When compared to the control group, the range of flexion in internal rotation was significantly greater for the swimmers, reduced for the canoeists and similar for rugby players. This is likely to be a result of the specificity of the movements within the sport. The canoeists, rugby players, and non-sporting controls had no significant differences between their shoulder flexion ranges with the humerus internally rotated, whereas swimmers had a superior range. This finding is not unexpected

because of the nature of the sport, and the arm position required (flexion/medial rotation) at the point of entry AZD6244 cost into the water for the majority of swim strokes plus the repetition of these strokes have resulted in a task-specific increased range of motion.20 Biomechanical three-dimensional analysis of freestyle swimming supports the idea that adequate shoulder

rotation range is necessary to swim with the correct technique, and to avert shoulder impingement.11 Assessments of shoulder flexion in external rotation revealed that when compared to the non-sporting controls, the swimmers and canoeists had significantly reduced ranges of movement, and the rugby players had a slight but not significant reduction in range as compared to the control group. This would indicate that the latissimus dorsi was least flexible in the canoeists followed by the swimmers, with rugby players and controls showing similar levels of flexibility. R428 mw These findings are likely to reflect the specific nature of their individual sports, with both canoeing and swimming requiring considerable levels of activity in the latissimus dorsi in order to generate movement relative to the water.20 and 21 Electromyographic studies have shown that during canoeing, the major muscle working during the pulling phase

of the stroke was the latissimus dorsi.16 During freestyle swimming, Pink and Jobe20 used fine-needle electromyography to show the latissimus dorsi fires ADP ribosylation factor in concert with the subscapularis from the mid pull-through until the beginning of the recovery phase, as the arm exits the water. The nature of the force of latissimus dorsi muscle contraction between canoeing and swimming is very different, and may significantly influence the muscle length, and hence the findings of this study. In order to control the canoe against fast moving water, the contraction of the latissimus dorsi is likely to be either isometric or relatively small concentric-eccentric contractions, all of high force. This is likely to provide considerable stimulus for muscle hypertrophy, and also for muscle stiffness (resistance to elongation) to develop within the latissimus dorsi to manage the high forces involved in controlling the canoe. The canoeist also has to control longer lever arms over which the force has to be generated, because of the presence of the paddle.