Flexible foil exercise and shoulder internal and external rotation strength

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• The effectiveness of flexible foil exercises for enhancing shoulder rotator muscle strength remains unestablished.
• Rotator cuff injuries are common, necessitating research into effective strengthening methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the strength gains in shoulder internal and external rotator muscles between flexible foil (Bodyblade) exercises and elastic band exercises.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a flexible foil as a training tool for shoulder strength.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial with pretest-posttest design was conducted in a laboratory setting.
• Forty healthy young adults without prior shoulder injuries participated.
• Participants engaged in an 8-week exercise program (3 sessions/week) using either a flexible foil or elastic bands, with a control group.

Main Results:

• The elastic band group demonstrated significant improvements in maximal internal rotation isometric torque and maximal external rotation isometric torque compared to the control group.
• The flexible foil group did not exhibit strength increases significantly different from either the elastic band or control groups.
• No other statistically significant differences were observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

• The use of a flexible foil is not supported for improving shoulder internal and external rotation strength in asymptomatic young adults.
• Elastic bands appear to be a more effective intervention for enhancing specific measures of shoulder rotator strength in this population.