Shoulder Rotators Electro-Mechanical Properties Change with Intensive Volleyball Practice: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This pilot study was designed to assess the incidence of high-level volleyball practice on muscle strength production and muscle activation during internal and external shoulder rotations. Seven professional and seven French amateur league volleyball players performed maximal isometric at three forearm angles, concentric and eccentric isokinetic internal and external shoulder rotations. The torque production and muscle activation levels of pectoralis major and infraspinatus were determined. Few significant differences were found for muscle activation and co-activation between amateur and professional volleyball players during both internal and external rotations. No significant difference in torque production was observed for shoulder internal rotation between professional and amateur volleyball players. Torque production was significantly higher during shoulder external rotation for amateur (46.58±2.62 N . m) compared to professional (35.35±1.17 N . m) volleyball players relative to isometric contractions, but it was not different during isokinetic efforts. The torque ratios for external/internal rotations were always significantly lower for professional (0.42±0.03 pooling isometric and concentric conditions) compared to amateur volleyball players (0.56±0.03 pooling isometric and concentric conditions). Those results emphasize that a high level of volleyball practice induces a strong external rotators deficit compared to sports such as swimming, baseball or tennis.

Key words

volleyball - isokinetic - shoulder rotations - surface electromyography - muscle torque - isometric

References

• 1 Alfredson H, Pietila T, Lorentzon R. Concentric and eccentric shoulder and elbow muscle strength in female volleyball players and non-active females.  Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1998;  8 265-270
• 2 Bak K, Magnusson SP. Shoulder strength and range of motion in symptomatic and pain-free elite swimmers.  Am J Sports Med. 1997;  25 454-459
• 3 Bayios IA, Anastasopoulou EM, Sioudris DS, Boudolos KD. Relationship between isokinetic strength of the internal and external shoulder rotators and ball velocity in team handball.  J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2001;  41 229-235
• 4 Brown LP, Niehues SL, Harrah A, Yavorsky P, Hirshman HP. Upper extremity range of motion and isokinetic strength of the internal and external shoulder rotators in major league baseball players.  Am J Sports Med. 1988;  16 577-585
• 5 Chang YW, Hughes RE, Su FC, Itoi E, An KN. Prediction of muscle force involved in shoulder internal rotation.  J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2000;  9 188-195
• 6 Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2^nd ed.) Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates 1988
• 7 Ellenbecker TS, Roetert EP. Effects of a 4-month season on glenohumeral joint rotational strength and range of motion in female collegiate tennis players.  J Strength Cond Res. 2002;  16 92-96
• 8 Ferretti A, De Carli A, Fontana M. Injury of the suprascapular nerve at the spinoglenoid notch. The natural history of infraspinatus atrophy in volleyball players.  Am J Sports Med. 1998;  26 759-763
• 9 Frisiello S, Gazaille A, O’halloran J, Palmer ML, Waugh D. Test-retest reliability of eccentric peak torque values for shoulder medial and lateral rotation using the Biodex isokinetic dynamometer.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1994;  19 341-344
• 10 Hermens HJ, Freriks B, Disselhorst-Klug C, Rau G. Development of recommendations for SEMG sensors and sensor placement procedures.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2000;  10 361-374
• 11 Hewson DJ, Hogrel JY, Langeron Y, Duchene J. Evolution in impedance at the electrode-skin interface of two types of surface EMG electrodes during long-term recordings.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2003;  13 273-279
• 12 Hinton RY. Isokinetic evaluation of shoulder rotational strength in high school baseball pitchers.  Am J Sports Med. 1988;  16 274-279
• 13 Hopkins JT, Ingersoll CD. Arthrogenic muscle inhibition: a limiting factor in joint rehabilitation.  J Sport Rehabil. 2000;  9 135-159
• 14 Kennedy K, Altcheck DW, Glick IV. Concentric and eccentric isokinetic rotator cuff ratios in skilled tennis players.  Iso Exer Sci. 1993;  3 132-135
• 15 Kuipers H. Exercise-induced muscle damage.  Int J Sports Med. 1994;  15 132-135
• 16 Labriola JE, Lee TQ, Debski RE, McMahon PJ. Stability and instability of the glenohumeral joint: the role of shoulder muscles.  J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2005;  14 ((1 suppl S)) 32S-38S
• 17 Leggin BG, Neuman RM, Iannotti JP, Williams GR, Thompson EC. Intrarater and interrater reliability of three isometric dynamometers in assessing shoulder strength.  J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1996;  5 18-24
• 18 Lo YP, Hsu YC, Chan KM. Epidemiology of shoulder impingement in upper arm sports events.  Br J Sports Med. 1990;  24 173-177
• 19 Malerba JL, Adam ML, Harris BA, Krebs DE. Reliability of dynamic and isometric testing of shoulder external and internal rotators.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1993;  18 543-552
• 20 Mcmaster WC, Long SC, Caiozzo VJ. Isokinetic torque imbalances in the rotator cuff of the elite water polo player.  Am J Sports Med. 1991;  19 72-75
• 21 Mont MA, Cohen DB, Campbell KR, Gravare K, Mathur SK. Isokinetic concentric versus eccentric training of shoulder rotators with functional evaluation of performance enhancement in elite tennis players.  Am J Sports Med. 1994;  22 513-517
• 22 Ng GY, Lam PC. A study of antagonist/agonist isokinetic work ratios of shoulder rotators in men who play badminton.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2002;  32 399-404
• 23 Perrin DH. Isokinetic Exercise and Assessment. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers 1993: 75-80
• 24 Reinold MM, Wilk KE, Fleisig GS, Zheng N, Barrentine SW, Chmielewski T, Cody RC, Jameson GG, Andrews JR. Electromyographic analysis of the rotator cuff and deltoid musculature during common shoulder external rotation exercises.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2004;  34 385-394
• 25 Rokito AS, Jobe FW, Pink MM, Perry J, Brault J. Electromyographic analysis of shoulder function during the volleyball serve and spike.  J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1998;  7 256-263
• 26 Scoville CR, Arciero RA, Taylor DC, Stoneman PD. End range eccentric antagonist/concentric agonist strength ratios: a new perspective in shoulder strength assessment.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1997;  25 203-207
• 27 Stickley CD, Hetzler RK, Freemyer BG, Kimura IF. Isokinetic peak torque ratios and shoulder injury history in adolescent female volleyball athletes.  J Athl Training. 2008;  43 571-577
• 28 Tengan CH, Oliveira AS, Kiymoto BH, Morita MP, De Medeiros JL, Gabbai AA. Isolated and painless infraspinatus atrophy in top-level volleyball players.  Report of two cases and review of the literature. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 1993;  51 125-129
• 29 Walmsley RP, Szibbo C. A comparative study of the torque generated by the shoulder internal and external rotators muscles in different positions and varying speeds.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1987;  9 217-222
• 30 Wang HK, Cochrane T. Mobility impairment, muscle imbalance, muscle weakness, scapular asymmetry and shoulder injury in elite volleyball athletes.  J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2001;  41 403-410
• 31 Wang HK, Macfarlane A, Cochrane T. Isokinetic performance and shoulder mobility in elite volleyball athletes from the United Kingdom.  Br J Sports Med. 2000;  34 39-43
• 32 Winter DA, Fuglevand AJ, Archer SE. Crosstalk in surface electromyography: Theoretical and practical estimates.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 1994;  4 26-45
• 33 Witvrouw E, Cools A, Lysens R, Cambier D, Vanderstraeten G, Victor J, Sneyers C, Walravens M. Suprascapular neuropathy in volleyball players.  Br J Sports Med. 2000;  34 174-180

Correspondence