The Physical Performance Show Ep 363: The Swimmer's Shoulder
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Dec 6, 2024 Alec McKenzie, a PhD scholar at Griffith University, specializes in shoulder injury prevention for swimmers. He reveals three key factors contributing to swimmer's shoulder pain, emphasizing the importance of injury prevention strategies and tailored training loads. Alec discusses advancements in imaging techniques for monitoring tendon health and highlights the risks linked to pushing through pain. He also shares insights from his research, advocating for a balanced approach to training that includes varying shoulder activities and understanding the role of technology in recovery.
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Swimmer Tendon Thickness
- Swimmers' supraspinatus tendons are significantly thicker than average, comparable to baseball pitchers'.
- This adaptation is due to high training volumes, but also leads to high rates of tendinopathies.
Tendinopathy Continuum
- Tendinopathy is a continuum from healthy to severely unhealthy.
- Monitoring tendon changes is key, as even asymptomatic changes can progress and require attention.
Overuse vs. Under-Recovery
- Swimmer's shoulder may be better understood as an under-recovery issue, not just overuse.
- Traditional overload-focused prevention methods may worsen existing overload in already stressed tendons.