Hip and shoulder flexibility in novice rhythmic gymnasts and age-matched controls: Inter-limb asymmetry

Abstract

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport of asymmetry and lateral preferences, so the main objective of this study was to examine and compare hip and shoulder range of motion (ROM) and inter-limb asymmetry in 44 rhythmic gymnasts (RGs) and 51 age-matched non-athletes (NAs), i.e. controls. The baseline characteristics of 95 female participants, divided into two age-group categories (U8: 6–8 years, N=36; U11: 8–11 years, N=59) were established, as well as their hip (right/left hip flexion, right/left hip extension, right/left hip abduction, in °) and shoulder ROM (right/left shoulder flexion, right/left shoulder extension, in °), and asymmetry index (ASI, in %) was calculated. Significant differences between RGs and NAs were established (the exception is hip and shoulder extension in U8s, p>0.05), with greater ROM values recorded in RGs. Significant age differences were recorded among RGs in hip flexion and left hip abduction (p<0.05), in favor of U11s, and within NAs only in the case of right hip flexion (p=0.017), but in favor of U8s. The presence of asymmetries (ASI>15%), as well as its absence, is established in both RGs and NAs, but statistically significant side-to-side differences were recorded in U8 NAs (shoulder flexion, p=0.044) and U11 NAs (shoulder extension, p=0.057).