Comparison of fatigue of the shoulder girdle muscles before and after a simulated freestyle wrestling match

Shoulder injuries are common in wrestling which can result in functional and psychological problems in the wrestlers. In case of high-intensity injuries, they can lead to discontinuation of the sport. On the other hand, fatigue may be one of the major risk factors for injury. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare fatigue of groups of shoulder girdle muscle during a simulated wrestling match. Fourteen amateur wrestlers (age 20.7±3.2 years, weight 70.3±12.9kg, and height 174.2±5.8cm) were selected using convenience sampling method. After a preliminary warm up, strength of the shoulder girdle muscles of both sides during 10 shoulder motions were measured by a portable isokinetic dynamometer. After 2 rounds of three-minutes, high-intensity freestyle wrestling with 30 seconds rest between the two spans, the measurements were repeated and force loss percentage for every movement was calculated. Dependent T-test was used to determine the difference between the mean values of the pre and post-tests. The results indicated that a significant reduction in the muscle strength of all selected motions was made after the simulated wrestling match, except for the non-dominant external rotation (p<0.05). The highest degree of fatigue occurred in the scapula stabilizing muscles (retractor, protractor and elevator muscles). The results can be used to design a fitness program in order to prevent shoulder joint injuries, increase muscle performance, and improve the wrestling quality.