Effect of Preventive Exercise Programs for Swimmer's Shoulder Injury on Rotator Cuff Torque and Balance in Competitive Swimmers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND

Over the season, competitive swimmers experience a progressive imbalance in rotator cuff strength, predisposing them to a significant risk factor for a swimmer's shoulder injury.

OBJECTIVES

Verify the effectiveness of two 12-week preventive programs on the shoulder rotators' peak torque and conventional/functional ratios.

DESIGN

A care provider- and participant-blinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial with three groups.

PARTICIPANTS

Competitive swimmers aged 16 to 35 years with no prior clinical issues related to their shoulders.

INTERVENTIONS

Twice a week, over 12 weeks, the two experimental groups performed five exercises where the only difference was executing the program with weights or elastic bands, and the control group performed a sham intervention.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The concentric and eccentric peak torque of the internal and external rotators of the dominant shoulder were assessed before and after the intervention using an isokinetic dynamometer Biodex System 3, at 60°/s, 120°/s, and 180°/s.

RESULTS

Among the experimental groups, only one test indicated a reduction ( ≤ 0.05) in rotator peak torque, while the control group showed a decrease ( ≤ 0.05) in five tests. Swimmers who completed the prevention programs demonstrated less imbalance in conventional/functional ratios than controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementing a 12-week preventive program minimizes the progressive shoulder rotational imbalance over the season in competitive swimmers.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT06552585.