Abstract
Shoulder pain has been associated with glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and a reduction in external rotation (ER) strength; however, in tennis players, there is scarce evidence regarding the impact of a single match on shoulder range of motion (ROM), strength and serve speed. The aim of this study was to determine the acute effect of a single tennis match on shoulder rotation ROM, isometric strength and serve speed. Twenty-six professional tennis players participated in the study (20.4±4.4 years; 10.5±3.2 years tennis expertise; 20.5±5.4 h/week training). Passive shoulder external (ER-ROM) and internal rotation ROM (IR-ROM), ER and IR isometric strength were measured before and after a single tennis match (80.3±21.3 min) in both shoulder´s. Moreover, the total arc of motion (TAM) and ER/IR strength ratio were calculated. Video analysis was used to assess the number of serves and groundstrokes, while a radar gun was utilized to measure maximal ball speed. In the dominant shoulder, compared to pre-match levels, IR-ROM was significantly reduced (-1.3%; p = 0.042), while ER-ROM (5.3%; p = 0.037) and TAM (3.1%; p = 0.050) were significantly increased. In the non-dominant shoulder, ER-ROM (3.7%; p = 0.006) was increased. Furthermore, in the dominant shoulder, the isometric ER strength was significantly reduced after the match (-4.8%; p = 0.012), whereas serve speed was not significantly reduced after match (-1.16%; p = 0.197). A single tennis match leads to significant reductions in shoulder ROM (e.g., IR of the dominant shoulder) and isometric strength (e.g., ER of the dominant shoulder). This study reveals the importance of recovery strategies prescription aiming at minimize post-match alteration in the shoulders.
Highlights
Competitive tennis requires players to train and compete on a year-round base
The glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) (i.e., > 18–20 ̊ reduction in dominant shoulder IR, with a corresponding > 5 ̊ loss of total arc of motion (TAM) when compared to the non-dominant shoulder) [8, 9], external/internal (ER/IR) rotation strength ratios (i.e., 5 ̊ loss in dominant shoulder ER when compared to the non-dominant shoulder) [11], have been highlighted as a risk factors in overhead athletes
The comparison between pre- vs post-match values of bilateral passive shoulder rotation range of motion (ROM), isometric rotation strength, and the ER/IR isometric strength ratio are presented in S2 Table
Summary
Competitive tennis requires players to train and compete on a year-round base. This turns into a long season, inability to estimate effectively wins and losses each week at tournaments, high training volumes, and a shifting schedule as ranking changes [1]. As a result of the demands induced by the continuous practice and play, with hundreds of powerful overhead serves and groundstrokes per training/match, tennis players are susceptible to a range of injuries including chronic overuse conditions and acute traumatic injuries [2]. The in-season physical changes that may precede an injury or even the effects of fatigue after a single tennis match on these musculoskeletal parameters have not been elucidated yet [15]
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