Let´s Swing it -The Interaction Between Participation-Related Shoulder Load and Pre-season Trunk Rotation Power on Shoulder Problems in Male Handball Players.
Kari Arnason, Atli Agustsson, Hilde Fredriksen and 2 others
PMID 39628774WHAT IT FOUND
Weekly shoulder load predicted severity of shoulder problems, but pre-season trunk rotation power changed this link.
Players with low trunk power reported higher severity as load increased, while those with high power reported lower severity. Pre-season external rotator strength correlated weakly with prevalence of problems.
Key findings
01Higher weekly participation-related shoulder load was associated with higher severity of shoulder problems, and this relationship was stronger in players with low pre-season trunk rotation power.
02Pre-season external rotator strength was the only pre-season measurement significantly associated with the prevalence of shoulder problems.
03Players with greater pre-season trunk rotation power reported lower severity scores as their weekly shoulder load increased.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Small sample size of 42 players reduces statistical power. Pre-season testing occurred at convenient times for players, so some may have been fatigued, potentially affecting strength and power measurements. Weekly data relied on self-report, introducing potential recall bias. The study did not control for training load or intensity in the days leading up to pre-season testing. There is no established cut-off score for what constitutes a clinically significant deficit in trunk rotation power.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the University of Iceland Research Fund. The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that increasing trunk rotation power alone will prevent shoulder problems in all athletes. The study shows an association in a specific group of elite male handball players with high baseline strength, and it does not prove that trunk power training directly causes reduced injury risk.