Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2025
Measuring 3D In-vivo Shoulder Kinematics using Biplanar Videoradiography
Published on: March 12, 2021
Effect of Preventive Exercise Programs for Swimmer's Shoulder Injury on Rotator Cuff Torque and Balance in
Nuno Tavares1,2,3, João Paulo Vilas-Boas4, Maria António Castro2,3,5
1Faculty of Sports, University of Porto and CIAFEL, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
Background:
Over the season, competitive swimmers experience a progressive imbalance in rotator cuff strength, predisposing them to a significant risk factor for a swimmer's shoulder injury.
Objectives:
Verify the effectiveness of two 12-week preventive programs on the shoulder rotators' peak torque and conventional/functional ratios.
Design:
A care provider- and participant-blinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial with three groups.
Participants:
Competitive swimmers aged 16 to 35 years with no prior clinical issues related to their shoulders.
Interventions:
Twice a week, over 12 weeks, the two experimental groups performed five exercises where the only difference was executing the program with weights or elastic bands, and the control group performed a sham intervention.
Main Outcome Measures:
The concentric and eccentric peak torque of the internal and external rotators of the dominant shoulder were assessed before and after the intervention using an isokinetic dynamometer Biodex System 3, at 60°/s, 120°/s, and 180°/s.
Results:
Among the experimental groups, only one test indicated a reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in rotator peak torque, while the control group showed a decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in five tests. Swimmers who completed the prevention programs demonstrated less imbalance in conventional/functional ratios than controls.
Conclusions:
Implementing a 12-week preventive program minimizes the progressive shoulder rotational imbalance over the season in competitive swimmers.
Clinical Trial Registration Number:
NCT06552585.
