Final answer:
The prime mover muscle during a supine leg raise is the psoas major, which is responsible for hip flexion, thereby lifting the leg.
Step-by-step explanation:
When performing a supine leg raise, the prime mover is the psoas major. This is because the primary action required to lift the leg in this position is hip flexion, and the psoas major is one of the main hip flexor muscles. It originates from the lumbar vertebrae and inserts into the femur, allowing it to pull the thigh toward the torso during the exercise. The other options provided, such as the rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, and vastus medialis, are not the prime movers in this particular movement. The rectus abdominis is mainly responsible for flexing the spine, not the hip; the gluteus maximus is a hip extensor, which works opposite to the action of a leg raise; and the vastus medialis is part of the quadriceps group that extends the knee, not the hip.