Preparation For Flight: The Physical Profile of Pre-Professional and Professional Circus Artists in the United States.
Stephanie J Greenspan, Melanie I Stuckey
PMID 38707849WHAT IT FOUND
Professional circus artists showed better strength and cardiovascular fitness than pre-professionals.
Teens had greater shoulder flexibility but more trapezius weakness than adults. These norms help PTs screen readiness and target conditioning for shoulder stability in younger and less experienced performers.
Key findings
01Professionals outperformed pre-professionals on lower abdominal strength, pull-ups, handstand balance, and cardiovascular fitness.
02Teens demonstrated greater shoulder range of motion and flexibility but showed more weakness in the middle and lower trapezius muscles compared to adults.
03Participants assigned male at birth had greater upper extremity strength, while those assigned female at birth had greater lower extremity range of motion and strength.
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
The study excluded participants aged 50 and older from the age-group analysis due to small sample size, so it does not provide norms for this demographic. Several functional tests (straddle flexibility, handstand, pull-ups on a trapeze) were created for the study and have not been validated. Participants with ongoing injuries were not excluded, which may have affected performance on some tests. The sample size for artists assigned male at birth (n=29) and teens (n=16) was small, limiting the power of comparisons in these groups.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the Samuel Merritt University Internal Review Board.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that greater flexibility in circus artists equates to better shoulder health. Teens had the most flexibility but also the most trapezius weakness, suggesting that high mobility without corresponding stability may increase injury risk.