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. 2024 Feb 27;14(1):4736.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-54789-0.

Effects of isometric training and R.I.C.E. treatment on the arm muscle performance of swimmers with elbow pain

Weihan Li  1 , Maryam Hadizadeh  2 , Ashril Yusof  1 , Mohamed Nashrudin Naharudin  1
Affiliations

Effects of isometric training and R.I.C.E. treatment on the arm muscle performance of swimmers with elbow pain

Weihan Li et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

The effects of IT and R.I.C.E. treatment on arm muscle performance in overhead athletes with elbow pain (EP) have been partially validated. However, there is a lack of research evidence regarding the efficacy of these two methods on arm muscle performance among swimmers with EP. The aim of this study was to investigate the trends and differences in the effects of IT and R.I.C.E. treatment on arm muscle performance among swimmers with EP. The main outcomes were the time effects and group effects of interventions on muscle voluntary contraction (MVC). Sixty elite freestyle swimmers from Tianjin, China, voluntarily participated in the study and completed a 10-week intervention program. Swimmers with EP in the IT group showed a positive trend in MVC, with an approximately 2% increase, whereas the MVC of subjects in the R.I.C.E. treatment group and control group decreased by approximately 4% and 5%, respectively. In comparison, the effects of the IT intervention on the MVC of the triceps and brachioradialis muscles in swimmers with EP were significant (p = 0.042 < 0.05, p = 0.027 < 0.05). The mean MVC value of the IT group (0.60) was greater than that of the other two groups (0.51, 0.50). IT has a beneficial impact on the MVC performance of the triceps and brachioradialis muscles in swimmers with EP. It is recommended that professionals consider incorporating IT into regular training routines to mitigate the risk of EP issues. Future research should examine the effectiveness of both interventions on hand-grip strength and completion time in 50-m freestyle swim drills in order for swimmers with EP to return to this sport.

Keywords: Elbow pain; Elite freestyle swimmer; Isometric training; MVC (muscle voluntary contract); Muscle recruitment velocity; R.I.C.E. treatment; sEMG.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Flowchart 1
Flowchart 1
Complete IT training closed loop.
Flowchart 2
Flowchart 2
The R.I.C.E. treatment protocol.
Figure 1
Figure 1
The specific steps for placing the YW-wireless sEMG tool.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A 60-s simulated motion of the freestyle swimming stroke technique with the YW-wireless sEMG tool.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The steps of this study procedure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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