Competitive Swimming and Shoulder Adaptations: The Role of Stroke Specialty in Adolescent Swimmers

Competitive Swimming and Shoulder Adaptations: The Role of Stroke Specialty in Adolescent Swimmers

Objectives: To examine the sport-specific adaptations and investigate the effect of swimming stroke specialization in shoulder complex among adolescent competitive swimmers.

Design: Observational study.

Setting: Athletic facilities.

Participants: A total of 76 adolescents participated including n = 28 non-swimmers as Control Group (CG) and n = 48 competitive swimmers as Swimmers Group (SWG).

Main Outcome Measures: Strength of glenohumeral (GH) and scapular muscles (SM), mobility of GH (GH ROMs) joint, proprioception, pectoralis minor length (PML), posterior shoulder tightness (PST) were evaluated for all participants. Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Score (KJOC) was sed to evaluate for SWG. The tested shoulder physical performance parameters were compared between the groups.

Inclusion Criteria for Swimmer Group:

• aged between 13 to 18 years
• the asymptomatic swimmers with no history of major upper limb injury or surgery and no injury history of upper limb in last 6 months
• having experience in at least 5 years competitive swimming,
• actively participating in competitive swimming at least 1 year,
• competing at least in national level and having swimming stroke specialization in competitive swimming

Inclusion Criteria for Control Group:

• aged between 13 to 18 years,
• no competed in overhead sports like swimming, basketball, volleyball, tennis, baseball as professional or recreational,
• no history of major upper limb injury or surgery in last 6 months.

Exclusion Criteria for all participants:

• if they had at least two positive signs by shoulder screening tests (Hawkin's/Kennedy Subacromial Impingement Test, Jobe/Empty Can Test, External Rotation Resistance Test, Apprehension Instability Test, Speed Test and Gerber Lift-Off Test),
• a BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater than 30 kg/m²,
• competing in paralympic sports,
• if they had any major upper limb injuries or surgeries,
• if they had any systemic, neurological or rheumatological diseases,
• being pre-pubertal stage (Tanner I) according to Tanner Scale,
• indicated their unwillingness to participate to this study.