RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Shoulder muscle imbalance is a potential shoulder injury risk factor in athletes performing overhead sports. While normative functional peak strength of concentric external to concentric internal shoulder muscle fatigue data is available, comparisons of functional eccentric external to concentric internal shoulder rotator muscle fatigue resistance, which impacts muscle imbalance throughout the duration of play, have not been studied in this population. OBJECTIVES: To assess fatigue resistance of the internal and external shoulder rotator muscles in female tennis players. METHODS: Fifteen female collegiate tennis players were tested bilaterally for shoulder concentric internal and eccentric external peak torque production throughout 20 maximal repetitions on a Kin-Com isokinetic dynamometer. Twelve t - tests were conducted to evaluate for differences in peak torque, relative fatigue ratios, and functional peak torque ratios between extremities and mode of activation during the first, as well as, last five repetitions that were conducted. RESULTS: Non-dominant concentric internal and eccentric external peak torque production significantly decreased throughout the twenty repetitions. Neither dominant concentric internal peak torque decrements and eccentric peak torque decrements were not significantly different across the twenty contractions. These changes in peak torque upon subsequent repetitions resulted in relative fatigue ratios of dominant eccentric external rotation that were significantly greater than non-dominant eccentric external rotation. Relative fatigue ratios of dominant concentric internal rotation did not differ from non-dominant concentric internal rotation. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that eccentrically activated external shoulder rotator muscles could possibly adapt to overhead activities by becoming more fatigue resistant.