The Effectiveness of a Dry-Land Shoulder Rotators Strength Training Program in Injury Prevention in Competitive Swimmers

Abstract

Competitive swimmers usually undergo large mileage of daily training, in which propulsive force is produced mainly by the upper limbs. Some studies claim that dry-land shoulder rotators injury prevention programs before the in-water swim practice are paramount. However, the effect of shoulder strengthening prior to water training is unclear. This study aimed to analyse the acute effects of training programs conducted on dry land with the goal of preventing shoulder rotators injuries. A group of young swimmers (N = 23) was recruited to participate in this research. The peak torques of shoulder internal and external rotators were assessed before and after the completion of the compensatory strength training program. The isokinetic assessment was performed using two different protocols: 3 repetitions at 60⍛/s and 20 repetitions at 180⍛/s. Except for a trivial reduction in strength after the training program, there were no other significant differences in any of the studied variables (shoulders rotators endurance, strength and muscle balance). All results showed trivial to small effect sizes. Our findings suggest that a compensatory strength training program does not have a significant acute effect on the strength, endurance and muscle balance of shoulder rotators in young swimmers.

Relationship between Training Factors and Injuries in Stand-Up Paddleboarding Athletes

“…In addition, other factors previously identified in other types of sport might also influence the likelihood of injury to the SUP paddle boarder. Some of these variables are: stretching [16][17][18] or core strengthening [19][20][21] and resistance training (RT) [22][23][24][25].…”

The Acute Effects of a Swimming Session on the Shoulder Rotators Strength and Balance of Age Group Swimmers

“…Most times dryland strength training and in-water training are applied within the same training session. Coaches regularly assign dryland strength training before the swimming practice due to time-consuming issues [3,9]. However, it remains unclear when these workouts should be implemented and the impact an in-water session has on shoulder fatigue.…”

“…The increasing fatigue in shoulder muscles, especially in the rotator cuff group, was identified as a possible cause of shoulder dysfunction [10] and was associated with performance decrements and a higher risk of injury [11]. Regarding the performance of muscle strengthening programs before the water training, Batalha et al [9] evaluated the acute effects on the shoulder rotator strength. They concluded that shoulder rotator endurance and balance do not seem to be impaired after undergoing a shoulder rotator injury-prevention training program.…”

The effect of short-term strength intervention on muscle activity of shoulder girdle during simulated crawl in elite swimmers

“…Pain can be a common problem for crawlers on the side that they are not normally taking their breath because they use that side as support for breathing in (Pink et al, 1991). It can be stated that the shoulder pain is caused by insufficient warm-up before each training, incorrect technique of swimming locomotion, insufficient compensation and lack of regeneration (Batalha et al, 2020). The most common causes of the development of the swimming shoulder, that are reported by the studies, are the long-term overload of work on the shoulder joint (Couanis, Breidahl, & Burnham, 2015;Lintner, Noonan, & Kibler, 2008;Manske, Lewis, Wolf, & Smith, 2015), sexual dimorphism and swimming specialization (Hawley, Myburgh, Noakes, & Dennis, 2010;Wymore, Reeve, & Chaput, 2012), anatomical abnormalities of the shoulder joint (Page, 2011;Struyf, Nijs, De Graeve, Mottram, & Meeusen, 2011), increased muscle tension and tendinopathy of m. supraspinatus (Sein et al, 2010).…”