Shoulder Pain and Trunk Muscles Endurance in Young Male and Female Swimmers

Abstract

Shoulder pain is a common syndrome in swimming and affects a large number of competitive swimmers. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between pain in the shoulder girdle and the endurance of the trunk muscles in young swimmers. A total of 24 boys and 22 girls, aged 13 to 18 years, participated in the study. The measurements included the completion of a questionnaire (Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, SPADI) and a field test (McGill's Torso Muscular Endurance Test). The total SPADI score correlated weakly and negatively with the endurance time of back muscles in both sexes (r² = 0.10, p = 0.035), and moderately and negatively in girls (r² = 0.23, p = 0.023). A weak negative correlation was found between the disability index and the back muscles' endurance time in both sexes (r² = 0.15, p = 0.007), which was moderate in girls only (r² = 0.25, p = 0.019). The disability index displayed moderate negative correlations with the right oblique's (r² = 0.18, p = 0.049) and left oblique's endurance time (r² = 0.23, p = 0.024) in girls. Weight, body mass index, the total out-of-water training time per week and age significantly affected the endurance times of the trunk muscles in boys and girls (p < 0.05). In conclusion, strengthening the dorsal and the oblique muscles could reduce shoulder pain and disability in young swimmers and especially girls.

Keywords: shoulder functional disability; swimmers’ shoulder; swimming; trunk muscles; young athletes.