Shoulder stability and its importance in sports performance

At O+A we believe that the clothing people wear for sport and training should do more than simply cover the skin.  It should provide some functionality, working with your body to actively enhance aspects of performance or recovery.  Allowing athletes to train and perform to their absolute maximum, and not letting anything hold them back.

As a major part of our Reflex range, the short and long sleeve tops are focused on the shoulders and upper back, working with your body to stabilise this area, as well as support posture and muscular control. 

But why is shoulder stability so important to sports performance?  In this article we explore the function of the shoulder in sport, as well as how you can improve shoulder stability for your sport.

Shoulder pain and instability is a common and disabling complaint, particularly amongst overhead athletes, often as a result of repetitive stress during sporting actions.  In fact, according to a series of published population surveys, shoulder pain affects 18-26% of adults at any time [1], making it one of the most common pain syndromes.

Instability is defined by the abnormal movement of the shoulder beyond its normal physiological range, or a lack of control within its normal range.  This can result in pain, joint laxity (a looseness of the joint) and eventually injuries including subluxation and dislocation.

Three extremely common shoulder injuries amongst athletes are SLAP tears to the ring of cartilage around the shoulder socket; instability due to reduced tendon & ligament function, often leading to subluxation or dislocation; and rotator cuff muscle injuries.  Generally, these are caused by repetitive overhead motions or high impacts, and are typically characterised by pain, weakness, and reduced shoulder function.

Interestingly, shoulder dislocation type injuries have been found to be more than twice as likely to happen to men [2], and most commonly in athletes aged 30-40.  Over 80% of all dislocation type injuries occur anteriorly [2] and at least partially as a result of trauma, although structural deficits and poor muscle recruitment have varying effects for each individual case.

Laxity is a common issue amongst athletes in overhead or throwing sports, including tennis, baseball, cricket, and swimming.  The repetitive overhead activity often results in reports of shoulder pain and injury.  With an ever-increasing training load, the shoulder is given very little time to recover and rehabilitate, commonly leading to laxity and general wear of the surrounding structures.

Skilled movement relies on highly developed prime movers, built on a strong foundation of effective stabilisers.  Stabiliser function is commonly one of the most important components for injury prevention, longevity, and ultimately athletic performance.  Underperforming stabiliser muscles require the prime movers to effectively pay more attention to stability, either decreasing performance or wasting energy.  This predisposes an athlete to shoulder injury as a result of poor biomechanics.

Unfortunately, the shoulder is a vulnerable area, and once injured the likelihood of injury recurrence does increase.  However, this is something you can minimise the risk of happening, and ideally prevent in the first place.