disagree on whether the amount of caffeine reached through supplementation is sufficient to induce significant changes in the rate of muscle fibre contraction in vivo.
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Frequently asked questions
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong (hypertonic). They are muscles that end up getting used a lot more than they should, disrupting normal neuromuscular recruitment patterns and leading to muscle imbalances.
If any of the five kinetic chain checkpoints (feet, knees, hips, shoulders, and head) are out of alignment, it often indicates the presence of overactive and underactive muscles surrounding the joint. Other signs include muscle cramp, myalgia, and stiffness.
Overactive muscles can be caused by various factors, including postural stress (bad posture), cumulative trauma, poor training technique, lack of core strength, and lack of neuromuscular efficiency.
To fix overactive muscles, you should lengthen them (through stretching and foam rolling) while strengthening the underactive muscles to restore proper length-tension relationships and muscle balance.
