Relationship between isometric shoulder strength and arms-only swimming power among male collegiate swimmers: study of valid clinical assessment methods.
Takenori Awatani, Ikuhiro Morikita, Seigo Mori and 2 others
PMID 29706692WHAT IT FOUND
Isometric shoulder internal rotation strength in a specific abducted position correlated strongly with arm-only swimming power.
Greater asymmetry in shoulder extension strength correlated with less efficient swimming velocity relative to power.
Key findings
01Maximum swimming power was strongly correlated with internal rotation torque of the dominant side (r=0.85) and moderately correlated with extension torque of the dominant side (r=0.608).
02The ratio of swimming velocity to swimming power was negatively correlated with the bilateral difference in extension torque (r=-0.728), suggesting asymmetry relates to swimming efficiency.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (n=14) limits generalizability. Study focused only on arm-only swimming, excluding kick contribution. Participants were healthy collegiate swimmers, so findings may not apply to injured athletes or other skill levels. Cross-sectional design identifies correlations but cannot prove that strength changes cause performance improvements.
Declared interests
The research received no specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these correlations as proof that increasing these specific strength metrics will directly improve swimming performance, as the study did not test an intervention.