Pectoralis Minor Shorthening and Swimming Performance

Swimming is one of the sports branches that includes many factors such as aerobic and anaerobic endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, quickness, rhythm, coordination as well as sportive performance and technical skills. Athletes must have a high level of fitness, strength, coordination, agility, speed and motor control to perform at an elite level with minimal injury risk. Repetitive upper extremity movements imposed by freestyle swimming may lead to changes in muscle length and tension by paving the way for postural misalignment in adolescent swimmers. As can be seen in the studies, young swimmers who are preparing for the competition have postural disorders and injuries related to use, such as decreased posture, shoulder joint range of motion and subacromial distance. Pectoralis minor stretching exercise to be performed in swimmers is aimed to improve swimming performance and prevent possible postural disorders by contributing to the increase of maximal shoulder muscle strength as well as correcting the incorrectly developed posture in children.