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Musculoskeletal screening to detect asymmetry in swimming
Jo Evershed1, Brendan Burkett1, Rebecca Mellifont1
1School of Health and Sport Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Objectives:
To investigate the influence of asymmetry of clinical strength musculoskeletal screening measures and 3D kinematic movements on bilateral hand-force performance measures in swimmers.
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Setting:
Institutional.
Participants:
32 national-ranked junior swimmers, 100 m freestyle time (mean (SD), 60.68 s (4.81)).
Main Outcome Measurements:
Screened clinical strength, kinematic movements, and bilateral hand-force were measured. Asymmetry was defined as a percentage difference greater than 10 percent, either left (negative) or right (positive) for all variables.
Results:
Asymmetry of the clinical strength measures was found in ∼85% of swimmers. Athletes with symmetry of all clinical strength measures displayed symmetrical bilateral hand force production. Approximately 50% of clinically asymmetrical swimmers were able to compensate, due to summated muscle symmetry and/or an altered kinematic movement pattern, and generate symmetrical hand force.
Conclusions:
Symmetry of clinical strength was directly related to symmetrical force output. It is important to connect the clinical screening results to the sport-specific performance measures to ensure functional and valid screening is undertaken. Clinicians should aim for symmetry of strength in order to minimise the requirement for compensatory strategies.
